Digital Reproduction of News and Copyright Protection in the Online Journalism Industry

The rapid growth of digital media and online journalism has significantly transformed the creation, dissemination, and consumption of news content. While digital platforms have enhanced public access to information, they have simultaneously posed serious challenges to the protection of copyright in journalistic works. This study critically examines the issue of digital reproduction of news and the adequacy of existing copyright laws in addressing unauthorized copying, distribution, and reuse of journalistic content in the online environment. Using a doctrinal and comparative research methodology, the paper analyses legal frameworks under the Indian Copyright Act, 1957, international conventions such as the Berne Convention and WIPO Copyright Treaty, and comparative approaches in the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union. The study highlights emerging challenges such as content scraping, plagiarism, artificial intelligence-assisted reproduction, and the growing role of news aggregators and social media platforms. It finds that traditional copyright laws are ill-suited to handle the speed, scale, and cross-border nature of digital infringement. The paper concludes by proposing legal and policy reforms aimed at strengthening copyright enforcement while ensuring a balance with freedom of expression and the public’s right to access information. The research contributes to the evolving discourse on intellectual property protection in the digital journalism ecosystem.