Introduction
Creativity is the most essential requirement to enable progress in society. Encouraging creativity enables economic and social development of a society. Copyright protects the creativity of people and becomes a source of motivation for the artists, authors, etc. Registering your work with the Registrar of Copyrights provides you with the right to reproduce it, the right to adapt the work, right to paternity and right to distribute the work.
Though it looks easy, the copyright registration process is a lengthy but important process which can take up to 10 to 12 months. It is always advisable to get your copyright registered. This is because it can go a long way in protecting your rights for years, even after your death.
Why do you need a copyright?
When you create original work then copyright is acquired automatically. The question which then arises is why do you need to get it registered. To answer this, let’s look at an illustration.
Suppose A made a painting after working day and night and putting in a lot of sweat and effort into it. He then put it up on his website for others to see. After a few months, A noticed that someone else had copied it and was making money off it. What did he do? Of course, he sued the person in the court of law. Now, because he had copyright, he could use it as evidence in the court and prove that it is his painting and the infringer must be punished.
Through this illustration, we can observe that registered copyrights protect your work and prevent others from using it to their own advantage.
Let’s discuss some benefits of getting copyright registered for your work:
- Copyright registration creates a public record. It tells the world that your work is protected by copyright and also enables a person who wants to licence your work to find you.
- It enables you to file a lawsuit and take legal action against someone who infringes your copyright, say by selling copies of your work without your permission.
- It provides you with economic benefits by entitling you to use your work in various ways like making copies, performing in public, broadcasting your work etc, and availing appropriate reward for it. Thus, it provides you with a reward for your creativity.
- It allows you to sell or pass the rights of your work.
- It allows you to get legal evidence of your ownership. So if someone prevents you from using your work, you can just use your copyright to prove that it’s your work and you have a right to use it.
- It allows you to change the form of your work. For example, it allows you to make a sequel or revise or update the work.
We provide diverse services in the copyright field including:
- Copyright Searches
- Copyright Applications
- Copyright Prosecution
- Copyright Registration
- Response to Office Action
- Copyright Hearings
- Portfolio Management
- Assignment Recordals
- Licensing and Recordals
- Due Diligence
- Copyright Cancellation Actions