Copyrights
Decoding the mystery of copyright ownership, source code and software in India
As a software developer, there are a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration at the time of negotiation with the person engaging you to develop the software. It is very crucial to read the agreements that you might sign. On the other hand, as a person engaging a third party to…
Introduction to protection of copyright in India
Protection for literary, artistic, dramatic, cinematographic works, and sound recordings are possible by registration with the Copyright Office in India by filing an application online or with the Copyright Office in Delhi. Although protection for any of the copyright protected works exist from the…
Copyrights myths and facts
I realised how there are so many myths that exist in the minds of people around us when I recently got into an argument with one of the people at my gym about music and licensing. So to give a little bit of a background, the lawyer in me urges me to go ask the shop owner/restaurant owner or any…
Delhi HC decodes the copyright and design conundrum
Intellectual property laws provide protection for some works under both copyright and design law. At the face of it, the law on this point seems rather clear. However, interpretation of Section 15 of the Copyright Act in conjunction with the definition of “Design” under the Design Act makes it…
Intellectual property cross-overs in the real and fantasy worlds
Have you wanted to visit the Maclaren’s Pub or Central Perk and live your moment from How I Met Your Mother or Friends? Have you wanted to taste the Bertie Bott’s Every Bean Flavour from the Harry Potter Series or wished the Bat Mobile was real?! I’m sure we all have wanted to live or rather…
Rajnikanth's personality rights - It's only his. Mind it!
Celebrities in India (particularly actors and film makers) have become extremely vigilant of their rights. There has been a considerable increase in the number of cases requesting for John Doe orders, recognition of celebrity rights and the number of trademark applications for the name of famous…
Can food recipes be protected under intellectual property?
Ever wanted to know the recipe for your favourite dish in a restaurant? Or wished that you could make Pringles at home? They wouldn’t be special or in demand anymore if you could do make it by yourself! This got me thinking on the best ways to protect food recipes and prompted me to write this…
Don’t mess with the wrestlers! – WWE awarded an injunction and damages against unauthorised distributors in India
If you are a wrestling fan, you would have definitely heard of John Cena, Randy Orton, The Rock, Cm Punk, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, The Great Khali, Rey Mysterio, HHH, Edge etc. As a fan of these mega stars, you would have purchased many merchandise to be more like them and also would have made…
How to protect your music or art in India?
YouTube is filled with videos of people (budding artists!) singing songs of their favourite artists in their own style and giving it their personal touch or artists who are remixing songs. In the first scenario, it would be a most likely be cover version of the original song since the singer is…
Assignment of Copyright in India
There have been too many copyright issues in the recent times, either between the producer or the director of the film with regard to ownership of copyright or between say, a scriptwriter and the director. This got me thinking about the rights of the different people who contribute toward making a…