Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000

In short

This law, the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000, establishes and defines the legal rights associated with original creative works and their related performances or broadcasts. It outlines what constitutes copyright, who owns it, and how it can be protected and enforced.

What it regulates

• The existence and duration of copyright for various types of works, such as literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, sound recordings, and broadcasts.
• The rights of copyright owners, including reproduction, making available, distribution, rental, and lending rights.
• Actions that are considered secondary infringement of copyright.
• Specific acts that are permitted in relation to copyrighted works, including for education, libraries, public administration, and certain uses of computer programs and databases.

Who it concerns

• Creators of original literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, sound recordings, and broadcasts.
• Individuals or entities who own or license copyrighted works.

Key points

• Copyright can exist in literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic works, original databases, sound recordings, films, broadcasts, cable programmes, and typographical arrangements.
• The duration of copyright varies depending on the type of work, with specific provisions for literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, original databases, films, sound recordings, broadcasts, cable programmes, and computer-generated works.
• Copyright owners have rights such as reproduction, making available, distribution, rental, and lending.
• Certain uses of copyrighted material are permitted, including fair dealing for research, private study, criticism or review, and acts done for educational purposes or by libraries and archives.