Copyright
Copyright is a legal protection for the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works.Copyright registration can be obtained for original works of art, literature, books, music, films, cds and computer programs. It covers the following:
• Artistic work - 'Artistic Work' means a painting, sculpture, a drawing, an engraving or photograph
• Dramatic work - 'Dramatic Work' includes any piece for recitation, choreographic work or entertainment
• Literary Work - The term 'Literary Work' refers to any literary writings, as well as computer programs, tables, compilations and computer databases
• Musical work - 'Musical work' means a work consisting of music and includes any graphical notation of such work, but does not include any words or any action intended to be sung, spoken or performed with the music
Copyright registration is valid for 60 years plus life time of the author/artist who created the work.
Benefits of copyright registration
• By registering your copyright work, you create a public record of your work and a concrete proof that you are the owner of the creative work
• If someone copies your work, you can sue them for copyright infringement
• to reproduce the work in any material form including the storing of it in any medium by electronic means
• to issue copies of the work to the public not being copies already in publication
• to perform the work in public, or communicate it to the public to make any translation or adaptation of the work
• to sell or give on hire, or offer for sale or hire a copy regardless of whether such copy has been sold or given on hire on earlier occasions
Registration Process
The procedure for registration is as follows :
• Application for registration is to be made on Form IV (Including Statement of Particulars and Statement of Further Particulars) as prescribed in the first schedule to the Rules ;
• Separate applications should be made for registration of each work;
• Each application should be accompanied by the requisite fee prescribed in the second schedule to the Rules ; and
• The applications should be signed by the applicant or the advocate in whose favor a Vakalatnama or Power of Attorney has been executed. The Power of Attorney signed by the party and accepted by the advocate should also be enclosed.
• Each and every column of the Statement of Particulars and Statement of Further Particulars should be replied specifically.
• Upon filing an application the author or rightful owner has to wait for a mandatory period of 30 days for any objection that may be filed in the Copyright office against the claim that the concerned work is created by the applicant.
• If no objection is filed within the said period, the application is then formally examined and objections by the Examiner, if any, are raised, or any extra documents required are requested for. Response has to be filed within 30 days.
• A copyright registration certificate is issued by the Copyright Officer after the objections, if any, are overcome to the satisfaction of the Copyright Office.
