Glossary · Intellectual Property
Copyright
An automatic, exclusive right given to the creator of original literary, musical, artistic, dramatic, cinematographic, or software work for a limited period.
Copyright in India is governed by the Copyright Act, 1957. It subsists automatically upon creation and fixation in a tangible medium, without registration, though registration provides prima facie evidence. Term: lifetime of the author + 60 years for literary/dramatic/musical/artistic works; 60 years from publication for cinematograph films/sound recordings. Copyright protects expression, not ideas. Computer software is protected as a 'literary work'.
Examples
A songwriter owns copyright in lyrics and melody for life + 60 years, and can license or assign it to a music label or streaming platform.