EVOLVING FRONTIERS OF COPYRIGHT: NAVIGATING PERFORMING, PUBLISHING AND SYNC RIGHTS IN THE DIGITAL ERA

AUTHOR – YUVRAJ, STUDENT AT CHRIST UNIVERSITY (BANGALORE)

BEST CITATION – YUVRAJ, EVOLVING FRONTIERS OF COPYRIGHT: NAVIGATING PERFORMING, PUBLISHING AND SYNC RIGHTS IN THE DIGITAL ERA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (2) OF 2026, PG. 594-602, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

The shift to digital technologies in the creation and distribution of cultural content has

radically reshaped the practical and doctrinal aspect of copyright law. In an age where music, art, film, literature, and creative works are instantly accessible worldwide through digital networks, traditional copyright mechanisms are being tested and modified. Performing rights, publishing rights, and synchronization rights, which have historically played a key role in distributing value among creators, intermediaries, and audiences, are now central to debates shaped by technological disruption, market innovations, and changing legal frameworks

Traditionally, copyright law operated within a relatively stable context, characterized by physical copies, restricted distribution channels, and geographically limited markets. Creators such as authors, composers, and performers depended on established collecting societies, publishers, and licensing systems to earn revenue from their works. However, the rise of digital technologies, particularly streaming platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, and TikTok, has fundamentally altered this balance. These platforms operate on a scale previously unimaginable, generating both opportunities for exposure and new challenges regarding

equitable remuneration, control, and enforcement. Scholars have noted that the transition from ownership (buying CDs, DVDs, books) to access (subscription and streaming models) has led to profound outcomes for copyright’s distributional logic and market structure.¹