In India, the law of Copyright is governed by the Copyright Act of 1957 (“Copyright Act”). The Copyright Act provides for copyright protection in the following classes of work: (a) original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works; (b) cinematograph films; and (c) sound recording.
Acquisition of copyright is automatic and it does not require compulsory registration under the Act. However, registration of copyright and the entries made therein serve as prima facie evidence in a court of law in the event of a dispute relating to ownership of such copyright
Benefits of Registering a Copyright
There are various benefits of copyright registrations which help original creators to protect their works in the form of copyright, some of these advantages are mentioned below:
- Legal Proof of Ownership of the Work: Copyright is an indispensable safeguard for creators, which provides legally binding proof of ownership in the form of copyright certificate.
- Copyright registration displays Authenticity: Copyright registration confers the registered work with an aura of authenticity which is a very important factor in differentiating authentic works from counterfeit reproductions.
- Protection Against Infringement: In the event of infringement, copyright registration provides legal protection and recourse. The registration also helps while filing a lawsuit before the court of law against such infringement.
- Copyright Registration Motivates Creativity: Another benefit of copyright registration is that it motivates the owners of the original work to create even more pieces of art or work which can be further copyrighted.
- Monetary benefits of copyright: The owner of the copyright is also entitled to certain economic benefits. Further, the copyright owner can licence their copyright to a third party in exchange for monetary benefits.
