Copyright law is the type of intellectual law that protects the intellectual property rights of people who create original work like art, literature and music. Copyright is the Indian right that gives the creators of original works the exclusive right to profit from their work for a specified amount of time, usually the life of the original creator preceding 70 years. Copyright protection generally arises when a work is created. Enhanced protection and enforcement powers can be covered through copyright registration.

Automatic Protection Copyright

Copyright protection arises automatically, as soon as a creative work becomes fixed in a tangible form, for example, on a piece of paper, model or digital file. An original work is copyrighted as soon as it takes from beyond an intangible idea. No particular copyright notice, publication, paperwork or filing is necessary to bring copyright into being regarding an original work. All that is required is that the work be of sufficient original content to qualify as copyrightable, and that threshold is extremely low. Any level of original creative expression will meet the copyright statute requirements for a copyrightable work.

Benefits of Registration

Registration of copyright creates a public record of the copyrighted work and publicly identifies the copyright holder. A copyright holder may not bring suit for copyright infringement of works originating in India until he has registered the work with the Indian Copyright Office; prompt registration after a work is created also permits copyright holders to seek attorneys fees and statutory damages in copyright infringement lawsuits.

Electronic and Paper Copyright Registration

Using the Indian Copyright Office’s online electronic registration system it will help to result in registration being completed in approximately three months. The average processing time for hard-copy registrations is 10 months. All materials included with a paper registration must be bundled into a single package and care must be taken to ensure the materials are not damaged in shipping, which can add to the costs of registration. Submitting a right copy and properly filled out application will help to speed up approval. An online legal document expert at Sign Corp Services can assist you with this process.

Effective Date for Copyright

Copyright registration is effective on the date when the Indian Copyright Office receives the completed application and the required fees. When you file for copyright electronically, you will receive an email on your registered email Id confirming the status of your application and that your application has been received. If you submit a paper registration, you will not receive receipt confirmation from the Indian Copyright Office. Therefore, it’s recommended to ship your paper registration using a carrier that provides a record of delivery, to document the effective date of registration.