ANI takes legal action against YouTuber for alleged copyright violation

In another clash between traditional media and digital content creators, Asian News International (ANI) has filed a commercial suit before a Delhi court against popular YouTuber Thugesh, accusing him of copyright infringement by using ANI’s interview footage without permission.

The lawsuit, titled ANI Media Pvt. Ltd. vs Mahesh Rajesh Keshwala & Anr., alleges that Thugesh—whose real name is Mahesh Rajesh Keshwala—used ANI's original video material on his YouTube channel Thugesh Unfiltered without obtaining any license, authorisation, or consent from the news agency.

“Unauthorised use… in their entirety”

ANI, represented by Advocate Anshika Saxena, stated in its plea:

“Said channel has been used by Defendant No. 1 to unlawfully reproduce, publish, and disseminate the Plaintiff's Works without obtaining any license, authorisation, or consent from the Plaintiff. In several instances, such unauthorised use has involved the reproduction of the Plaintiff's Works in their entirety. This conduct constitutes a clear infringement of the Plaintiff's exclusive rights under the Copyright Act.”

The agency has flagged four specific videos from Thugesh’s YouTube uploads and is seeking a permanent injunction, mandatory directions to pull down the infringing content, and monetary damages for alleged copyright infringement, piracy, plagiarism, and unjust enrichment.

Thugesh responds with counterclaims of fair use

According to court filings, ANI had previously issued copyright strikes on YouTube against the content in question. However, Thugesh responded by filing counter strikes, asserting that his use of the clips qualifies as “fair use”—a defence frequently invoked by digital creators, especially those in commentary, parody, or critique-based formats.

Google seeks time, next hearing in September

The case was heard briefly on August 7 by Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala at Delhi’s Patiala House Court. The court noted that Thugesh had been served via email on July 14 and granted him until August 14 to file a written statement.

“Defendant No. 1 was served by email on July 14. The time period of 30 days for Defendant No. 1 will expire on August 14 and so the matter is adjourned today,” the judge ordered.

Google, a respondent in the matter, was represented by Advocate Shruttima Ehersa and has sought time to verify the claims presented in ANI’s plaint. The next hearing is scheduled for September 12.

Thugesh was represented by Advocates Nakul Gandhi and Tanish Gupta.

Second such case filed by ANI in recent months

This is not ANI’s first legal action against a YouTuber for alleged copyright violation. A previous suit filed against YouTuber Mohak Mangal is still pending before the Delhi High Court. With this second case, ANI seems to be drawing clear lines on how its content can be reused on digital platforms—even as user-generated content and commentary-based formats continue to flourish.

The marketing perspective: What this means for content creators and news brands

The legal battle underlines a growing tension in the advertising and content ecosystem: while digital creators often rely on repurposing news clips for commentary or satire, legacy media houses like ANI are increasingly protective of their proprietary content.

For brand marketers, the outcome of this case could impact influencer contracts, branded content strategies, and campaign compliance—especially when creators use third-party news material in sponsored videos.

This also opens up broader questions for platforms like YouTube, where the boundaries between fair use and copyright violation remain ambiguous. As Google’s legal team evaluates the claims, platform liability and content moderation mechanisms may also come under scrutiny.