Anti-piracy app to be unveiled at WAVES summit to safeguard films like Sikandar and Indian

Salman Khan in Sikandar

Through the inaugural edition of World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), which kicks off in Mumbai today, the idea is to not only position India as a global entertainment hub, but also focus on technological innovations that will build the future of content creation. Among the three technological advancements being introduced at the summit, one is a subscription-based anti-piracy app developed by Bharath Nalubola. The app, Ntrack, is being seen as the means to combat the rampant piracy that has affected the Indian film industry, with big-ticket movies like Salman Khan's Sikandar, and Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 (2024), falling prey to it in the recent past.

Nalubola, who developed the app over two years, tells mid-day that it can safeguard both pre-recorded and live content. He explains that the product, primarily targeted at producers and streaming platforms, relies on two technologies - Digital Rights Management (DRM) and watermarking.

Sikandar leaked online hours before its March 30 release

DRM helps control access based on geo-location, number of users, and grants certificates or passkeys to authenticated subscribers. Simplifying it, Nalubola explains, "It controls who can watch the video, where they can watch it from, and how many times. Only people with subscriptions can get through the security gate." In the case of a movie release, the producer will provide the subscription or passkey to the exhibitors, and can see, in real-time, the locations where his film is playing. It enables him to know whether the film is travelling outside the designated locations.

Watermarking is crucial for piracy detection. He shares, "If the content is duplicated or illegally streamed, watermarking helps us trace it back to the source [of piracy]. So, it handles theft detection. Apps like ours could dramatically curb piracy. Imagine if a film like Sikandar had this layer of protection. Leaks could be blocked before they spread."

An HD pirated version of the Kiara Advani and Ram Charan-starrer Game Changer was leaked online after its theatrical release

Telugu actor and producer Ravi Teja is already on board with the initiative. Nalubola states that the product will offer digital armour to filmmakers, producers, and digital creators. "Every year, the industry loses billions to piracy. With AI tools making it harder to track theft, there is an urgent need for effective solutions. Our solution gives power back to both indie creators and studios."