OTT Platforms And Market Dominance: Competition Law Implications In The Digital Streaming Industry

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Anupriya Singh, Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

ABSTRACT

Over-the-top (OTT) platforms enable on-demand internet access to an extensive entertainment, news, and educational content catalog. This disruption has democratized media consumption but raised competition issues with ongoing legal debates over jurisdictional ramifications. This abstract investigates the legal aspects of competition in the OTT domain, namely market dominance, content exclusivity, and equitable competition practices. DominantOTT players' monopolistic behavior, exclusive content deals impacting smaller competitors, and potential antitrust law violations are major competition concerns. These platforms often hinder competition by owning both content creation and distribution channels. The absence of equal regulation between OTT services and traditional broadcasters fosters unequal competition. Governments and regulatory bodies face challenges when applying traditional competition law frameworks to the rapidly evolving digital market. In the OTT space, issues such as jurisdictional challenges, consumer protection, and data privacy overlap with competition law. This paper examines the case laws, regulatory interventions, and ongoing debates on antitrust frameworks within the OTT sector to provide a comprehensive understanding of its legal complexities, emphasizing the importance of adaptive legal frameworks that promote innovation, consumer choice, and fair competition in the digital marketplace.

Keywords: OTT, Competition Law, Monopolistic Behaviour, Digital Streaming, Antitrust.

634. OTT PLATFORMS AND MARKET DOMINANCE- COMPETITION LAW IMPLICATIONS IN THE DIGITAL STREA

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