Tech Explained: Here’s a simplified explanation of the latest technology update around Tech Explained: AI, digital copying, and the future of journalism: Copyright takes centre stage at Jamia Hamdard in Simple Termsand what it means for users..
In a world where artificial intelligence can write poems, generate images, remix old content in seconds, one big question is making the rounds in newsrooms, classrooms, courtrooms alike: who really owns creativity now? This question took centre stage at Jamia Hamdard this week, where students got reality check on why copyright still matters more than ever.
Speaking to budding journalists at the Centre for Media and Communication Studies, senior Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) advocate Vikrant Rana, Managing Partner at SS Rana & Co, broke down a topic many students find intimidating but absolutely essential in today’s digital world. The lecture was part of Jamia Hamdard’s flagship Media Matters: Connecting People, Policy and Progress series.
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Why copyright is suddenly everyone’s problem
Rana began with a simple truth. Technology has made copying easy, but creativity is still hard work. With AI tools scraping content, remixing articles, reproducing styles at lightning speed, copyright has become the main legal shield protecting human creators.
According to him, copyright is not just about law books and court cases. It is about fair payment, recognition, and survival especially for journalists, artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers trying to make living in digital age.
Media ethics, creativity, slow ideas
Adding a deeper perspective, Prof Farhat Basir Khan, founder of the Media Matters initiative, connected creativity directly to ethics. While ideas travel fast online, he said, real creativity takes time, courage, intellectual labour.
He warned that unchecked copying, digital piracy, unauthorised reuse of content don’t just hurt individuals. They slowly destroy the foundation of quality journalism and cultural production.
Copyright: Protection from day one
The heart of the session focused on copyright law. Rana clarified that original literary, artistic, musical, dramatic works are protected moment they are created. No registration is needed to claim basic rights.
Copyright lasts for the creator’s lifetime and 60 years after their death. He also explained licensing models, royalties, moral rights like the right to be credited and right to protect the integrity of one’s work.
Using landmark court cases, he unpacked concepts like fair use, infringement, performers’ rights, difference between authorship and ownership. These are the issues journalists often face without realising it.
Turning to the future, Rana acknowledged that copyright law worldwide is struggling to keep pace with AI systems, digital platforms, large-scale content aggregation. Laws are evolving, but awareness is still lagging.
The session ended with remarks from Prof Reshma Nasreen, Director of the Centre, who thanked the speaker and stressed that understanding law is critical for media professionals entering a complex digital and regulatory landscape.
Summing it all up, Prof Khan left the room with a powerful line: “When we respect creators, we protect culture. When we protect ideas, we strengthen democracy.”
In the age of AI, that message couldn’t be more timely.