Popular Indian YouTubers including Mohak Mangal, Dhruv Rathee, Nitish Rajput, and Rajath Pawar have accused news agency ANI of misusing YouTube’s copyright strike system to pressure creators into paying large sums for content licensing.
They allege that ANI issues strikes for using brief clips under what they believe qualifies as fair use, and then demands payments ranging from ₹18 lakh to ₹50 lakh to lift them.
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Mohak released audio clips of an alleged ANI employee demanding ₹40 lakh for a yearly subscription, warning of more strikes if the amount was not paid. Rajath Pawar said he was asked to pay ₹18 lakh plus GST.
According to YouTube policy, three copyright strikes can lead to a channel’s deletion. Creators claim that this system is being exploited to force them into paying large fees, as losing their channel would erase years of work and income.
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ANI has denied wrongdoing, stating that it is the rightful owner of its footage and has the legal authority to enforce copyright and license its content. It called the enforcement of its rights a lawful business practice, not extortion.
Public opinion remains divided. Supporters of the creators see this as a misuse of the law to suppress independent voices. Others argue that digital creators should pay for content they use, especially in monetized videos.
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The issue has led to calls for clearer guidelines on fair use and content licensing. Mohak has appealed to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for an investigation, while many await YouTube’s response.
The situation points to a growing tension between legacy media and digital creators in India’s evolving infotainment content scene.
