Advocate Shruti Desai

21/05/2026

https://shrutidesai.in/authors-rights-against-publishers-in-india-need-for-transparency-royalty-protection-and-legal-accountability/

AUTHORS’ RIGHTS AGAINST PUBLISHERS IN INDIA: NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY, ROYALTY PROTECTION AND LEGAL ACCOUNTABILITY BY SHRUTI DESAI

21/05/2026

Abstract
The Indian publishing industry has witnessed growing concerns regarding non-payment of royalties, suppression of sales figures, denial of accounts, unauthorized reprints, and exploitative copyright assignments. Many authors, particularly academic and regional-language writers, suffer financial loss because publishers often maintain opaque accounting systems and one-sided publishing agreements. This article examines the legal rights of authors under the Copyright Act, 1957, discusses the right to royalties and rendition of accounts, and analyses important judicial precedents protecting authors against unfair publishing practices. The article also highlights the urgent need for statutory reforms ensuring transparency, accountability, and equitable sharing of publishing revenues.
Keywords
, , , rendition of accounts,authors’rights, copyright assignment, literary works, publishing industry, moralrights, transparency.

20/05/2026

The Indian government is actively evaluating a proposal to impose a usage-based ‘Data Tax’ of ₹1 per GB on mobile internet consumption.
Key Details of the Proposal: The Core Mechanism: The Prime Minister’s Office directed the Ministry of Communications to review a framework to charge a fixed levy of ₹1 for every gigabyte (GB) of data used.

The Primary Objectives: Combat Digital Addiction: Address rising screen time and social media addiction among youth and children, a challenge highlighted in the Economic Survey.

Generate Revenue: Diversify the telecom sector’s income beyond spectrum auctions. Based on India’s staggering consumption of 229 billion GB in FY25, this tax could generate ₹22,900 crore (~$3 billion USD) annually.

Current Timeline: The Department of Telecommunications is studying the framework’s feasibility and is expected to submit its detailed report by September 2026.

Implementation Challenges Under Review: Differentiating App Traffic: Experts and telecom bodies are evaluating if data can be tracked selectively. The goal is to tax unproductive short-form video or gaming data without burdening essential services like fintech, online education, and business communications.

Impact on Users: The average user consumes roughly 30 GB per month. If implemented, this blanket tax could increase standard monthly mobile bills by ₹30 to ₹45 (a 10% to 15% hike), disproportionately impacting low-income users. Existing Taxation: Internet services in India are already subject to an 18% GST rate, making a secondary consumption levy heavily debated by industry experts. Parallel Proposals:

The Income Tax Bill: Separately, the Income Tax Bill has proposed Section 247, which grants tax officials authorized powers to access virtual spaces. This includes a taxpayer’s social media accounts, email servers, and cloud drives. The Press Information Bureau clarified that this is not a tool for routine surveillance. Tax authorities will strictly use this data access during formal search and survey operations to identify asset mismatches and curb tax evasion.

20/05/2026

The Indian government is actively evaluating a proposal to impose a usage-based 'Data Tax' of ₹1 per GB on mobile internet consumption.
Key Details of the Proposal: The Core Mechanism: The Prime Minister's Office directed the Ministry of Communications to review a framework to charge a fixed levy of ₹1 for every gigabyte (GB) of data used.

The Primary Objectives: Combat Digital Addiction: Address rising screen time and social media addiction among youth and children, a challenge highlighted in the Economic Survey.

Generate Revenue: Diversify the telecom sector's income beyond spectrum auctions. Based on India's staggering consumption of 229 billion GB in FY25, this tax could generate ₹22,900 crore (~$3 billion USD) annually.

Current Timeline: The Department of Telecommunications is studying the framework's feasibility and is expected to submit its detailed report by September 2026.

Implementation Challenges Under Review: Differentiating App Traffic: Experts and telecom bodies are evaluating if data can be tracked selectively. The goal is to tax unproductive short-form video or gaming data without burdening essential services like fintech, online education, and business communications.

Impact on Users: The average user consumes roughly 30 GB per month. If implemented, this blanket tax could increase standard monthly mobile bills by ₹30 to ₹45 (a 10% to 15% hike), disproportionately impacting low-income users. Existing Taxation: Internet services in India are already subject to an 18% GST rate, making a secondary consumption levy heavily debated by industry experts. Parallel Proposals:

The Income Tax Bill: Separately, the Income Tax Bill has proposed Section 247, which grants tax officials authorized powers to access virtual spaces. This includes a taxpayer's social media accounts, email servers, and cloud drives. The Press Information Bureau clarified that this is not a tool for routine surveillance. Tax authorities will strictly use this data access during formal search and survey operations to identify asset mismatches and curb tax evasion.

19/05/2026

https://shrutidesai.in/authors-publishers-and-data-retention-a-legal-study-under-indias-digital-personal-data-protection-act/

18/05/2026

18/05/2026

https://shrutidesai.in/the-silent-crisis-in-legal-practice-when-clients-succeed-but-lawyers-remain-unpaid/
THE SILENT CRISIS
IN LEGAL PRACTICE

need change

18/05/2026

https://shrutidesai.in/the-silent-crisis-in-legal-practice-when-clients-succeed-but-lawyers-remain-unpaid/
THE SILENT CRISIS
IN LEGAL PRACTICE

need change

For many advocates, the deepest professional frustration is not losing a case. It is succeeding for a client and still remaining unpaid.

17/05/2026

No goat “bakri” slaughtering in Societies and open spaces.

17/05/2026

We Hindus shall be eternally grateful to you. 🙏🧡🚩