Sec 51 to 53 Chapter XI (Infringement Of Copyright) The Copyright Act, 1957

51. When copyright infringed.—

Copyright in a work shall be deemed to be infringed—

(a) when any person, without a licence granted by the owner of the copyright or the Registrar of Copyrights under this Act or in contravention of the conditions of a licence so granted or of any condition imposed by a competent authority under this Act—

(i) does anything, the exclusive right to do which is by this Act conferred upon the owner of the copyright, or

³[(ii) permits for profit any place to be used for the communication of the work to the public where such communication constitutes an infringement of the copyright in the work, unless he was not aware and had no reasonable ground for believing that such communication to the public would be an infringement of copyright; or]

(b) when any person—

(i) makes for sale or hire, or sells or lets for hire, or by way of trade displays or offers for sale or hire, or

(ii) distributes either for the purpose of trade or to such an extent as to affect prejudicially the owner of the copyright, or

(iii) by way of trade exhibits in public, or

(iv) imports ⁴*** into India, any infringing copies of the work:

⁵[Provided that nothing in sub-clause (iv) shall apply to the import of one copy of any work for the private and domestic use of the importer.]

Explanation.—

For the purposes of this section, the reproduction of a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work in the form of a cinematograph film shall be deemed to be an “infringing copy”.

(1. Subs. by Act 7 of 2017, s.160, for “Copyright Board” (w.e.f. 26-5-2017.)

(2. Ins. by Act 23 of 1983, s. 17 (w.e.f. 9-8-1984.)

(3. Subs. by Act 38 of 1994, s. 16, for sub-clause (ii) (w.e.f. 10-5-1995.)

(4. The brackets and words “(except for the private and domestic use of the importer)” omitted by Act 65 of 1984, s. 3 (w.e.f. 8-10-1985.)

(5. Subs. by Act 38 of 1994, s. 16, for the proviso (w.e.f. 10-5-1995.)

52. Certain acts not to be infringement of copyright.—

(1) The following acts shall not constitute an infringement of copyright, namely,—

¹[(a) a fair dealing with any work, not being a computer programme, for the purpose of—

(i) private or personal use, including research;

(ii) criticism or review, whether of that work or of any other work;

(iii) the reporting of current events and current affairs, including the reporting of a lecture delivered in public;

Explanation.—

The storing of any work in any electronic medium for the purposes mentioned in this clause, including the incidental storage of any computer programme which is not itself in infringing copy for the said purposes, shall not constitute infringement of copyright.]

²[(aa) the making of copies or adaptation of a computer programme by the lawful possessor of a copy of such computer programme, from such copy—

(i) in order to utilise the computer programme for the purpose for which it was supplied; or

(ii) to make back-up copies purely as a temporary protection against loss, destruction or damage in order only to utilise the computer programme for the purpose for which it was supplied;]

³[(ab) the doing of any act necessary to obtain information essential for operating inter-operability of an independently created computer programmes with other programmer by a lawful possessor of a computer programme provided that such information is not otherwise readily available;

(ac) the observation, study or test of functioning of the computer programme in order to determine the ideas and principles which underline any elements of the programme while performing such acts necessary for the functions for which the computer programme was supplied;

(ad) the making of copies or adaptation of the computer programme from a personally legally obtained copy for non-commercial personal use;]

⁴[(b) the transient or incidental storage of a work or performance purely in the technical process of electronic transmission or communication to the public;

(c) transient or incidental storage of a work or performance for the purpose of providing electronic links, access or integration, where such links, access or integration has not been expressly prohibited by the right holder, unless the person responsible is aware or has reasonable grounds for believing that such storage is of an infringing copy:

(1. Subs. by Act 27 of 2012, s. 32, for clause (a) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).

(2. Ins. by Act 38 of 1994, s. 17 (w.e.f. 10-5-1995.)

(3. Ins. by Act 49 of 1999, s. 7 (w.e.f. 15-1-2000.)

(4. Subs. by Act 27 of 2012, s. 32, for clauses (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i) and (j) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012.)

Provided that if the person responsible for the storage of the copy has received a written complaint from the owner of copyright in the work, complaining that such transient or incidental storage is an infringement, such person responsible for the storage shall refrain from facilitating such access for a period of twenty-one days or till he receives an order from the competent court refraining from facilitation access and in case no such order is received before the expiry of such period of twenty-one days, he may continue to provide the facility of such access;

(d) the reproduction of any work for the purpose of a judicial proceeding or for the purpose of a report of a judicial proceeding;

(e) the reproduction or publication of any work prepared by the Secretariat of a Legislature or, where the legistanure consists of two Houses, by the Secretariat of either House of the Legislature, exclusively for the use of the members of that Legislature;

(f) the reproduction of any work in a certified copy made or supplied in accordance with any law for the time being in force;

(g) the reading or recitation in public of reasonable extracts from a published literacy or dramatic work;

 

(h) the publication in a collection, mainly composed of non-copyright matter, bona fide intended for instruction use, and so described in the title and in any advertisement issued by or on behalf of the publisher, of short passages from published literary or dramatic works, not themselves published for such use in which copyright subsists:

Provided that not more than two such passages from works by the same author are published by the same publisher during any period of five years.

Explanation.—

In the case of a work of joint authorship, references in this clause to passages from works shall include references to passages from works by any one or more of the authors of those passages or by any one or more of those authors in collaboration with any other person;

(i) the reproduction of any work—

(i) by a teacher or a pupil in the course of instruction; or

(ii) as part of the question to be answered in an examination; or

(iii) in answers to such questions;

¹[(j) the performance, in the course of the activities of an educational institution, of a literary, dramatic or musical work by the staff and students of the institution, or of a cinematograph film or a sound recording if the audience is limited to such staff and students, the parents and guadians of the students and persons connected with the activities of the institution or the communication to such an audience of a cinematograph film or sound recording;]

(k) the causing of a recording to be heard in public by utilising it,—

(i) in an enclosed room or hall meant for the common use of residents in any residential premises (not being a hotel or similar commercial establishment) as part of the amenities provided exclusively or mainly for residents therein; or

(ii) as part of the activities of a club or similar organisation which is not established or conducted for profit;]

(l) the performance of a literary, dramatic or musical work by an amateur, club or society, if the performance is given to a non-paying audience, or for the benefit of a religious institution;

(m) the reproduction in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical of an article on current economic, political, social or religious topics, unless the author of such article has expressly reserved to himself the right of such reproduction;

²[(n) the storing of a work in any medium by Electronic means by a non-commercial public library, for preservation if the library already possesses a non-digital copy of the work;]

(o) the making of not more than three copies of a book (including a pamphlet, sheet of music, map, chart or plan) by or under the direction of the person in charge of a 3[non-commercial public library] for the use of the library if such book is not available for sale in India;

(p) the reproduction, for the purpose of research or private study or with a view to publication, of an unpublished literary, dramatic or musical work kept in a library, museum or other institution to which the public has access:

Provided that where the identity of the author of any such work or, in the case of a work of joint authorship, of any of the authors is known to the library, museum or other institution, as the case may be, the provisions of this clause shall apply only if such reproduction is made at a time more than ⁴[sixty years] from the date of the death of the author or, in the case of a work of joint authorship, from the death of the author whose identity is known or, if the identity of more authors than one is known from the death of such of those authors who dies last;

(1. Subs. by Act 38 of 1994, s. 17, for clauses (j) and (k) (w.e.f. 10-5-1995.)

(2. Subs. by Act 27 of 2012, s. 32, for clause (n) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012.)

(3. Subs. by s. 32, ibid., for “public library” (w.e.f. 21-6-2012.)

(4. Subs. by Act 49 of 1999, s. 7, for “fifty years” (w.e.f. 15-1-2000.)

(q) the reproduction or publication of—

(i) any matter which has been published in any Official Gazette except an Act of a Legislature;

(ii) any Act of a Legislature subject to the condition that such Act is reproduced or published together with any commentary thereon or any other original matter;

(iii) the report of any committee, commission, council, board or other like body appointed by the Government if such report has been laid on the Table of the Legislature, unless the reproduction or publication of such report is prohibited by the Government;

(iv) any judgment or order of a court, tribunal or other judicial authority, unless the reproduction or publication of such judgment or order is prohibited by the court, the tribunal or other judicial authority, as the case may be;

(r) the production or publication of a translation in any Indian language of an Act of a Legislature and of any rules or orders made thereunder—

(i) if no translation of such Act or rules or orders in that language has been previously been produced or published by the Government; or

(ii) where a translation of such Act or rules or orders in that language has been produced or published by the Government, if the translation is not available for sale to the public:

Provided that such translation contains a statement at a prominent place to the effect that the translation has not been authorised or accepted as authentic by the Government;

1[(s) the making or publishing of a painting, drawing, engraving or photograph of a work of architecture or the display of a work of architecture;]

(t) the making or publishing of a painting, drawing, engraving or photograph of a sculpture, or other artistic work falling under sub-clause (iii) of clause (c) of section 2, if such work is permanently situate in a public place or any premises to which the public has access;

(u) the inclusion in a cinematograph film of—

(i) any artistic work permanently situate in a public place or any premises to which the public has access; or

(ii) any other artistic work, if such inclusion is only by way of background or is otherwise incidental to the principal matters represented in the film;

(v) the use by the author of an artistic work, where the author of such work is not the owner of the copyright therein, of any mould, cast, sketch, plan, model or study made by him for the purpose of the work:

Provided that he does not thereby repeat or imitate the main design of the work;

²[(w) the making of a three-dimensional object from a two-dimensional artistic work, such as a technical drawing, for the purposes of industrial application of any purely functional part of a useful device;]

(x) the reconstruction of a building or structure in accordance with the architectural drawings or plans by reference to which the building or structure was originally constructed: Provided that the original construction was made with the consent or licence of the owner of the copyright in such drawings and plans;

(y) in relation to a literary, ³[dramatic, artistic or] musical work recorded or reproduced in any cinematograph film, the exhibition of such film after the expiration of the term of copyright therein:

(1. Subs. by Act 38 of 1994, s. 17, for clause (s) (w.e.f. 9-8-1995.)

(2. Subs. by Act 27 of 2012, s. 32, for clause (w) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012.)

(3. Subs. by s. 32, ibid., for “dramatic or” (w.e.f. 21-6-2012.)

Provided that the provisions of sub-clause (ii) of clause (a), sub-clause (i) of clause (b) and clauses (d), (f), (g), (m) and (p) shall not apply as respects any act unless that act is accompanied by an acknowledgment—

(i) identifying the work by its title or other description; and

(ii) unless the work is anonymous or the author of the work has previously agreed or required that no acknowledgment of his name should be made, also identifying the author;

¹[(z) the making of an ephemeral recording, by a broadcasting organisation using its own facilities for its own broadcast by a broadcasting organisation of a work which it has the right to broadcast; and the retention of such recording for archival purposes on the ground of its exceptional documentary character;

(za) the performance of a literary, dramatic or musical work or the communication to the public of such work or of a sound recording in the course of any bona fide religious ceremony or an official ceremony held by the Central Government or the State Government or any local authority.

Explanation.—

For the purpose of this clause, religious ceremony includes a marriage procession and other social festivities associated with a marriage;]

²[(zb) the adaption, reproduction, issue of copies or communication to the public of any work in any accessible format, by—

(i) any person to facilitate persons with disability to access to works including sharing with any person with disability of such accessible format for private or personal use, educational purpose or research; or

(ii) any organisation working for the benefit of the persons with disabilities in case the normal format prevents the enjoyment of such works by such persons: Provided that the copies of the works in such accessible format are made available to the persons with disabilities on a non-profit basis but to recover only the cost of production:

Provided further that the organisation shall ensure that the copies of works in such accessible format as used only by persons with disabilities and takes reasonable steps to prevent its entry into ordinary channels of business.

Explanation.—

For the purposes of this sub-clause, “any organisation” includes and organisation registered under section 12A of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961) and working for the benefit of persons with disability or reorgnised under Chapter X of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection or Rights and full Participation) Act, 1995 (1 of 1996) or receiving grants from the government for facilitationg access to persons with disabilities or an educational institution or library or archives recognised by the Government;

(zc) the importation of copies of any literary or artistic work, such as labels, company logos or promotional or explanatory material, that is purely incidental to other goods or products being lawfully.]

(2) The provisions of sub-section (1) shall apply to the doing of any act in relation to the translation of a literary, dramatic or musical work or the adaptation of a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work as they apply in relation to the work itself.

³[52A. Particulars to be included in records and video Films.—

(1) No person shall publish a ⁴[sound recording] in respect of any work unless the following particulars are displayed on the ⁴[sound recording] and on any container thereof, namely:—

(a) the name and address of the person who has made the record;

(b) the name and address of the owner of the copyright in such work; and

(c) the year of its first publication.

(1. Ins. by Act 38 of 1994, s. 17 (w.e.f. 9-8-1995.)

(2. Ins. by Act 27 of 2012, s. 32 (w.e.f. 21-6-2012.)

(3. Ins. by Act 65 of 1984, s. 4 (w.e.f. 8-10-1984.)

(4. Subs. by Act 38 of 1994, s. 2, for “record” (w.e.f. 10-5-1995.)

(2) No person shall publish a video film in respect of any work unless the following particulars are displayed in the video film, when exhibited, and on the video cassette or other container thereof, namely:—

(a) if such work is a cinematograph film required to be certified for exhibition under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (37 of 1952), a copy of the certificate granted by the Board of Film Certification under section 5A of that Act in respect of such work;

(b) the name and address of the person who has made the video film and a declaration by him that he has obtained the necessary licence or consent from the owner of the copyright, in such work for making such video film; and

(c) the name and address of the owner for the copyright in such work.]

52B. [Accounts and audit.] Omitted by the Copyright Act, 2012 (27 of 2012), s. 33 (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).

¹[53. Importation of infringing copies.—

(1) The owner of any right conferred by this act in respect of any work or any performance embodied in such work, or his duly authorised agent, may give notice in writing to be Commissioner of Customs, or to any other officer authorised in this behalf by the Central Board of Excise and Customs, —

(a) that he is the owner of the said right, with proof thereof, and

(b) that he requests the Commissioner for a period specified in the notice, which shall not exceed one year, to treat infringing copies of the work as prohibited goods, and that infringing copies of the work are expected to arrive in India at a time and a place specified in the notice.

(2) The Commissioner, after scrutiny of the evidence furnished by the owner of the right and on being satisfied may, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), treat infringing copies of the work as prohibited goods that have been imported into India, excluding goods in transit:

Provided that owner of the work deposits such amount as the Commissioner may require as security having regard to the likely expenses on demurrage, cost of storage and compensation to the importer in case it is found that works are not infringing copies.

(3) When any goods treated as prohibited under sub-section (2) have been detained, the Customs Officer detaining them shall inform the importer as well as the person who gave notice under sub-section (1) of the such goods within forty-eight hours of their detention.

(4) The Customs Officer shall release the goods, and they shall not longer be treated as prohibited goods, if the person who gave notice under sub-section (1) does not produce any order from a court having jurisdiction as to the temporary or permanent disposal of such goods within fourteen days from the date of their detention.]

²[53A. Resale share right in original copies.—

(1) In the case of resale for a price exceeding ten thousand rupees, of the original copy of a painting, sculpture or drawing, or of the original manuscript of a literary or dramatic work or musical work, the author of such work if he was the first owner of rights under section 17 or his legal heirs shall, notwithstanding any assignment of copyright in such work, have a right to share in the resale price of such original copy or manuscript in accordance with the provisions of this section:

Provided that such right shall cease to exist on the expiration of the term of copyright in the work.

(2) The share referred to in sub-section (1) shall be such as the ³[Appellate Board] may fix and the decision of the ³[Appellate Board] in this behalf shall be final:

Provided that the ³[Appellate Board] may fix different shares for different classes of work:

(1. Subs. by Act 27 of 2012, s. 34, for section 53 (w.e.f. 21-6-2012.)

(2. Ins. by Act 38 of 1994, s. 18 (w.e.f. 10-5-1995.)

(3. Subs. by Act 7 of 2017, s.160, for “Copyright Board” (w.e.f. 26-5-2017.)

Provided further that in no case shall the share exceed ten percent, of the resale price.

(3) If any dispute arises regarding the right conferred by this section, it shall be referred to the ¹[Appellate Board] whose decision shall be final.]

(1. Subs. by Act 7 of 2017, s.160, for “Copyright Board” (w.e.f. 26-5-2017.)