Shark Tank India's Judges' silence on D2C brand's social media ban raises questions; founders know legal doors

Shark Tank India has continually captivated audiences with its unique pitches and forward-thinking business ideas, as well as crucial Shark insights. Meta locks participants in Seasons 2 and 3 out of their social media and advertising accounts. According to media reports, this move follows Sony Pictures Entertainment India's (SPNI) copyright allegations.Entrepreneurs such as Roshaan Mishra of BrandsDaddy and Vivek Krishna of Sukham have expressed anger, claiming that their requests for assistance from Shark Tank judges Namita Thapar and Anupam Mittal went unanswered.Roshaan Mishra, founder of Mumbai-based BrandsDaddy and a season participant, stated that he approached Namita Thapar last month to advise her of his situation. According to Mishra, Namita might have approached Sony, but the channel did not respond. Mishra claimed that when he tried to create another account, Meta banned it. Vivek Krishna, CEO of Delhi-based Ayurvedic men's wellness firm Sukham, claims Shark Anupam Mittal, helped Indian companies amid app bans on the Google Play Store. He thinks Anupam and the other sharks will now stand up for them.Brands contend that, even if it is a copyright violation, the penalties they face are severe. They emphasise the impact on their businesses, including account suspensions and the removal of Shark Tank content from their channels. Several brands reported that despite repeated requests to Sony and Meta, they received no assistance, particularly after Shark Tank content was withdrawn from their channels. Some entrepreneurs have taken legal action, sending legal notices to Sony and Meta. Only Ritesh Agarwal's family office replied to the inquiries. It stated, "One of the founders of the companies we've invested in contacted us regarding copyright problems. We quickly linked them to Sony, and their account was reinstated. We encourage all founders to follow legal guidelines and protect intellectual property rights."Earlier reports suggested that Fit and Flex, an FMCG business, had submitted a legal notice to Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) for disabling the startup's social media profiles.