Copyright protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, cinematograph films and sound recordings. Software is protected as a literary work.
If copyright is automatic, why register?
Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. Registration is optional, but the certificate is treated by courts as prima facie evidence of the particulars entered in the Register. When someone copies your label or content, that evidence saves time and argument.
What can be registered
- Product labels and packaging artwork
- Logos and illustrations
- Books, articles, course material and website content
- Software source code
- Songs, lyrics and recordings
- Photographs and videos
The process
- File Form XIV online with a copy of the work and the fee.
- A diary number is generated.
- A mandatory 30-day waiting period allows anyone to object.
- The examiner reviews the application and may issue a discrepancy letter.
- The work is entered in the Register and the certificate is issued.
Labels and logos need an extra step
For artistic works used or capable of being used on goods — such as a label or logo — the Copyright Office asks for a search certificate from the Trade Marks Registry confirming no identical or deceptively similar mark is registered or applied for by someone else.
Fees and duration
The official fee is ₹500 per work for literary, artistic and musical works (including software), and ₹2,000 for a sound recording. For literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, copyright lasts for the author's life plus 60 years.
This guide explains the general position in India. Fees and rules change; your facts may change the answer. Speak to us before acting on it.