In accordance with the rules of the Bar Council of India, this website is meant solely for providing information at the specific request of the user.
Governed by The Copyright Act, 1957 — automatic protection for original creative works the moment they are fixed in a tangible form. No registration required.
In India, copyright is a form of intellectual property right that grants creators of original works a bundle of exclusive rights to their creations. These rights are governed by The Copyright Act, 1957, and apply to a wide range of creative works as soon as they are "fixed in a tangible form" — meaning they are written down, recorded, or otherwise captured.
Copyright protection is among the broadest and most immediate forms of IP protection available. It covers the expression of ideas — not the ideas themselves — and arises without any formality, filing fee, or government approval.
A broad category covering books, novels, poems, scripts, computer programs, tables, and compilations — including computer databases.
Works intended for performance — including plays, screenplays, choreography, and pantomimes.
The music itself — encompassing both the musical notation and the accompanying lyrics of a composition.
An extensive category including paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, architectural plans, engravings, and works of artistic craftsmanship.
Motion pictures in their entirety — covering both the visual images and the sound recordings incorporated within the film.
Any recording of sounds — whether of a musical work or other audio content such as a podcast, audiobook, or spoken-word recording.
The owner has the exclusive right to do — or authorise — any of the following acts in relation to their work:
The exclusive right to make copies of the work in any form or medium.
The right to perform, display, or broadcast the work to the public.
The right to create derivative works — such as adapting a novel into a film or a play.
The right to translate the work into another language or to authorise such translation.
The right to sell, rent, or lend copies of the work to the public.
Economic rights allow the creator to derive financial benefit from their work. They include the rights of reproduction, distribution, public performance, and more. Crucially, economic rights can be assigned or licensed to others — enabling creators to commercialise their work through publishing deals, licensing agreements, or outright transfer.
Moral rights protect the author's personal connection to their work and reputation. They are a distinctive feature of Indian copyright law and generally remain with the author even after economic rights have been assigned to another party.
The right to claim authorship of the work and to have one's name associated with it.
The right to prevent any distortion, mutilation, or modification of the work that would be prejudicial to the author's honour or reputation.
For most works — excluding photographs — protection lasts for the lifetime of the author plus 60 years, calculated from the beginning of the calendar year following the year of the author's death.
For cinematograph films, sound recordings, and photographs, the term of protection is 60 years from the date of publication of the work, regardless of the author's lifespan.
In accordance with the rules of the Bar Council of India, this website is meant solely for providing information at the specific request of the user.