Copyright
Perspectives on copyright across India and the subcontinent.
31 July 2015
Software as a Literary Work: The SAP Piracy Case
A coaching centre ran unauthorised SAP training at a fraction of the official price, using pirated software and materials. The judgment confirms that computer programmes are literary works under the Copyright Act — and sets out how commercial piracy is proved.
Durga Bhatt · 24 July 2015
Moral Rights in Copyright: The Rights You Keep After You Sell
Even after an author assigns copyright, two rights stay with them — to be credited as author (paternity) and to object to distortion of the work (integrity). How Section 57 protects moral rights in India, and why they can't be waived.
Durga Bhatt · 17 July 2015
Who Owns the Source Code? Copyright in Custom Software in India
A developer built custom software for a client — then claimed the source code was still theirs. Who owns bespoke code? Section 17, the 'contract of service' tests, and why the MoU decided it.
Durga Bhatt · 23 June 2015
Copyright Myths and Facts: Five Misconceptions Debunked
'It's on the internet, so it's public domain.' 'No © means no copyright.' 'Mailing myself a copy protects me.' Five common copyright myths — and the facts, including why infringement can be criminal and why registration beats the 'poor man's copyright'.
Nikita · 14 June 2015
Copyright or Design? The Delhi HC Decodes Section 15 of the Copyright Act
When an artistic work is applied industrially to make articles, does copyright survive? The Delhi High Court parsed Section 15 — Hussain's horse painting vs a saree motif — to draw the line between copyright and design protection.
5 June 2015
Board Games and IP: How the Law Protects a Game
A board game is not protected by one right but several — copyright in the artwork and rules, design registration for the board, a possible patent for a genuine innovation, and a trademark for the title.
20 March 2015
IP Crossovers Between the Real and Fantasy Worlds
Bertie Bott's beans, Duff Beer, a real Central Perk — fictional products keep crossing into the real world ('reverse product placement'), and real brands keep appearing in films. Who can do it, when it infringes, and cases like Rooh Afza, Fevicol and 'Clean Slate' in The Dark Knight.
Nikita · 12 February 2015
Can Food Recipes Be Protected Under Intellectual Property?
You can't easily own a recipe — but you can protect it. How copyright, trade secrets and even patents apply to food, why Section 3(e) blocks 'mere admixtures', and the surprising Indian patents granted for food processes.
Nikita · 3 February 2015
How to Protect Intellectual Property in Mobile Applications
There's an app for everything — which means yours can be cloned. How different parts of a mobile app are protected by different IP rights: the name and logo by trademark, source code and UI by copyright, and novel functionality by patents where allowed.
Durga Bhatt · 28 January 2015
WWE v. Wrestle Zone: Injunction and Damages Against Counterfeit Merchandisers
Two websites and a shop called 'Wrestle Zone' sold replica WWE merchandise while posing as official retailers. The Delhi High Court granted a permanent injunction and ₹5 lakh in damages — with a pointed observation about defendants who choose not to show up.
4 December 2014
Cover Versions and Remixes Under Indian Copyright Law
Singing someone's song your own way is a cover; changing the arrangement is a remix — and both need a licence. How Section 31C's statutory licence governs cover versions (five-year wait, royalties, disclosures), and why remixes count as adaptations needing consent.
Durga Bhatt · 20 November 2014
Assignment of Copyright in India: Rights, Royalties and Moral Rights
Films are built from many creators' works, usually assigned or licensed to the producer. How copyright assignment works under Sections 18–19 — the mandatory writing, the default term and territory, the 2012 royalty reforms, and why moral rights never transfer.