Copyright Registration in India
Copyright registration puts your book, song, software, artwork, film or logo on the official Register of Copyrights. We prepare and file Form XIV for you, pay the government fee for your type of work, and follow the application through the mandatory 30-day objection window to the certificate.
What it is
Copyright is your exclusive right to copy, publish, perform, adapt and sell your own creative work. In India it arises the moment you create an original work and fix it in some form. Registration does not create the right. It records it, with a date, in a government register that courts accept as evidence.
Registration is done under Section 45 of the Copyright Act, 1957 and Rule 70 of the Copyright Rules, 2013. You apply online on the Copyright Office portal (copyright.gov.in) in Form XIV, one application per work. Under Section 48, the Register of Copyrights is prima facie evidence of the particulars entered in it, so a registered owner starts any dispute a step ahead.
Who it applies to
Writers, musicians and artists
Books, articles, lyrics, music, paintings, drawings, photographs and scripts. These are literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works under the Act.
Software and app companies
A computer programme is a literary work under Section 2(o). Rule 70(5) asks you to file the source code and object code with the application.
Brands with a logo or label
A logo, label or packaging artwork used on goods or services is an artistic work. It needs a search certificate from the Trade Marks Registry before the Copyright Office will register it. Most brands also file a trade mark application for the same logo.
Film makers and studios
Feature films, short films, ad films and web series are registered as cinematograph films, with the higher government fee for that category.
Music labels and podcasters
A sound recording is a separate work from the song it carries. The label that makes the recording can register it in its own name.
Businesses that commission work
Here is the catch: if an agency or freelancer created the work, the business needs a written assignment or NOC before it can apply as owner.
Why it matters
Proof that stands in court
The certificate and register entry are prima facie evidence under Section 48. In an infringement case, the other side has to disprove your ownership, not the other way round.
A date nobody can argue with
Copying fights usually come down to who made it first. Picture a Delhi NCR textile unit whose print artwork turns up on a rival’s fabric. A registration gives it an official date and a deposited copy.
Easier to sell or license
Publishers, OTT platforms and investors ask for clean title. A registered work with recorded ownership shortens their checks.
Documents required
About the applicant
- Name, address and nationality of the applicant
- PAN; for a company or LLP, the certificate of incorporation
- Name, address and nationality of the author (if different)
- Power of attorney if we file as your agent
About the work
- Title, language and class of work
- Two copies for an unpublished work (Rule 70(4))
- Year and country of first publication, if published
- Source code and object code for software
Rights and consents
- No-objection certificate from the author if the owner applies
- Assignment deed or employment proof for commissioned or staff work
- NOC from the publisher, if any
- Trade Marks Registry search certificate (Form TM-C) for a logo or label
How it works
Check who owns the work
We confirm the author, the owner and any assignment or NOC needed. Most delays start here. Take a Faridabad startup that paid a freelancer for its app code but never signed an assignment: the code still belongs to the freelancer, so we fix the paperwork first.
File Form XIV online
We file Form XIV on the Copyright Office portal with the Statement of Particulars, the copies of the work and the fee. You get a diary number the same day.
Send notice and wait 30 days
Rule 70(9) requires notice to anyone with an interest in the work. Rule 70(10) lets the Registrar proceed only if no objection arrives within thirty days of receiving the application.
Answer the examiner
An examiner may raise a discrepancy, such as a missing NOC or unclear title. We reply on the portal. If an objection is filed, both sides get a hearing before any decision.
Receive the registration
Once satisfied, the Registrar enters the particulars in the Register of Copyrights. We download the certificate and send it to you.
Timelines
Filing
One to three working days after we have the work, the ownership papers and, for a logo, the TM-C certificate.
Objection window
A fixed thirty days from the date the Copyright Office receives the application. No one can shorten it.
Examination
After the window closes, the file goes to an examiner. The time taken depends on the Copyright Office queue, so we track it on the portal and tell you as it moves.
Copyright fees by type of work
The Second Schedule to the Copyright Rules, 2013 sets a fee per work. These are the government fees shown by the Copyright Office.
| Type of work | Registration fee | Change in registered particulars |
|---|---|---|
| Literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work (includes software) | ₹500 per work | ₹200 per work |
| Literary or artistic work used in relation to goods or services (logo, label) | ₹2,000 per work | ₹1,000 per work |
| Cinematograph film | ₹5,000 per work | ₹2,000 per work |
| Sound recording | ₹2,000 per work | ₹1,000 per work |
For a logo there is one more government cost. The Trade Marks Registry charges ₹9,000 on e-filing for the Form TM-C search certificate, or ₹30,000 for the expedited version.
Copyright is weak cover for the shape of a mass-made product. Under Section 15(2), copyright in a registrable design ends once the article is made more than fifty times by an industrial process. If the look of the product is what you want to protect, registering the product design under the Designs Act, 2000 is the better route.
What happens if someone copies your work
Criminal case
Under Section 63, knowing infringement is punishable with imprisonment of six months to three years and a fine of ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh.
Civil suit
You can sue for an injunction, damages and accounts of profits. The register entry under Section 48 helps you prove ownership at the first hearing.
Without registration
You still own the copyright. In practice, though, you must prove authorship and date from old emails, drafts and witnesses, and that costs weeks when you need a quick stay order.
Frequently asked questions
Is copyright registration compulsory in India?
No, copyright registration is not compulsory in India. Copyright exists from the moment you create an original work and record it in some form. Registration under Section 45 adds an official entry that is prima facie evidence of ownership under Section 48. That makes enforcement faster and due diligence simpler. If you plan to sell, license or defend the work, register it early.
What is the government fee for copyright registration?
The government fee is ₹500 per work for a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, including software. A literary or artistic work used on goods or services, such as a logo, costs ₹2,000. A sound recording costs ₹2,000 and a cinematograph film ₹5,000 per work. Each work needs its own Form XIV. We confirm the right category before filing so you pay the correct fee only once.
Why is there a 30-day waiting period?
The 30-day wait lets anyone with an interest in the work object before it is registered. Rule 70(10) of the Copyright Rules, 2013 allows the Registrar to proceed only if no objection is received within thirty days of receiving the application. If an objection does come in, both sides are heard before a decision, so you always get a chance to answer.
How long does copyright protection last?
For a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work published in the author’s lifetime, copyright lasts for the author’s life plus sixty years. Section 22 counts those sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year after the author dies. For joint authors, the count starts from the death of the last surviving author. Registration does not need renewal, so once the entry is made it stays on the register.
Can I register software or a mobile app?
Yes, a computer programme is a literary work and can be registered for ₹500 per work. Rule 70(5) requires the source code and object code to be filed with the application. Many companies file a portion of the code that shows its originality, along with a statement of the programme’s purpose. We help you decide what to file so that the work is clearly identified without exposing more than needed.
Why does a logo need a Trade Marks Registry certificate?
A logo used on goods or services needs a certificate in Form TM-C because the proviso to Section 45(1) says so. The certificate confirms that no identical or deceptively similar trade mark is registered or applied for by anyone else. The e-filing fee is ₹9,000, or ₹30,000 for the expedited route. We usually file the trade mark application at the same time, so the logo is protected under both laws.
Can a company register work made by its staff or a freelancer?
Yes, but only as owner, and ownership depends on how the work was made. Under Section 17(c), work made by an employee in the course of employment belongs to the employer unless agreed otherwise. Work made by a freelancer stays with the freelancer unless it is assigned in writing under Section 19. With the right assignment or NOC on file, the company can apply in its own name without trouble.
Can I register a website or a YouTube video?
Yes, but you register the parts as separate works, not the website as a whole. Website text is a literary work, graphics are artistic works, the code is a computer programme and a video may be a cinematograph film. Each part needs its own Form XIV and fee. We pick the parts worth registering, so you do not pay for every page.
What if the examiner raises a discrepancy?
You reply on the Copyright Office portal with the missing document or a clarification, and the file moves forward. Common discrepancies are a missing author NOC, a title that does not match the copies, or the wrong class of work. Rule 70(12) says the Registrar must give a hearing before rejecting any application. We draft the reply and attend the hearing if needed, so a discrepancy usually means a short delay, not a refusal.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
Government fees are ₹500 per work for most works, ₹2,000 for a logo or label used on goods, ₹2,000 for a sound recording and ₹5,000 for a film, as listed in the table above.
Ready to begin?
Send us the work and tell us who made it. We will confirm the class, the fee and the papers needed, then file Form XIV.