Copyright Policy

Ekcho respects the intellectual property rights of creators. Broadcasters on Ekcho must only publish content they own or have the right to use. Broadcasting copyrighted music, audio recordings, podcasts, or other protected material without permission violates our Terms of Service and applicable law.

Ekcho is a platform for original spoken voice. It is not a music streaming service. We take copyright seriously to protect rights holders and to protect our platform.

The key legal distinction in music copyright is between the composition(melody and lyrics) and the master recording (the specific recorded performance). Ekcho prohibits use of master recordings — not covers or performances.

The following are prohibited on Ekcho:

• Playing the original master recording of a commercially released song
• Sampling, quoting, or incorporating any portion of a commercial recording
• Replaying audio from films, TV shows, podcasts, or radio broadcasts
• Reading song lyrics aloud (lyrics are separately protected)
• AI-generated audio that directly reproduces a copyrighted recording

The following are permitted:

• Singing or humming a cover of a song in your own voice — cover performances are generally legal under compulsory licensing in most countries including India, the US, and the UK
• Original music you composed and performed yourself
• Music for which you hold a valid licence
• Songs in the public domain (generally works whose copyright has expired)
• Brief, incidental background ambience that does not constitute a recognisable musical work
• Discussing, critiquing, or analysing a song in your own words without playing the recording

Applicable law: Copyright in music is protected under the Indian Copyright Act, 1957 (as amended), the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the EU Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive (DSM Directive 2019/790), and equivalent legislation worldwide. Ekcho complies with all applicable laws and responds to valid takedown notices under these frameworks.

If you believe content on Ekcho infringes your copyright, please send a notice to copyright@ekcho.net with the following information:

1. Identification of the copyrighted work — describe the work you claim has been infringed (e.g. "my podcast episode titled X, published at Y")
2. Identification of the infringing content — provide the URL of the Ekcho broadcast you believe infringes your copyright
3. Your contact information — your full name, address, telephone number, and email address
4. A statement of good faith — that you believe in good faith that the use of the material is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law
5. A statement of accuracy — that the information in your notice is accurate, and that you are the copyright owner or authorised to act on their behalf
6. Your signature — physical or electronic signature of the person authorised to act on behalf of the copyright owner

We will review your notice within 5 working days. If we determine the content infringes your copyright, we will:

• Remove or disable access to the infringing content
• Notify the broadcaster that their content has been removed
• Provide the broadcaster an opportunity to submit a counter-notice if they believe the removal was in error

Repeat infringers will have their accounts terminated.

If your broadcast was removed due to a copyright claim and you believe the removal was incorrect (e.g. you have a licence, your use is fair use, or the content is in the public domain), you may submit a counter-notice to copyright@ekcho.net with:

• Identification of the removed content and its location before removal
• A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief the content was removed by mistake
• Your name, address, phone number, and email address
• Your physical or electronic signature

Upon receipt of a valid counter-notice, we will restore the content within 10–14 business days unless the original complainant files a court action.

Brief quotation of copyrighted works for the purposes of commentary, criticism, education, or news reporting may constitute fair use (USA) or fair dealing (India/UK). We consider these factors when reviewing takedown notices. We will not remove content solely on the basis of a takedown notice without reviewing its legitimacy.

You own your voice and your broadcasts. Ekcho does not claim ownership of your content. See our Privacy Policy for details on how long we retain your broadcasts and how to delete them.

Copyright notices and counter-notices: copyright@ekcho.net
Response time: within 5 working days