Copyright means the exclusive right to do or authorise others to do certain acts in relation to literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, cinematographic film and sound recordings.The provisions pertaining to Copyright and their protection in India are governed by the Copyright Act, 1957.
Copyright subsists throughout India in the following classes of works:
original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works
cinematograph film and
sound recording
Presently, computer softwares are protected under Copyrights Act, 1957. This is confined only to its form and expression. The Present Copyright Act provides protection against piracy of softwares. Patent gives much better protection to an invention or new idea. Many leading companies file for patent application in addition to filing for copyright protection on the same work.
There is no copyright in ideas. Copyright subsists only in the material form in which the ideas are expressed. It is not an infringement of copyright to adopt the ideas of another.Copyright protection is not granted where the work is immoral, illegal, defamatory, seditious, irreligious or contrary to public policy or done with an intention to deceive the public.
The term of copyright in published literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work (other than photography) is the life time of the author plus sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the author dies. In case of joint-authorship, the period of sixty years shall commence after the death of the author who dies last.
