Corporate practice

Technology, Media & Entertainment

Technology, content and commerce now move together, and the law that governs them is changing quickly. We help clients build on it with confidence.

Software and AI, platforms and intermediaries, e-commerce, online gaming, film, music and OTT, advertising and influencer marketing.

Technology

Software licences, SaaS and cloud agreements, outsourcing, and contracts for building and deploying AI, including who owns the outputs and what may be done with the data. Platforms rely on the safe harbour in section 79 of the IT Act, which depends on following the due diligence duties in the IT Rules, 2021. E-commerce businesses are subject to the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 and the 2023 guidelines on dark patterns.

Online gaming

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026. It prohibits online money games, their advertisement and the processing of payments for them, and promotes e-sports and online social games. Game developers, platforms, payment providers and advertisers all need to know where their products fall (see our earlier analysis, updated for the Act).

Media and entertainment

Development, financing, production, talent and distribution agreements; rights clearances; music licensing; OTT content regulation under the Digital Media Ethics Code; and anti-piracy action, including under the offences added to the Cinematograph Act in 2023. Personality rights have become a front line in the age of AI deepfakes (see Who Owns Your Face?).

Advertising and influencers

The Central Consumer Protection Authority’s 2022 guidelines on misleading advertisements and endorsements, and the ASCI Code, require clear disclosure of any material connection between a brand and an endorser. Our Influencers’ Code answers the questions creators and brands ask most.

How we help

Software, SaaS and cloud agreements
AI development and deployment contracts
Platform terms and intermediary compliance
E-commerce and consumer law
Online gaming classification and compliance
Film, music and OTT agreements
Personality rights and deepfake takedowns
Advertising and influencer campaigns

Key laws

Information Technology Act, 2000
IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025
Cinematograph Act, 1952 (as amended in 2023)
Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Frequently asked questions

Is online gaming legal in India after the 2025 Act?

Online money games, in which users pay or stake money in the expectation of winning money or other rewards, are prohibited under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which came into force on 1 May 2026. So are their advertisement and the processing of payments for them. E-sports and online social games that involve no stakes remain lawful, and the Act provides for their promotion.

Are platforms liable for what their users post?

An intermediary is protected from liability for third-party content under section 79 of the IT Act if it only provides access or hosting, follows the due diligence duties in the IT Rules, 2021, and removes unlawful content when it receives a court order or a government notification. Losing that protection exposes the platform to liability under the ordinary law.

Must influencers disclose paid posts in India?

Yes. The Central Consumer Protection Authority’s 2022 guidelines and the ASCI Code require a clear and prominent disclosure, such as “Advertisement”, “Ad”, “Sponsored” or “Collaboration”, wherever there is a material connection with the brand. Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 an endorser of a misleading advertisement can be fined up to ₹10 lakh, and up to ₹50 lakh for a repeat offence.