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TypeBare Act JurisdictionCentral Government

Copyright Act, 1957

Complete Act - all sections

~5 min read
https://sooperkanoon.com/act/133338

Bare act · Research

About this act

Copyright Act, 1957 is Central state legislation published on SooperKanoon in full. Use this page to read the bare act and jump to judgments that cite it.

Research copy - verify against official government publications before filing or court use.

Act Text

Section1 - Short title, extent and commencement.—
Section2 - Interpretation.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
Section3 - The word “and” omitted by Act 38 of 1994, s. 2
Section4 - Ins. by s. 2, ibid
Section5 - Ins. by Act 7 of 2017, s. 160
Section6 - Subs. by Act 38 of 1994, s. 2, for “architectural work of art”
Section7 - Subs. by s. 2, ibid., for sub-clauses
Section8 - Cl
Section9 - Copyright Office.—
Section10 - Registrar and Deputy Registrars of Copyrights.—
Section12 - Powers and procedure of 2[Appellate Board].—
Section13 - Works in which copyright subsists.—
Section15 - Special provision regarding Copyright in designs registered or Capable of being registered under the 5*** 6[Designs
Chapter4 - OWNERSHIP OF COPYRIGHT AND THE RIGHTS OF THE OWNER
Section17 - First owner of copyright.—Subject to the provisions of this Act, the author of a work shall be the first owner of the
Section18 - Assignment of copyright.—
Section19 - Mode of assignment.—1[
Section20 - Transmission of copyright in manuscript by testamentary disposition.—Where under a bequest a person is entitled to the
Section21 - Right of author to relinquish copyright.—
Chapter5 - TERM OF COPYRIGHT
Section22 - Term of copyright in published literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works.—Except as otherwise hereinafter
Section23 - Term of copyright in anonymous and pseudonymous works.—
Section24 - Term of copyright in posthumous work.—
Section26 - Term of copyright in cinematograph films.—In the case of a cinematograph film, copyright shall subsists until 2[sixty
Section27 - Term of copyright in sound recording.—In the case a 3[sound recording] copyright shall subsist until 2[sixty years]
Section28 - Term of copyright Government works.—In the case of Government work, where Government is the first owner of the
Chapter6 - LICENCES
Section30 - Licences by owners of copyright.—The owner of the copyright in any existing work or the prospective owner of the
Section31 - Compulsory licence in works withheld from public.—
Section31C - Statutory licence for cover versions.—
Section31D - Statutory licence for broadcasting of literary and musical works and sound recording.—
Section32 - Licence to produce and publish translations.—
Section32B - Termination of licences issued under this Chapter.—
Section33 - Registration of Copyright society.—
Section34 - Administration of rights of owner by copyright society.—
Section35 - Control over the copyright society by the 1[author and other owners of right].—
Section36 - Submission of returns and reports.—
Section36A - Rights and liabilities of performing rights societies.—Nothing in this Chapter shall affect any rights or liabilities
Chapter8 - 3
Section38B - Moral rights of the performer.—The performer of a performance shall, independently of his right after assignment,
Chapter9 - INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT
Section40 - Power to extend copyright to foreign works.—The Central Government may, by order published in the Official Gazette,
Section41 - Provisions as to works of certain international organisations.—
Section42 - Power to restrict rights in works of foreign authors first published in India.—If it appears to the Central Government
Chapter10 - REGISTRATION OF COPYRIGHT
Section44 - Register of Copyrights.—There shall be kept at the Copyright Office a register in the prescribed form to be called the
Section45 - Entries in register of Copyrights.—
Section46 - Indexes.—There shall be also kept at the Copyright Office such indexes of the Register of Section 47 - Copyrights as
Section47 - Form and inspection of register.—The Register of Copyrights and indexes thereof kept under this Act shall at all
Section48 - Register of Copyrights to be prima facie evidence of particulars entered therein.—The Register of Copyrights shall be
Section49 - Correction of entries in the Register of Copyrights.—The Registrar of Copyrights may, in the prescribed cases and
Section50 - Rectification of Register by 1[Appellate Board].—The 1[Appellate Board], on application of the Registrar of Copyrights
Chapter11 - INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT
Section51 - When copyright infringed.—Copyright in a work shall be deemed to be infringed—
Section52 - Certain acts not to be infringement of copyright.—
Section54 - Definition.—For the purposes of this Chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the expression “owner of
Section55 - Civil remedies for infringement of copyright.—
Section56 - Protection of separate rights.—Subject to the provisions of this Act, where the several rights comprising the copyright
Section57 - Author’s special rights.—2[
Section58 - Rights of owner against persons possessing or dealing with infringing copies.—All infringing copies of any work in
Section59 - Restriction on remedies in the case of works of architecture.—
Section60 - Remedy in the case of groundless threat of legal proceedings.—Where any person claiming to be the owner of copyright in
Section61 - Owner of copyright to be party to the proceeding.—
Section62 - Jurisdiction of court over matters arising under this Chapter.—
Chapter13 - OFFENCES
Section63 - Offences of infringement of copyright or other rights conferred by this Act.—Any person who knowingly infringes or
Section64 - Power of police to seize infringing copies.—4[
Section65 - Possession of plates for purpose of making infringing copies.—Any person who knowingly makes, or has in his possession,
Section65B - Protection of Rights Management Information.—Any person, who knowingly, —
Section66 - Disposal of infringing copies or plates for purpose of making infringing copies.—The Court trying any offence under
Section69 - Offences by companies.—
Chapter14 - APPEALS
Section71 - Appeals against certain orders of Magistrate.—Any person aggrieved by an order made under sub-section
Section72 - Appeals against orders of Registrar of Copyrights and 2[Appellate Board].—
Section73 - Procedure for appeals.—The High Court may make rules consistent with this Act as to the procedure to be followed in
Section74 - Registrar of Copyrights and [Appellate Board] to possess certain powers of civil courts.—The Registrar of Copyrights
Section75 - Orders for payment of money passed by Registrar of Copyrights and 1[Appellate Board] to be executable as a
Section76 - Protection of action taken in good faith.—No suit or other legal proceeding shall lie against any person in respect of
Section78 - Power to make rules.—
Section79 - Repeals, savings and transitional provisions.—

Frequently asked questions

What is the Copyright Act, 1957?

The Copyright Act, 1957, is Central state legislation available in full text on SooperKanoon. It is commonly used for legal research alongside judgments that interpret and apply its provisions.

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