The Copyright Act, 1957 (the ‘Act’) came into effect from January 1958.
The Act has been amended five times since then, i.e., in 1983, 1984, 1992,
1994, 1999 and 2012. The Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 is the most
substantial. The main reasons for amendments to the Copyright Act, 1957 include
to bring the Act in conformity with two WIPO internet treaties concluded in
1996 namely, the WIPO Copyright Treaty (“WCT”) and WIPO Performances and
Phonograms Treaty (“WPPT”); to protect the Music and Film Industry and address
its concerns; to address the concerns of the physically disabled and to protect
the interests of the author of any work; Incidental changes; to remove
operational facilities; and enforcement of rights.
Some of the important
amendments to the Copyright Act in 2012 are an extension of copyright protection
in the digital environment such as penalties for circumvention of technological
protection measures and rights management information, and liability of
internet service provider and introduction of statutory licenses for cover
versions and broadcasting organizations; ensuring the right to receive royalties
for authors, and music composers, exclusive economic and moral rights to
performers, equal membership rights in copyright societies for authors and
other right owners and exception of copyrights for physically disabled to
access any works.
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.
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.
If you have any question in mind then please visit to know more: Website of Copyright
Office Address: Boudhik Sampada Bhawan,
Plot No. 32, Sector 14, Dwarka,
New Delhi-110078
Telephone No.: 011-28032496, 0892947419