The Copyright Act, 1957 (Act No. 14 of 1957)
Complete section-by-section text of the Copyright Act, 1957, as amended up to the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026.
Chapter I — Preliminary
- Section 1: Short title, extent and commencement
- Section 2: Interpretation
- Section 3: Meaning of publication
- Section 4: When work not deemed to be published or performed in public
- Section 5: When work deemed to be first published in India
- Section 6: Certain disputes to be decided by Appellate Board
- Section 7: Nationality of author where the making of unpublished work is extended over considerable period
- Section 8: Domicile of corporations
Chapter II — Copyright Office and Appellate Board
- Section 9: Copyright Office
- Section 10: Registrar and Deputy Registrars of Copyrights
- Section 11: Appellate Board
- Section 12: Powers and procedure of Appellate Board
Chapter III — Copyright
- Section 13: Works in which copyright subsists
- Section 14: Meaning of copyright
- Section 15: Special provision regarding copyright in designs registered or capable of being registered under the Designs Act, 2000
- Section 16: No copyright except as provided in this Act
Chapter IV — Ownership of Copyright and the Rights of the Owner
- Section 17: First owner of copyright
- Section 18: Assignment of copyright
- Section 19: Mode of assignment
- Section 19A: Disputes with respect to assignment of copyright
- Section 20: Transmission of copyright in manuscript by testamentary disposition
- Section 21: Right of author to relinquish copyright
Chapter V — Term of Copyright
- Section 22: Term of copyright in published literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works
- Section 23: Term of copyright in anonymous and pseudonymous works
- Section 24: Term of copyright in posthumous work
- Section 25: [Omitted]
- Section 26: Term of copyright in cinematograph films
- Section 27: Term of copyright in sound recording
- Section 28: Term of copyright in Government works
- Section 28A: Term of copyright in works of public undertakings
- Section 29: Term of copyright in works of international organisations
Chapter VI — Licences
- Section 30: Licences by owners of copyright
- Section 30A: Application of section 19
- Section 31: Compulsory licence in works withheld from public
- Section 31A: Compulsory licence in unpublished or published works
- Section 31B: Compulsory licence for benefit of disabled
- Section 31C: Statutory licence for cover versions
- Section 31D: Statutory licence for broadcasting of literary and musical works and sound recording
- Section 32: Licence to produce and publish translations
- Section 32A: Licence to reproduce and publish works for certain purposes
- Section 32B: Termination of licences issued under this Chapter
Chapter VII — Copyright Societies
- Section 33: Registration of copyright society
- Section 33A: Tariff Scheme by copyright societies
- Section 34: Administration of rights of owner by copyright society
- Section 34A: [Omitted]
- Section 35: Control over the copyright society by the author and other owners of right
- Section 36: Submission of returns and reports
- Section 36A: Rights and liabilities of performing rights societies
Chapter VIII — Rights of Broadcasting Organisation and of Performers
- Section 37: Broadcast reproduction right
- Section 38: Performer’s right
- Section 38A: Exclusive right of performers
- Section 38B: Moral rights of the performer
- Section 39: Acts not infringing broadcast reproduction right or performer’s right
- Section 39A: Certain provisions to apply in case of broadcast reproduction right and performer’s rights
Chapter IX — International Copyright
- Section 40: Power to extend copyright to foreign works
- Section 40A: Power of Central Government to apply Chapter VIII to broadcasting organisations and performers in certain other countries
- Section 41: Provisions as to works of certain international organisations
- Section 42: Power to restrict rights in works of foreign authors first published in India
- Section 42A: Power to restrict rights of foreign broadcasting organisations and performers
- Section 43: Orders under this Chapter to be laid before Parliament
Chapter X — Registration of Copyright
- Section 44: Register of Copyrights
- Section 45: Entries in Register of Copyrights
- Section 46: Indexes
- Section 47: Form and inspection of register
- Section 48: Register of Copyrights to be prima facie evidence of particulars entered therein
- Section 49: Correction of entries in the Register of Copyrights
- Section 50: Rectification of Register by Appellate Board
- Section 50A: Entries in the Register of Copyrights, etc., to be published
Chapter XI — Infringement of Copyright
- Section 51: When copyright infringed
- Section 52: Certain acts not to be infringement of copyright
- Section 52A: Particulars to be included in sound recording and video films
- Section 52B: [Omitted]
- Section 53: Importation of infringing copies
- Section 53A: Resale share right in original copies
Chapter XII — Civil Remedies
- Section 54: Definition
- Section 55: Civil remedies for infringement of copyright
- Section 56: Protection of separate rights
- Section 57: Author’s special rights
- Section 58: Rights of owner against persons possessing or dealing with infringing copies
- Section 59: Restriction on remedies in the case of works of architecture
- Section 60: Remedy in the case of groundless threat of legal proceedings
- Section 61: Owner of copyright to be party to the proceeding
- Section 62: Jurisdiction of court over matters arising under this Chapter
Chapter XIII — Offences
- Section 63: Offences of infringement of copyright or other rights conferred by this Act
- Section 63A: Enhanced penalty on second and subsequent convictions
- Section 63B: Knowing use of infringing copy of computer programme to be an offence
- Section 64: Power of police to seize infringing copies
- Section 65: Possession of plates for purpose of making infringing copies
- Section 65A: Protection of technological measures
- Section 65B: Protection of Rights Management Information
- Section 66: Disposal of infringing copies or plates for purpose of making infringing copies
- Section 67: [Omitted]
- Section 68: [Omitted]
- Section 68A: Penalty for contravention of section 52A
- Section 69: Offences by companies
- Section 70: Cognizance of offences
Chapter XIV — Appeals
- Section 71: Appeals against certain orders of Magistrate
- Section 72: Appeals against orders of Registrar of Copyrights and Appellate Board
- Section 73: Procedure for appeals
Chapter XV — Miscellaneous
- Section 74: Registrar of Copyrights and Appellate Board to possess certain powers of civil courts
- Section 75: Orders for payment of money passed by Registrar of Copyrights and Appellate Board to be executable as a decree
- Section 76: Protection of action taken in good faith
- Section 77: Certain persons to be public servants
- Section 78: Power to make rules
- Section 79: Repeals, savings and transitional provisions
