Humans vs. People (of Copyright)

Two editions ago, I asked my readers if they think the social media business Humans of Bombay (HoB) has a credible case against its newer rival People of India (PoI). The Delhi High Court passed a judgement and dismissed the case last week.?

About 88% of readers who answered the poll said HoB had no case because it, too, is a copy (of Humans of New York). One person voted that the company’s complaints may be legitimate if their original content is getting copied.?

Another reader pointed out that HoB might have trouble justifying its stance legally. “…in my personal opinion everyone and everything on social media is original, at least from the writer’s perspective. Do we have any copyright law for what is mentioned on social media?” they asked.

To answer this question, and understand the Delhi High Court’s ruling, we need to go back to a story about a photocopy shop.?

Want to read more? Head over to this link and read the full edition of The Impression - your weekly media primer:

https://theimpression.thesignal.co/p/humans-of-bombay-brandon-stanton-court-case