HYDERABAD: The latest Tollywood flick, Pushpa 2: The Rule, produced by Mythri Movie Makers, was the subject of a complaint lodged with the Hyderabad Cybercrime wing. The producers alleged that a YouTube user uploaded a pirated version of the movie, causing a loss of around Rs 50 crore to the makers. The Cybercrime wing registered a case and started an investigation. “We are in the process of tracing the alleged YouTuber. Accordingly, the investigation will proceed,” said an official from the Hyderabad Cybercrime wing. The movie was released in theatres on December 5, 2024.
According to the police, the complaint was lodged by I Laxman Rao, Production Manager at Mythri Movie Makers. Rao alleged that the movie’s pirated version was uploaded to YouTube by a user identified as Harish Valaboj, through his YouTube channel, South New Movie. As the movie was uploaded by him without the makers’ permission on January 4, 2025, Mythri Movie Makers filed for a counter-notification on the same day.
Harish substantiated his act by using a forged Exclusive License Agreement created on a stamp paper, showing that an organisation named Lyca Productions, having its office in Chennai, had given him the authority to play the movie on his YouTube channel, alleged Rao, said the cybercrime official.
Rao also mentioned that Lyca Productions are not the copyright holders of the Allu Arjun starrer and raised a suspicion that the alleged letter was forged. Quoting the complaint, the official said that the makers even checked with Lyca Productions, and they also confirmed that it was a forged document.
As YouTube does not have a proper verification process, they accepted the fake agreement and reinstated the movie by January 21, 2025, following which the makers filed for a copyright strike again from the official YouTube channel of Mythri Movie Makers. The video was finally completely taken down by January 24. But by then, the movie hit 1 crore views, causing a huge loss for the makers. The makers claim around Rs 50 crore loss due to the uploading of the pirated version of the movie on YouTube, added the official from the Cybercrime wing. A case was registered under BNS and the IT Act.
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