Last verified: 27 October 2026. Copyright in an eligible original work generally arises on creation; registration is not compulsory to acquire it. A registration application uses Form XIV, generally one work per application, with a government fee based on the work category. The Copyright Office publishes applications for objections, but 30 days is not a guaranteed registration time. Check the Copyright Rules, Chapter XIII , the amended fee schedule , and the Copyright Office's FAQ Official ↗.
You wrote a book, commissioned a logo, recorded a song or built an app. Who owns the work, and should you register it? The answer begins with the author and ownership documents, not with paying a fee. The Copyright Office's entry can be useful evidence, but it cannot turn someone else's work into your property.
This guide covers the work categories, current official fees, documents, Form XIV process, objection stage and issues that matter most for software and commercial logos.
Quick answer: Copyright registration in India
| Question | Practical answer |
|---|---|
| Is registration mandatory? | No. Copyright protection of an eligible original work generally arises automatically; registration provides an official record and prima facie evidence of its particulars. |
| Which form is used? | Form XIV with the Statement of Particulars and Statement of Further Particulars where applicable. |
| Can one application cover several works? | No. Rule 70(2) calls for a separate application and fee for each work. |
| What is the basic government fee? | ₹500 per work for literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works generally; different entries apply to commercial-use artistic works, films and sound recordings. |
| Is approval automatic after 30 days? | No. Objections, incomplete particulars, examination and hearings can extend the process. |
The Copyright Office's FAQ Official ↗ explains that copyright protects expression, not a bare idea, process, title or short phrase by itself. Filing a manuscript or logo therefore does not give an exclusive right over a general business concept.
1. What can you register?
The Copyright Act covers original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, as well as cinematograph films and sound recordings. A computer program is treated as a literary work under the Act, though the Register has a separate part for computer programmes.
| Example | Likely registration category | Check before filing |
|---|---|---|
Book, article, training manual | Literary | Author, publisher and assignment details |
Software or app code | Computer programme | Source-code submission and developer ownership |
Illustration, photograph, logo | Artistic | Creator consent; for commercial-use artwork, trade mark search certificate |
Musical composition | Musical | Composer's rights; distinguish composition from a recording |
Recorded song or podcast episode | Sound recording | Producer's rights and underlying music, lyrics or performance permissions |
Film or video | Cinematograph film | Producer's rights and underlying contributions |
A name or slogan alone is generally not protected as a copyright work merely by placing it on Form XIV. Brand names and source-identifying logos may also call for a trade mark review. A product's shape or industrial design may raise separate design law questions.
2. Official copyright registration fees in 2026
The Second Schedule to the Copyright Rules sets these application fees, paid to the government per work:
| Application for registration of | Government fee |
|---|---|
| Literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, general entry | ₹500 |
| Artistic work used or capable of being used in relation to goods or services | ₹2,000 |
| Cinematograph film | ₹5,000 |
| Sound recording | ₹2,000 |
A normal literary work is not automatically charged ₹2,000 just because a business sells copies. The amended Second Schedule specifically refers to artistic work for the commercial-use entry. The broader wording still shown on one IP India summary table should be checked against the amended rule and the filing portal when paying. The professional fee charged by a representative, if hired, is separate. The Copyright Office FAQ Official ↗ says the filing fee is not reimbursed on rejection.
Example: A standalone novel and a commercial brand logo are two different works. If both are filed, they need separate applications; the official filing entries would ordinarily be ₹500 for the novel and ₹2,000 for the qualifying artistic logo, subject to the actual classification.
3. Who should be named as author and owner?
The author is the person identified under the Copyright Act for the relevant type of work; the owner may differ under the Act or a valid agreement. Do not assume that payment to a designer or developer automatically gives your company every copyright right.
For a commissioned logo, check the design contract, any assignment and the artist's no-objection document. For an app, identify each employee, agency or freelancer whose code is included and establish the company's claim to the submitted work. For recordings and films, check the rights in underlying music, lyrics, images and other contributions.
Under sections 18 and 19 of the Copyright Act , an assignment requires a written instrument signed by the assignor or authorised agent and should identify the work and the rights, duration, territory and consideration. The registration rule separately requires an author's original NOC when the owner applies. Ownership documents should be consistent with the names entered in Form XIV.
If the creator and the applicant are different, resolve the ownership trail before filing. A certificate records an examined application; it is not a replacement for a valid assignment or the necessary consent.
4. Documents to prepare before Form XIV
The exact evidence depends on the category and your ownership chain. Prepare a focused file with:
- Work copy in the format required by the current filing instructions; identify the same title and version throughout.
- Applicant and author details, nationality, addresses, contact information and publication particulars.
- Form XIV, Statement of Particulars and Statement of Further Particulars where applicable, signed by the applicant. The Copyright Office's general instructions say an attorney does not sign these in place of the applicant.
- Author's NOC if an owner other than the author files, plus the assignment or other documents explaining ownership where applicable.
- Notice to other interested parties who claim or have an interest in the work or dispute the applicant's rights, as required by Rule 70(9); retain dispatch evidence.
- Authorisation/Power of Attorney if a representative is engaged, in the form required by the Office.
- Category-specific material: the computer-programme source-code extract; trade mark search certificate for qualifying commercial-use artistic work; relevant affidavits, agreements or NOCs for designs, films and sound recordings.
The Copyright Office's work-wise checklist and Rule 70 provide the category-specific checks. Read the current portal upload requirements as well; a generic document list cannot capture every ownership arrangement.
5. How to apply for copyright registration
You may file through the official Copyright Office e-filing service or use another route permitted under Rule 70. The IP India FAQ Official ↗ confirms that an author, rights owner, assignee or legal heir can file directly; hiring an intermediary is optional.
Form XIV filing
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Classify the work
Decide whether it is literary, software, artistic, musical, film or sound recording; identify one work per application.
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Confirm rights
Align the author, applicant, contracts, NOCs and publication details.
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Prepare the form
Complete Form XIV and its particulars accurately; send required notice to interested parties.
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Submit and pay
File through the official system and pay the Second Schedule fee for that category.
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Keep the diary number
Save the acknowledgement and work copy used in the application.
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Watch the record
Check objection notices, deficiencies and hearing directions; respond within the stated time.
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Receive the register extract
Registration is complete when the authorised Registrar signs and issues the entries in the Register.
A Diary Number identifies the application for tracking. It is not a registration certificate or proof that the work has already been entered in the Register.
6. The 30-day objection stage and realistic timeline
Rule 70(10) addresses objections received within 30 days of receipt of the application and permits registration after that period if the Registrar is satisfied about the particulars. The Copyright Office also publishes waiting applications and says written objections may be lodged within 30 days of publication. These are related procedural references with different starting points; the applicant should follow the particular case status and Office notices.
If a third party objects or the Registrar is not satisfied, the Office can inquire into the matter and give an opportunity of hearing before rejecting an application under Rule 70(11)–(12). Rule 70(13) states that registration is complete when the signed Register entry is issued. Accordingly, 30 days is a waiting/objection period, not a promised delivery SLA. Avoid advertisements guaranteeing a certificate in a few days.
7. Special case: software and source code
Computer software can be registered, but a company should first establish who owns the actual code it wants to submit. The amended Rule 70(5) calls for at least the first 10 and last 10 pages of source code, or the entire source code if it is fewer than 20 pages, with no blocked-out or redacted portions. The older general-instructions page and some FAQ text still mention “source code and object code”; rely on the amended Rule 70 text and confirm the live portal's submission prompts for the current application.
Before uploading, check that the code is your work or properly assigned, identify third-party/open-source components, and do not submit another party's confidential code as if it were yours. If disclosure is a concern, address that before filing because the cited rule does not allow the submitted source extract to be redacted.
8. Special case: logos and commercial artwork
An artistic work used or capable of being used in relation to goods or services has a ₹2,000 registration-fee entry. Under Rule 70(6), the application needs a statement of that use and a certificate from the Registrar of Trade Marks that no identical or deceptively similar mark has been registered or applied for by another person as specified in the rule. Match the artwork, dimensions, colours and design to the search certificate where the Office requires it.
This is separate from applying to register the logo as a trade mark. Copyright deals with the original artwork; a trade mark identifies the commercial source of goods or services. One brand can raise both questions, but one certificate does not automatically grant the other right.
If the art is capable of registration as an industrial design, Rule 70(7) also requires a prescribed affidavit about design registration and industrial reproduction. Have the commercial use and reproduction history checked rather than assuming every illustration has identical requirements.
9. How to track and verify a registration
Use the Copyright Office's Diary Status with the diary number to follow an online application. The official portal also lists deficiencies, work awaited, objections and hearing orders. After registration, use the registered-work search to look up the Register entry by available fields such as diary number, RoC number, applicant or title.
Keep the filed version of the work, payment receipt, notice dispatch evidence, any Office correspondence and the issued signed entry together. If an unpublished work is later published, the Office's FAQ Official ↗ describes an application to change Register particulars using Form XV and the prescribed fee.
10. Common mistakes that delay or weaken an application
- Treating a Diary Number as a granted registration.
- Filing a bundle of separate works in one application despite Rule 70(2).
- Selecting the ₹500 general entry for a commercial-use artistic logo without checking the special fee and trade mark certificate.
- Assuming a freelancer's invoice alone settles the assignment and authorship record.
- Uploading software source extracts with redactions, contrary to amended Rule 70(5).
- Missing an interested party's notice, a deficiency response or a hearing communication.
- Promising a fixed certificate date based solely on the 30-day period.
- Confusing copyright protection for creative expression with trade mark rights in a name or brand.
Official sources
- Copyright Act, 1957 and Copyright Office — legislation and e-filing entry point.
- Copyright Rules, 2013, Chapter XIII — Rule 70 filing, software, notice and registration procedure.
- Second Schedule — amended official application fees.
- Form XIV — prescribed application.
- IP India copyright FAQ Official ↗ — automatic protection, procedure and unpublished works.
- Waiting Applications for Objection and Diary Status — notices and application tracking.
Need help preparing a copyright application?
TaxQue can help organise the work category, author/owner records, supporting documents and Form XIV filing. The Copyright Office decides the application after its statutory process.
Copyright Registration Service
Information note: This is a general filing guide. Questions about authorship, employment, assignment, infringement and related trade mark or design rights require review of the actual work and agreements.
