The Delhi High Court has asked Meta why scammers can access its Rights Manager tool. The tool lets scammers file fraudulent copyright strikes against genuine creators, according to a Bar and Bench report.

What The Court Asked

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani raised three questions during the hearing. He asked why Meta restricts access to the Rights Manager tool. He also asked about Meta’s policy and eligibility rules for granting access to the tool. The judge also asked why applications from original creators and petitioners are rejected.

The Case That Triggered The Hearing

Mohit Kumar runs an Instagram page called @risewithmohit. He creates content on AI, business, and e-commerce. Kumar alleged that scammers downloaded his original videos. They then registered the videos as their own using Meta’s Rights Manager tool. This let them file fake copyright strikes against his accounts.

Meta told the court that it had reinstated Kumar’s content. The company said it never suspended his accounts. The Court directed Meta to restore any content removed through fraudulent strikes, provided Kumar proves ownership. The case will be heard again on September 24.

A Pattern Of Similar Complaints

This is not an isolated case. MediaNama has tracked several similar incidents involving Meta’s copyright system.

Journalist Shyam Meera Singh had his reel about PM Modi taken down. The reel discussed accounts the Prime Minister follows on X. Singh said the copyright strike appeared to be filed under his own name. He claimed the email used belonged to the BJP.

Content creator Shobhit Bakliwal faced a similar issue. An impersonator sent a fake copyright notice in Japanese, and Instagram removed his content. The video in question featured political commentary on businessman Gautam Adani.

Meta deactivated creator Sumedha Bhattacharyya’s Instagram account after eight copyright strikes. The reports allegedly used variations of her YouTube channel name as the rights owner. Five different Outlook email addresses were listed that she did not recognize. She sought a human review of her case.

In a separate matter, Meta admitted in court that 13 copyright strikes against trader Saurabh Maurya were fake. The company said it later restored his content. This case is also listed for September 24.

Can Platforms Suspend Accounts Over Copyright Strikes?

Justice Bhambhani is separately examining whether social media platforms can suspend accounts based on copyright violations alone. This question could shape how platforms handle copyright disputes going forward.

How Rights Manager Actually Works

Meta says Rights Manager can only spot content matches. It cannot make legal calls on copyright infringement. An FAQ on Meta’s site explains that the tool flags similar content at a technical level. It does not determine whether the content actually violates copyright law.

Who Can Access The Tool

Meta lays out clear eligibility rules for the Rights Manager tool. Applicants must own or control exclusive rights to their content. They need multiple pieces of original content to protect. They must follow Meta’s community guidelines and maintain a clean record. This means no history of unauthorized posting, no past copyright takedowns, and no earlier revocation of tool access.

Approved users can submit up to 10 copyright requests every 30 days across all their pages.