The Copyright Act, 1957

Chapter XII
CIVIL REMEDIES

  1. Definition. -- For the purpose of this Chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the expression "owner of copyright" shall include--
    1. an exclusive licensee;
    2. in the case of an anonymous or pseudonymous literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, the publisher of the work, until the identity of the author or in the case of an anonymous work of joint authorship, or a work of joint authorship published under names all of which are pseudonyms, the identity of any of the authors, is disclosed publicly by the author and the publisher or is otherwise to the satisfaction of the Copyright Board by that author or his legal representatives.
  2. Civil remedies for infringement of copyright. --
    1. Where copyright in any work has been infringed, the owner of the copyright shall, except as otherwise provided by this Act, be entitled to all such remedies by way of injunction, damages, accounts and otherwise as are or may be conferred by law for the infringement of a right:
      Provided that if the defendant proves that at the date of the infringement he was not aware and had no reasonable ground for believing that copyright subsisted in the work, the plaintiff shall not be entitled to any remedy other than an injunction in respect of the infringement and a decree for the whole or part of the profits made by the defendant by the sale of the infringing copies as the Court may in the circumstances deem reasonable.
    2. Where, in the case of a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, a name purporting to be that of the author or the publisher, as the case may be, appears on copies of the work published, or, in the case of an artistic work, appeared on the work when it was made, the person whose name so appears or appeared shall, in any proceeding in respect of infringement of copyright in such work, be presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to be the author or the publisher of the work, as the case may be.
    3. The costs of all parties in any proceedings in respect of the infringement of copyright shall be in the discretion of the Court.
  3. Protection of separate rights. -- Subject to the provisions of this Act, where the several rights comprising the copyright in any work are owned by different persons, the owner of any such right shall, to the extent of that right, be entitled to the remedies provided by this Act and may individually enforce such right by means of any suit, action or other proceeding without making the owner of any other right party to such suit, action or proceeding.
  4. Author's special right.--
    1. Independently of the author's copyright, and even after the assignment either wholly or partially of the said copyright, the author of a work shall have the right--
      1. to claim the authorship of the work; and
      2. to restrain or claim damages in respect of any distortion, mutilation, modification or other act in relation to the said work which is done before the expiration of the term of copyright if such distortion, mutilation, modification or other act would be prejudicial to his honour or reputation:
        Provided that the author shall not have any right to restrain or claim damages in respect of any adaptation of a computer programme to which clause (aa) of sub-section (1) of section 52 applies.
    2. The right conferred upon an author of a work by sub-section (1), other than the right to claim authorship of the work, may be exercised by the legal representatives of the author.
  5. Rights of owner against persons possessing or dealing with infringing copies.-- All infringing copies of any work in which copyright subsists, and all plates used or intended to be used for the production of such infringing copies, shall be deemed to be the property of the owner of the copyright, who accordingly may take proceedings for the recovery of possession thereof or in respect of the conversion thereof:
    Provided that the owner of the copyright shall not be entitled to any remedy in respect of the conversion of any infringing copies, if the opponent proves --
    1. that he was not aware and had no reasonable ground to believe that copyright subsisted in the work of which such copies are alleged to be infringing copies; or
    2. that he had reasonable grounds for believing that such copies or plates do not involve infringement of the copyright in any work.
  6. Restriction on remedies in the case of works of architecture. --
    1. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Specific Relief Act, 1963 (47 of 1963) where the construction of a building or other structure which infringes or which, if completed, would infringe the copyright in some other work has been commenced, the owner of the copyright shall not be entitled to obtain an injunction to restrain the construction of such building or structure or to order its demolition.
    2. Nothing in Section 58 shall apply in respect of the construction of a building or other structure which infringes or which, if completed, would infringe the copyright in some other work.
  7. Remedy in the case of groundless threat of legal proceedings. -- Where any person claiming to be the owner of copyright in any work, by circulars, advertisements or otherwise, threatens any other person with any legal proceedings or liability in respect of an alleged infringement of the copyright, any person aggrieved thereby may notwithstanding anything contained in Section 34 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963 (47 of 1963) institute a declaratory suit that the alleged infringement to which the threats related was not in fact an infringement of any legal rights of the person making such threats and may in any such suit--
    1. obtain an injunction against the continuance of such threats; and
    2. recover such damages, if any, as he has sustained by reason of such threats:

    Provided that this section does not apply if the person making such threats, with due diligence, commences and prosecutes an action for infringement of the copyright claimed by him.

  8. Owners of copyright to be party to the proceedings. --
    1. In every Civil Suit or other proceeding regarding infringement of copyright instituted by an exclusive licensee, the owner of the copyright shall, unless the Court otherwise directs, be made a defendant and where such owner is made a defendant, he shall have the right to dispute the claim of the exclusive licensee.
    2. Where any Civil Suit or other proceeding regarding infringement of copyright instituted by an exclusive licensee is successful, no fresh suit or other proceedings in respect of the same cause of action shall lie at the instance of the owner of the copyright.
  9. Jurisdiction of Court over matters arising under this Chapter.--
    1. Every suit or other civil proceeding arising under this Chapter in respect of the infringement of copyright in any work or the infringement of any other right conferred by this Act shall be instituted in the District Court having jurisdiction.
    2. For the purpose of sub-section (1), a "District Court having jurisdiction" shall, notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) or any other law for the time being in force, include a District Court within the local limits of whose jurisdiction, at the time of the institution of the suit or other proceeding, the person instituting the suit or other proceeding or, where there are more than one such persons, any of them actually and voluntarily resides or carries on business or personally works for gain.