Copyrights

Basics

Copyright is an exclusive legal right granted to the creators of intellectual work.
Copyright protects “original works of authorship” that are fixed in “a tangible form of expression.”
Copyright owner has rights to reproduce, translate, adapt, perform, distribute and publicly display the work, etc.
Registration is not mandatory since copyright comes into existence as soon as the intellectual work is created but registration of copyright has immense evidentiary value in the Court and hence registration of a copyright is recommended.
The Copyright Act, 1957 governs the provisions relating to copyrights in India.

Works covered under Copyright

Copyrightable works fall into the following categories:
Literary including Software – Books, Essay, Compilations, Computer Programs.
Artistic – Drawing, Painting, Logo, Map, Chart, Plan, Photographs, Work of Architecture.
Dramatic – Screenplay, Drama.
Musical – Musical Notations.
Sound Recording – Compact Disc.
Cinematograph Films – Visual Recording which includes sound recording.

Terms of Copyright

Literary, Dramatic, Musical or Artistic Works – Lifetime of the author until 60 years from the death of the author.
Anonymous & Pseudonymous Works – 60 years from the year the work was first published.
Works of Public Undertakings & Government Works – 60 years from the year the work was first published.
Works of International Organizations – 60 years from the year the work was first published.
Sound Recording – 60 years from the year in which the recording was published.
Cinematograph Films – 60 years from the year in which the film was published.

How can you contribute?

Photos, text, illustrations, movies, music, etc. available on the Internet maybe owned by someone else, so always remember –

Respect what belongs to others because using someone else’s copyrighted work without their permission is called piracy, which is a crime.
Always watch movies and listen to music bought from authorized websites and mobile applications and help us stop piracy
Be creative and create original content

Copyright Office

The Copyright Act requires for establishment of an office to be called the Copyright Office which is under the immediate control of a Registrar of Copyrights. The Copyright Office is currently located at New Delhi.

You may contact the Copyright Office here – http://copyright.gov.in/frmContactUs.aspx
Still confused? Here are some FAQs – http://copyright.gov.in/frmFAQ.aspx
Want to register your Copyright? Click here – http://copyright.gov.in/UserRegistration/frmLoginPage.aspx
Already filed an application. Want to know the status? Click here – http://copyright.gov.in/frmStatusGenUser.aspx