Movie piracy, a problem that has been causing troubles to the Telugu film industry for long time, has once again hit the headlines as Telangana Cyber Crime Police have intensified their crackdown on websites leaking newly released Telugu films. These pirated versions of the newly released films are being uploaded in quick time after the release of the film and sometimes like in the case of Sikander, the film was released in HD even before the release date and thus, causing massive losses for the industry.
The complaint in this case was given by the ETVWIN team who found out the pirated links of their content on these illegal sites. Police said that piracy websites like iBomma, Movierulz and several Telegram groups are actively circulating new films. Cyber Police have already identified these gangs that are operating from Hyderabad, Dubai, Netherlands and Mayanmar.
Recently, in July an individual named Kiran was arrested and taken into custody and during the investigation, it was further revealed upon the vast network of operations by this big piracy network.
Police explained that after recording the movie on a mobile phone, these culprits edit the content, add watermarks and then upload it on illegal sites. Later, they sell access to these pirated versions at cheap rates. Some even distribute through WhatsApp, Facebook groups and dark web links.
Officials said the entire chain is operated like a criminal business with tech-savvy gangs handling editing, uploading and money collection. Not just recording, these groups have become more powerful with the ability to even crack the digital drives from the satellite with their hacking skills and directly release the full HD print of the film on the internet.
The police have also urged movie lovers to support the Telugu film industry by watching films only in theatres or on legal OTT platforms. They reminded citizens that piracy is not only illegal but also punishable with jail time and heavy fines.
With new big releases lined up, Cyber Police have increased surveillance and promised to crack down harder on piracy networks across Telangana.
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