Copyright Act

An Act to amend and consolidate the law relating to copyright. BE it enacted by Parliament in the Eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

CHAPTER I

PRELIMINARY

Short Title, Extent & Commencement.

— (1) This Act may be called the Copyright Act, 1957.

(2) It extends to the whole of India.

(3) It shall come into force on such date2 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

2. Interpretation

— In this Act, unlessthe context otherwise requires,

— (a) “adaptation” means,-

(i) in relation to a dramatic work, the conversion of the work into a non-dramatic work;

(ii) in relation to a literary work or an artistic work, the conversion of the work into a dramatic work by way of performance in public or otherwise;

(iii) in relation to a literary or dramatic work, any abridgement of the work or any version of the work in which the story or action is conveyed wholly or mainly by means of pictures in a form suitable for reproduction in a book, or in a newspaper, magazine or similar periodical;3 [***]

(iv) in relation to a musical work, any arrangement or transcription of the work; 

[(v) in relation to any work, any use of such work involving its rearrangement or alteration;] 

[(aa) “Appellate Board” means the Appellate Board referred to in section 11;]

(b)  [“work of architecture”] means any building or structure having an artistic character or design, or any model for such building or structure;