Copyright definition under indian copyright act


A HAND BOOK OF COPYRIGHT LAW

Government of India
Department For Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
Ministry of Commerce and Industry

This book is not a substitute for the Copyright Act and Rules. It is intended to serve as an information booklet for enforcement agencies as well as the general public. Government officers and general public are requested to refer to the Copyright Act, 1957 (as amended from time to time) and the Copyright Rules, 1958 (as amended from time to time) before taking any action with reference to copyright registration and infringement. Copies of the Act and Rules may be obtained from the Controller of Publications, Government of India, Civil Lines, Delhi- 110 054.


I N T R O D U C T I O N

There is an acute lack of awareness on various issues relating to copyright and related rights amongst stakeholders, enforcement agencies, professional users like the scientific and academic communities and members of the public. The questions put forth by the representatives of these sections of society vary from those relating to the very fundamentals of intellectual property rights to those which relate to practical applications. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has for some time been contemplating a publication to answer such queries. In this booklet, an attempt has been made to provide clarifications on most of the issues relating to copyright law and its enforcement in a question – answer format. The language used is jargon free and user friendly.

2. I deeply appreciate the efforts put forth by Smt. P.V. Valsala G. Kutty, Deputy Secretary and Shri T.C. James, Under Secretary in bringing out this publication.

3. I hope that this handbook will prove useful to enforcement agencies and the general public.

S
Secretary to Government of India,
Department of Secondary Education and Higher Education

RATIONALE OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION

What is copyright?

Copyright is a right given by the law to creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works and producers of cinematograph films and sound recordings. In fact, it is a bundle of rights including, inter alia, rights of reproduction, communication to the public, adaptation and translation of the work. There could be slight variations in the composition of the rights depending on the work.

Why should copyright be protected?

Copyright ensures certain minimum safeguards of the rights of authors over their creations, thereby protecting and rewarding creativity. Creativity being the keystone of progress, no civilized society can afford to ignore the basic requirement of encouraging the same. Economic and social development of a society is dependent on creativity. The protection provided by copyright to the efforts of writers, artists, designers, dramatists, musicians, architects and producers of sound recordings, cinematograph films and computer software, creates an atmosphere conducive to creativity, which induces them to create more and motivates others to create.

Is it not true that strict application of the principle of protection of copyright hampers economic and cultural development of the society?

Yes. If copyright protection is applied rigidly, it can hamper progress of the society. However, copyright laws are enacted with necessary exceptions and limitations to ensure that a balance is maintained between the interests of the creators and of the community.

To strike an appropriate and viable balance between the rights of the copyright owners and the interests of the society as a whole, there are exceptions in the law. Many types of exploitation of work which are for social purposes such as education, religious ceremonies, and so on are exempted from the operation of the rights granted in the Act. Copyright in a work is considered as infringed only if a substantial part is made use of unauthorizedly. What is ‘substantial’ varies from case to case. More often than not, it is a matter of quality rather than quantity. For example, if a lyricist copy a very catching phrase from another lyricist’s song, there is likely to be infringement even if that phrase is very short.

Does the law allow any use of a work without permission of the owner of the copyright, and, if so, which are they?

Subject to certain conditions, a fair deal for research, study, criticism, review and news reporting, as well as use of works in library and schools and in the legislatures, is permitted without specific permission of the copyright owners. In order to protect the interests of users, some exemptions have been prescribed in respect of specific uses of works enjoying copyright. Some of the exemptions are the uses of the work

    1. for the purpose of research or private study,
    2. for criticism or review,
    3. for reporting current events,
    4. in connection with judicial proceeding,
    5. performance by an amateur club or society if the performance is given to a non-paying audience, and
    6. the making of sound recordings of literary, dramatic or musical works under certain conditions.

    What is the scope of protection in the Copyright Act,1957 ?

    The Copyright Act, 1957 protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works and cinematograph films and sound recordings from unauthorized uses. Unlike the case with patents, copyright protects the expressions and not the ideas. There is no copyright in an idea.

    Does copyright apply to titles and names ?

    Copyright does not ordinarily protect titles by themselves or names, short word combinations, slogans, short phrases, methods, plots or factual information. Copyright does not protect ideas or concepts. To get the protection of copyright a work must be original.

    A work means any of the following , namely, a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, a cinematograph film, or a sound recording.

    What is a work of joint authorship?

    "Work of joint authorship" means a work produced by the collaboration of two or more authors in which the contribution of one author is not distinct from the contribution of the other author or authors.

    What are the classes of works for which copyrights protection is available in India?

    Copyright subsists throughout India in the following classes of works: