Documents required for Copyright registration in India

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Documents required for Copyright registration in India

This post was originally published in 2022 and has been updated on December 19, 2024, to provide you with the most current and accurate information.

Submission of documents is a very important part of the copyright registration process. Therefore, you must ensure in advance that you have all the documents which are required to be filed at the time of Copyright Registration. 

To make this search a little easier for you; we have listed all the documents required for copyright registration for different works in this blog post.

Copyright Registration Document Checklist for Different Works

A copyright registration can be obtained for different works such as artistic works, music, literary or dramatic works, sound recordings or software.

Artistic

Copyright registration can be obtained for artistic works such as paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, engravings, works of architecture and artistic craftmanship works like embroidery, woodwork, jewelry, embroidery, etc.

The following documents are required to be filed during the copyright registration process for artistic works:

• 2 copies of work.

• DD or IPO as per applicable rate.

• NOC from various copyright holders or copy of agreement (deed of assignment).

• If work published and publisher is different from applicant, NOC from publisher

• If the application is being filed through attorney, a specific Power of Attorney in original duly signed by the applicant and that must be accepted by the attorney

Music

Copyright registration can be secured for original songs, melodies and even lyrics. 

For obtaining copyright protection for music, the following documents must be filed along with the copyright application:

• 2 Copies of work (Graphical Notes)

• DD or IPO as per applicable rate.

• If work published and publisher is different from applicant, NOC from publisher

• NOC from the author if the applicant is other than the author.

• If the application is being filed through attorney, a specific Power of Attorney in original duly signed by the applicant and that must be accepted by the attorney

Literary/Dramatic

Novels, poems, scripts, articles, essays, blog posts, website content, and reference works like dictionaries are some of the literary works which can get copyright protection in India. Dramatic works that can get copyright protection in India include plays, operas, musicals, pantomimes, and choreographic works. 

For obtaining copyright protection for literary or dramatic works, the following documents are required:

• 2 Copies of work

• DD or IPO as per applicable rate.

• NOC from the publisher if the applicant is other than the publisher and work is published.

• NOC from the author if the applicant is other than the author.

• If the application is being filed through an attorney, a specific Power of Attorney in original duly signed by the applicant and that must be accepted by the attorney.

Sound Recording

In India, sound recordings can receive copyright protection as long as these recordings are original, documented, and first released in the country.

The following documents must be filed along with the copyright application for sound recording:

• 2 Copies of work

• DD or IPO as per applicable rate.

• NOC from various copyright holders or copy of agreement (deed of assignment).

• NOC from publisher if work published and publisher is different from applicant

• If the application is being filed through an attorney, a specific Power of Attorney in original duly signed by the applicant and that must be accepted by the attorney.

Software

Copyright registration can be secured for softwares provided they are original and not a direct copy of an existing software. 

To secure copyright registration for a software, the following documents are required: 

• 2 Copies of work

• DD or IPO as per applicable rate.

• NOC from the author if the author is different from the applicant.

• NOC from the publisher if work is published and the publisher is different from the applicant.

• If the application is being filed through attorney , a specific Power of Attorney in original duly signed by the applicant and that must be accepted by the attorney

• Source code and object code of work for verification.

Cinematograph Film

Original cinematograph films, which are visual recordings with or without sound recordings, are eligible for copyright registration in India.

The following documents are crucial for copyright registration for cinematograph film:

• Applicant’s details.

• Form XIV and Statement of Particulars signed by the applicant who may be the work’s author or owner.

• DD or IPO as per applicable rate.

• 1 copy in case of published work & 2 copies in case of unpublished work.

• Power of Attorney, in case of filing copyright through an advocate or the representative other than the applicant.

• NOC from other persons involved other than the applicant.

If you are clear about the documents requirement, it’s time for you to move towards the next step i.e. Copyright Registration.

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