The advancement of technology has completely transformed the way creative work is transferred and delivered among individuals. As such, protecting your artistic and creative work is crucial in order to protect your intellectual property rights. Copyright is a lawful right given to creators, musicians, and artists to safeguard their artistic creations. It pertains to the owner’s legitimate authority over the intellectual property. Online copyright registration gives authors the ability to safeguard their unique works and guarantees that they have the legal support necessary for protecting their intellectual property rights.
In this article, we will be covering the meaning of copyright, and the procedure and benefits of online copyright registration.
What is a Copyright?
Copyright is the legitimate authority that authors, dramatists, musicians, and artists have over their creations. This privilege is also enjoyed by filmmakers and music creators. When business owner applies for copyright, they gain unique rights to copy, duplicate, and distribute tasks.
Copyright registration is vital since it establishes you as the rightful owner of your work’s property. You then have complete control over public communication, reproduction rights, and any alterations or interpretations of the content.
How Does Copyrighting Work?
The creator has the exclusive authority to produce multiple versions of the work, display and execute it officially, and circulate copyrighted works to the world as the owner of the copyright. These exclusive rights last for the creator’s entire life along with an additional 70 years. A copyright for a work produced for employment generally lasts for a specific duration of 95 years from the date of creation.
Copyright protects the depiction of a concept. Copyright law protects solely the expression, unlike a license, which safeguards the concept underlying. The creation must be original and distinctive to the artist in order to be safe by copyright.
To be distinctive, the work must:
- It has to be written or created by the author or creator rather than borrowed from some other source.
- At least a basic amount of imagination is required.
Always remember, if the above two factors have not been fulfilled a creator will never be eligible to get copyright registration for his or her creation.
Documents Required For Online Copyright Registration
Below you will find the documents that are required to register the copyright, they are as follows:
The basic details of the creator:
- If the applicant is the creator or a proxy of the writer, the type of the individual’s copyright is claimed.
- Original editions of the item.
- The production’s creator’s identity, residence, and nationality
- If it’s for a business, show evidence of ownership and an establishment certificate.
- The individual’s name, address, and nationality
Documents for the different nature of works are categorized below:
Sound recording:
- Soft copies of the work (2)
- Draft on demand
- The agreement of NOC from copyright holders
- Publisher’s approval
If the nature of work is artistic:
- A NOC from the creator
- Publisher’s approval
- Soft copies of the work (2)
- Draft on demand
- A certification issued by the trademark registry
- NOC from the individual whose photo appears on the piece
If the nature of the work is in the field of technology:
- A NOC from the publisher
- Publisher’s approval
- Soft copies of the work (2)
- A NOC from the creator
Film:
- Soft copies of the work (2)
- Draft on demand
- The agreement of NOC from copyright holders
- Publisher’s approval
Finally, regardless of whose field you are in, the candidate must present an authorization letter.
Procedure For Online Copyright Registration
Below you will find the procedure for online copyright registration:
Make a Username And password for the Candidate:
When registering for copyright, the candidate must first generate a username and password for access. For this, the user must select sign-up for registration.
Filing an application:
A registration application and the specifics of the work should be filed in the registry. After logging in, the candidate must click the “Browse for Online Copyright Registration” button and fill out the online copyright application form with all necessary documents. After submitting the copyright online application, the registry will assign the candidate a diary Id.
Copyright Registration Evaluation:
When the application for copyright registration is considered, pre-approved applicants will be given a Diary Number and are expected to wait for a month for the Copyright Inspectors to review their request.
After the evaluation procedure is completed, the Copyright Registration method is divided into 2 parts:
- In the event that any concerns are raised: If anybody objects to the candidate, the register will write a letter advising both parties of the objection and calling them to court. If the objection is denied during the session, the applicant may request an investigation and the contradiction proceeding.
- If there are no concerns: If no one expresses any objections, the assessor will approve the proposal to be investigated and checked for flaws. If no discrepancies exist and all relevant documents are supplied with the form, the candidate may proceed to the next level or phase. However, if any discrepancies are detected, the candidates will be notified.
Issuing the Certificate of Registration:
This is the final stage of the Copyright Registration procedure. The registry may seek more evidence and information. If the administrator is happy with the individual’s Copyright submission, he or she will confirm the number of the application in the Copyright Register and produce a certificate of registration.
Scope of Copyright Protection
Artistic or literary, scientific, theatrical, and creative works are protected by copyright for the duration of the creator’s life an additional 60 years after the creator’s demise. The Copyright Act of 1957 protects every type of artistic work against illegal use. Publicly showcased or not, any form of work can be put up for copyright the only factor that must be kept in mind is that the work is original to the creator.
The 60-year period begins on the publication date for the cinematographic film, audio recordings, pictures, deceased publishing, nameless and unattributed journals, works of government, and works of international institutions.
Copyright can also be filed for works that were created before the Copyright Act which was enacted on January 21, 1958.
Benefits Of Copyright Protection
The benefits that a creator gets from the copyright protection are as follows:
- Economically Beneficial: Copyright registration provides the owner with specific economic benefits related to the use of the property, such as public demonstration, broadcast, and printing copies. Furthermore, economically beneficial refers to receiving the right charge or return for the utilization of one’s labor.
- Establishes a Public Record: Copyright registration aids in the creation of official information. The word public record means that the owner’s creation is protected by law, and no one can use it without the creator’s permission or license.
- Allows the creator to alter the format of his or her work: Only the writer or creator has the freedom to alter the form of work after receiving copyright registration.
- Serves as Official Proof of Ownership: A copyright registration serves as definite proof for the original creator. It keeps the content from being duplicated. It can be used as evidence of ownership in the trial.
- Permits Ownership Transmission: A properly registered copyright allows the creator to sell, hand over, or distribute his or her work’s rights to another individual.
- Defends Intellectual Property: The holder of the properly registered copyright can launch a lawsuit for violation and pursue legal action against the offender.
Read More: Intellectual Property Rights
Rights of a Copyright Owner
A copyright holder has the following authority, which can only be assigned to another copyright owner:
Right to perform publicly:
The copyright holder has the power to publicly display his work. This covers the owner’s ability to publicize his work and also to make his work publicly available online. This offers the owner total control over the rules and conditions governing access to his material.
Right to distribute:
The ability to distribute comes from the right to procreate. The copyright holder has total control over how his work is circulated. The creator can also transmit all or some of his or her rights to another individual while keeping the rest.
The right of paternity:
The Copyright Owner’s Right of Paternity allows them to assert ownership of the creation. Under the Right of Paternity, a copyright holder may claim recognition for any of his creations. Thus, if a film is made based on a book by a writer and he is not given fair credit, he can sue the filmmakers to get his work acknowledged.
Right to communicate with the general public:
The authority to transmit their original material to the general public exclusively.
Reproduction Rights:
Following copyright protection is the most significant right that is gained. This right allows the owner of the copyright to make unlimited duplicates of the protected work in any format. Before copying, the author’s permission is needed unless it can be demonstrated that the copying is not meant for commercial reasons.
Conclusion
Copyright protection provides the authors with the sole right over their creations and provides them the chance to monetize their work by selling copies, giving public performances and broadcasts, and distributing copies to the general public. Online copyright registration serves as proof that the author is the original creator of the work and further protects the creation from being duplicated.
If you want to register a copyright, you can speak with experts from Odint Consulting. Our experts can guide you with the procedure for online copyright registration and will further assist you in gathering the paperwork required for the registration. Contact us today.
FAQ’s
A trademark is a designation granted to a branded product, symbol, or tagline designed to safeguard it. Whereas copyright is a kind of security for original content such as books, audio, films, musicals, and artistic works.
The copyright registration amount for academic, scientific, artistic, and theatrical works is Rs 500. The registration fees for Cinematograph Film and Recorded Music is Rs 5000 and Rs 2000, accordingly.
Yes, copyright protection is granted automatically with the creation of the work. Although, if you register for copyright, you may enjoy additional legal protection.
Various artistic and creative creations from music to literature to software can be registered for copyright online.
Online copyright registration makes it easier to show ownership in case of disagreements by providing ease, effectiveness, and an electronic record of your registration process.
