How to File Copyright Application in India

By Ramaswami Natarajan
Copyright is one of the forms of Intellectual Property. Under copyright, the creative works of literacy, artistic, musical and producers of cinematography films and sound recordings can be registered.

All these intellectual works can be protected through the copyright registration.

The Intellectual Property copyright shall be filed at copyright office, New Delhi. The copyright application can be filed by two ways either by courier or online facility. The forms can be freely downloaded from the official website of copyright. The triplet copies of copyright application shall send through courier to the copyright office. Application can be applied online by signing the new registration form before filing the copyright application.

The copyright can be legally protected by filing the copyright form 4 (application for registration of copyright). The form 4 includes the statement of particulars and statement of further particulars. It is shortly termed as SOP AND SOFP respectively. It should be filled clearly and relevantly according to the requirements of form 4. It should not consist of over written and irrelevant points. For the blank answers, the word "not applicable" shall be written in the form 4.

Each Single copyright application consists of single creative work. If it contains more than one work separate copyright application shall be submitted at the copyright office, New Delhi. Each copyright application shall be submitted along with the prescribed fee mention in the second schedule to the rules. The fees can be paid by postal order or demand draft payable to registrar of copyrights, New Delhi. A list of fees is available in the website of copyright office of New Delhi.

The copyright applications shall be signed by the applicant or by an advocate. The proof of the power of attorney signed by the applicant and accepted by the advocate shall be submitted along with the copyright application form. The copies shall send to the copyright division, department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, 4th floor, Jeevan deep building, parliament street, New Delhi 110001.

The duration of copyright varies according to the nature of work protected. The duration of the copyright is 60 years. In case of Literary, musical, artistic works have a duration which extends for the life of the author and 60 years from the end of the year in which author dies. In case of photographs, films, comport programs, sound recordings; they are protected for sixty years after publication of the above said work. After the end of the sixty year, the work is made available to the public with the consent of the owner of the copyright.