Our crawler identifies and catalogs URLs that are openly accessible across the public internet, organizing them for user discovery through our search interface,which make Castle. Castle does not upload, host, transmit, or store any video files, audio streams, or media archives on its own infrastructure. Every piece of content that a user reaches through Castle's search results is physically located on a third-party server that operates entirely independently of Castle.

This page explains how Castle handles copyright complaints, what rights holders need to submit a valid takedown request, and how our escalation system works to keep our index compliant over time.

1. Castle's Position in the Content Chain

To understand how our copyright policy works, it helps to understand where Castle sits in the content delivery chain. Castle is not a broadcaster,or a content owner. It is an index, comparable in function to a search engine that specializes in Indian entertainment content.

When a rights holder's content appears in Castle's search results, it means our crawler found a publicly accessible URL pointing to that content on a third-party server. Castle did not put that content online. Castle did not authorize its upload. Castle's role is limited to having indexed the URL that leads to it.

This distinction is recognized under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which provides intermediary protection for platforms that do not originate or modify the content they index, provided they respond appropriately to verified legal notices. Castle's copyright removal process is built around meeting that standard.

2. Which Content Types Are Covered

Castle's copyright policy applies to all categories of content indexed by our search engine. Rights holders from any of the following sectors may submit takedown requests:

  • Hindi Cinema: Bollywood feature films, trailers, and promotional content owned by major production houses and distributors.
  • Regional Indian Cinema: Films, web series, and short-format content from Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, and Bhojpuri industries.
  • International Content: English-language films, international series, and dubbed content for which Indian distribution rights are held by a verified party.
  • Live and Recorded Sports: Broadcast content from the IPL, ICC World Cup, ISL, Pro Kabaddi League, and other events for which exclusive digital broadcast rights have been licensed.
  • Music and Audio: Soundtracks, independent music releases, and audio content for which copyright is separately held from the associated video.
  • Original Web Content: Series and films produced exclusively for OTT platforms operating in India, including content from domestic and international streaming services.

3. How to Submit a Takedown Request

Rights holders or their authorized legal representatives may submit a copyright removal request through the official Castle contact portal. To be processed without delay, your submission must include all of the following elements:

  • Proof of Authority: A physical or digitally signed statement confirming that you are the copyright owner or are legally authorized to act on their behalf.
  • Description of the Work: The full title of the protected work, including any relevant season or episode number, broadcast date, or event name that helps our team identify the specific content.
  • Location of the Infringing Result: The exact URL or search query string within the Castle interface that surfaces the link you are requesting be removed. Screenshots with timestamps are helpful but not required.
  • Your Contact Details: Full legal name or organization name, a valid business address, a working telephone number, and an official email address through which our team can respond.
  • Good-Faith Declaration: A written statement confirming your genuine belief that the indexed link is not authorized by the rights holder, their agent, or applicable law, and that this declaration is made in good faith and not for the purpose of harassment or competitive interference.
  • Accuracy and Perjury Acknowledgement: A declaration that the information you have provided is accurate, submitted under penalty of perjury.

Incomplete requests will be returned for revision before processing begins. Submitting false or bad-faith takedown notices may expose the submitting party to counter-claims under applicable law.

4. Our Response Timeline

Castle is committed to acting on verified copyright notices promptly. Our standard processing timeline is as follows:

  • Acknowledgement: We confirm receipt of your notice within 24 hours of submission.
  • Review: Our compliance team reviews the request for completeness and validity within one business day.
  • Removal: Confirmed infringing links are de-indexed from our search results within two business days of verification.
  • Notification: We notify the submitting party once removal is complete. For requests involving multiple links, we provide a removal confirmation log.

If your request requires additional information or clarification, our team will contact you directly before proceeding.

5. Counter-Notices and Fair Dealing

If a link has been removed from Castle's index following a takedown request, and you believe the removal was made in error, you may file a Counter-Notice. Indian copyright law under the Copyright Act, 1957 recognizes the principle of Fair Dealing, which permits limited use of copyrighted material for purposes including criticism, commentary, news reporting, and educational use.

A valid counter-notice must include your full identity, a description of the specific link that was removed, and a clear statement explaining why you believe the removal was incorrect, including any Fair Dealing basis you are asserting. Castle will review all counter-notices and may restore removed links if the Fair Dealing grounds are clearly established and verifiable.

6. Repeat Infringer Escalation System

Castle maintains a domain-level compliance database to track third-party sources that repeatedly provide access to unauthorized content. Our escalation system works as follows:

  • First Validated Complaint: The specific link is removed and the source domain receives a compliance flag in our internal database.
  • Second Validated Complaint from Same Domain: All indexed results from that domain are suspended for a period of 30 days while the domain undergoes a compliance review.
  • Third or Subsequent Validated Complaint: The source domain is permanently removed from Castle's search index. Reinstatement is not available for domains that reach this threshold.

This system ensures that our index progressively improves in quality and that rights holders do not need to submit repeated notices for the same persistent sources.

7. Contact for Legal Correspondence

All copyright notices, counter-notices, and related legal correspondence should be submitted through the designated Legal Contact section of our official website. General support queries sent to our copyright channel will be redirected to the appropriate support team.