The Copyright is a type of legal right that is provided to any creator of the following:

·         Dramatics

·         Music

·         Literary

·         Producer of films and recordings

·         Artistic work

The purpose of the Copyright law is to provide the proprietor an exclusive right which would allow him to:

a.       Reproduce

b.      Replicate

c.       Distribute

He is also entitled to grant this right to any other person for the same purposes. The benefits of registering for the Copyright Law is that it helps you to:

1.      Communicate to the public

2.      Reproduce the rights

3.      Adapt the work

4.      Translate the work

Procedure for Copyright Registration

The Copyright Act of 1957 as well as the Copyright Rules of 2013, together govern the Copyright Registration Process in India. Any of the original work mentioned above can be used for the purposes of Copyright.

But it is important that the applicant meets the following requirements before he applies for the Copyright Registration:

1.      The Idea has to be in a tangible expression and not merely a thought of the idea.

2.      The work which is brought in has to be original, and not something which has been copied from somewhere else.

The list of documents that have to submitted in order to get a valid registration is as follows:

1.      The applicant has to provide three copies of his work.

2.      If it so happens that the applicant has signs with the assistance of an attorney, then a specific power of attorney.

3.      He has to provide a No Objection Certificate from the following:

·         In case the applicant and the author are two different people then a NOC from the author.

·         In case the applicant and the publisher are two different people then a NOC from the publisher.

·         If there is a photo of an individual on the work of the applicant, then that person’s NOC.

·         If the copyright is for a film or a sound recording, then NOC from all the different copyright holders as well as the copy of the agreement.

4.      In case it is possible or you want to the use the said work on the goods, then a TM 60 from the Trademark Office.

5.      Either a Demand Draft or a IPO for the fees that has to be paid for the work. In accordance with the second schedule of the Copyright Rules, the government levies different fees for various kinds of work. The range for the fees levied is from Rs. 500 to Rs. 40,000.

The Registrar of Copyrights heads the Copyright office. This office was set up in order to provide registration to all the different kinds of work. As effective from February 14, 2014 an option has been added to apply for the said procedure through an online mode. The “E filing facility” gives the applicant the option to file their application at their own chosen time and place.