COPYRIGHT PROTECTION OF MEMES AND REELS IN THE DIGITAL ERA

AUTHOR – HARSA AKHTAR, STUDENT AT AMITY LAW SCHOOL, AMITY UNIVERSITY PATNA, BIHAR

BEST CITATION – HARSA AKHTAR, COPYRIGHT PROTECTION OF MEMES AND REELS IN THE DIGITAL ERA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (12) OF 2025, PG. 1042-1044, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344

ABSTRACT

The emergence of memes and short videos, particularly reels on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts, has revolutionized online communication. Though these modes of content succeed based on creativity, they tend to use existing copyrighted works songs, pictures, film clips, and logos resulting in copyright conflicts. This article analyses whether reels and memes can be “original works” under copyright law, discusses protection and freedom of expression balance, and reviews legal developments in India, the United States, and the European Union. The paper contends that even if memes and reels are considered transformative cultural works, copyright regimes need to adapt to resolve issues of ownership, fair use, and monetization in the digital age.

Keywords: Protection, Copyright, Authorship, Monetization, Ownership, Legal Framework, Digital, Fair use