GEN Z NOWADAYS

The Copyright Act, 1957, is the principal law governing copyright protection in India and provides rights and remedies to creators of original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, cinematograph films and sound recordings. Under Section 13, copyright subsists in specified original works; Section 14 defines the exclusive rights of a copyright owner, including reproduction, communication to the public and adaptation; Section 17 deals with the first ownership of copyright; Sections 18 and 19 deal with assignment of copyright and the requirements for a valid assignment; Section 22 generally provides a term of 60 years after the author’s death for qualifying literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works; Section 30 deals with licences; Section 51 explains when copyright is infringed; Section 52 provides certain exceptions where specified acts do not constitute infringement, including certain forms of fair dealing for purposes such as criticism or review and reporting current events; Section 55 provides civil remedies for infringement; Section 57 protects certain moral rights of authors; and Section 63 provides criminal penalties for knowing infringement. As a general guideline, creators should use their own original material or obtain appropriate permission or licences before using another person’s copyrighted music, videos, photographs, artwork, scripts or other protected material. Giving credit alone does not automatically make unauthorised use lawful, and there is no universal rule that using only a certain number of seconds is automatically permitted. The legality of a particular use depends on the work, the manner and purpose of use, applicable exceptions and the circumstances of the case.**