IPL forgets media guidelines, lifts news article

BANGALORE, INDIA: Even as the world spruces up to celebrate the Intellectual Property Rights Day on April 26, the website of the Indian Premier League (IPL), affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has reproduced an article without the permission of the copyright holder.

Ironically, the BCCI had earlier imposed media restrictions (later diluted on the face of criticism), in an attempt to protect all the Internet rights related to the IPL Twenty20 tournament, which started last week.

Before pacifying media organizations, the BCCI had refused accreditation to websites for IPL. Sole copyright for images went to none other than IPL. Photographers were required to first upload photos on the official IPL website within 24 hours.

All these signified that the BCCI wanted to possess all the Internet copyrights. However, the IPL website, under the URL www.iplt20.com, on Wednesday published a CyberMedia News article titled IPL new stress buster for techies with minute changes and apparently, without any qualms. The original article was published on Tuesday.

The article which was reproduced on the IPL website (http://www.iplt20.com/IPL-new-stress.html) does not mention the source.

Incidentally, international news agencies were boycotting the tournament, protesting the BCCI guidelines for media.

Where is BCCI website?

On the basis of its moneymaking capability, the BCCI ‘lords’ over the rest. Down the years, the custodian of cricket in India has been able to reap revenues in its own inimitable fashion, inviting awe and not to mention the criticism hurled from various quarters.

The ongoing IPL is being seen by some as another exercise by the board to spin money. Others feel the move is an attempt to nullify the Indian Cricket League, the Essel Group promoted league started last year.

Now, let’s have a glance at BCCI’s presence – or absence - on the web. For reasons best known to the Board, there has never been a fully operational website of BCCI, a dampener for most cricket fans in the country.

On the other hand, the boards of other test playing nations, including the cash-striven ones such as Bangladesh, have already had websites of their own.

Sometimes back, the BCCI did go live with bcci.tv, which at the outset flashed nothing more than the board’s logo. Now the site offers tickets of sports and music events through ticketpro.in.

With the $50 million deal the board signed with Live Current Media, the stage is set for the launch of the official BCCI site.

The Canadian firm was given the responsibility to form the websites for BCCI and IPL. The IPL site is already operational. It was this site that had reproduced a story, which originally appeared on this portal.

Amidst this shameless plagiarism, one wonders if the BCCI and IPL owe an apology to the copyright holder in specific and to the media in general.