Matter
Copyright Registration
Copyright exists the moment you create the work. Registration is what lets you prove it — the certificate is accepted as evidence of ownership when you have to enforce.
This engagement covers
- Category advice
- Application filing
- Deposit of the work
- Assignment and NOC
- Objection handling
“They set up our Private Limited in under two weeks and explained every form before we signed it. The fee never moved from the first quote.”
Requisition
SH/PROTECT/COPYRI
- Governed by
- Copyright Act, 1957
- Filed as
- Form XIV with the Copyright Office
- Typical timeline
- 6–12 months, subject to objections
- Mandatory waiting
- 30-day objection window after filing
- Term
- Author's life plus 60 years, for most works
Overview
Best suited to. Software authors, content and design studios, publishers, musicians and film producers, and any business whose asset is the work itself.
How we price it. One fixed professional fee, agreed in writing before any work begins, with government fees and statutory charges itemised separately and payable at actuals. If the scope changes, we tell you before doing the work.
What’s included
- 01
Category advice
Whether the work is literary, artistic, musical, cinematographic or a sound recording — and whether software is best protected here at all.
- 02
Application filing
Form XIV filed with the correct particulars of author, publisher and ownership.
- 03
Deposit of the work
Copies prepared and deposited in the format the Copyright Office requires, including source code extracts for software.
- 04
Assignment and NOC
Where the author and owner differ — employee, contractor or commissioned work — we get the chain of title documented properly.
- 05
Objection handling
Objections raised during the waiting period answered, including at hearing.
Documents required
Collected once, digitally. We check the whole set before anything is filed — document problems are what turn a two-week job into a six-week one.
The work
- Copies of the work in the prescribed form
- Title, language and year of creation
- Whether published or unpublished, with publication details
- Source code extracts and screenshots, for software
Ownership
- Identity and address proof of the author and the applicant
- No-objection certificate from the author, where the applicant is not the author
- Assignment or employment agreement establishing the chain of title
- Power of attorney authorising us to act
How it works
- Step 01
Category and ownership
We classify the work and establish who actually owns it before filing anything.
- Step 02
Application filed
Form XIV filed with the work deposited in the prescribed format, and a diary number issued.
- Step 03
Waiting period
The statutory objection window runs. We answer anything raised.
- Step 04
Examination and certificate
The application is examined and, once cleared, the registration certificate issues.
Questions
Q1Do I need to register if copyright is automatic?
Copyright subsists without registration, but the certificate is admissible as evidence in court. When you need to stop someone, having it makes the case materially easier.
Q2Can software be copyrighted?
Yes. Software is protected as a literary work, and registration requires depositing source code extracts. Whether copyright alone is the right protection depends on what you have built.
Q3My employee wrote the work. Who owns it?
Generally the employer, where it was made in the course of employment — but the position for contractors and commissioned work is different, and often assumed wrongly. We document the chain of title as part of the filing.
Q4How long does registration take?
Longer than people expect. There is a mandatory 30-day objection window after filing, then examination. Six to twelve months is normal, and objections extend it.
Something specific to your situation? Ask us directly — we answer within one working day.
Also under Protect & defend
Next step
Get a written quote for copyright registration.
Tell us your situation in one message. We come back with the scope, the documents required and the total cost — before any work begins.