Copyright Act 1957 attempts to encourage unique individual creativity and bestows several rights on the copyright owner. Copyright law ensures certain rights to the copyright owner, which are exclusive.
The Copyright Act of 1957 grants copyright security, conferring copyright protection in two forms - economic rights and moral rights of the copyright owner. The rights are further explained in the following manners:
Right of Reproduction: This is the most special right procured after copyright protection. This right empowers the owner to have such copyright to obtain copies of the registered work in any manner. Before copying, the author's consent is expected unless it is noted that such copying is not intentional to make any commercial gains out of it.
Right to Distribute: The right to distribute is relevant to the right of reproduction. The copyright owner may assign his work in a way he thinks fits. The owner is also empowered to set the total or partial rights with any other individual's assistance while excluding others.
Right to do Derivative Works: The copyright has the power to manage his work in several ways, such as making modifications or translations. Making a movie based on a novel can be an example of this right, where the owner's approval is mandatorily needed. In such circumstances, several other rights of the owner also develop into action, which shields the owner upon deformation, mutilation, or alteration of his work that is harmful for the owner's reputation.
Right to Publicly Perform: The copyright owner has the right to display his works publicly. Further, it encompasses the benefit of the owner to advertise his work. This involves the right of the owner to make his work available to the public on online platforms.
Right to Follow: This right is awarded regularly only to writers and artists. It further enables the writer to earn a percentage of sales of his work and is called Right to Follow.
Right to Paternity: The Right to Paternity provides the copyright owner with the right to declare authorship of the work. The copyright owner can demand due credit for any of his works.
Sui Generis Rights: Common copyright law often abandons preserving computer software and databases considering the crucial component of creativity does not exist in such databases. Hence, the requirement for separate laws to protect such software and databases. The law of sui generis was introduced to settle the problem of determining databases on the whole.
Private Copying: This is an objection to the renewal rights which the owner accomplishes. As per this right, any individual can secure copies of the copyright preserved work if it is shown that such copying is for educational purposes and no financial motive exists behind such representations being made.
Do copyright laws in India protect all creative work? In India, issues or disputes relating to copyright are regulated and monitored by the Copyright Act of 1957. Further which was consequently amended in 1994 and 2002. Copyright cannot be granted in some cases where the idea or concept is used differently. Moreover, copyright does not protect ideas or live events.