Trademark & IP
Copyright Registration
Register copyright in original literary, artistic, musical, and software works under the Copyright Act 1957 — Form XIV, Statement of Particulars, and the certificate from the Copyright Office.
Copyright arises automatically under s.13 of the Copyright Act 1957, but registration under s.45 gives a public record and certificate that make ownership easy to prove in court, licensing, and diligence.
- • Eligibility and ownership check for the work
- • Work classification — literary, artistic, musical, or software
- • Form XIV preparation with Statement of Particulars
- • Filing with the Copyright Office and fee coordination
- • Response to objections or examination queries
- • Certificate handover and assignment / licensing advisory
- • Copies of the work (manuscript, source, artwork, or recording)
- • Date and circumstances of creation
- • Author and owner details — and the assignment if the owner is the company
- • NOC from the author where the company is not the author
See the fee table below for the statutory filing charge and common delay logic.
- • Section 13 of the Copyright Act 1957
- • Section 45 of the Copyright Act 1957
- • Section 17 of the Copyright Act 1957
- • Copyright Rules 2013
Process
How the service works
The workflow is built to be predictable: document collection, legal review, filing, and post-filing follow-through.
Check ownership and eligibility
We confirm the work is original under s.13 and establish who owns it — for company works, the author-company relationship under s.17.
Classify the work
We map the work to the right category — literary, artistic, musical, or computer programme — since the Statement of Particulars depends on it.
Draft Form XIV
We prepare the application with the Statement of Particulars and gather the required copies of the work.
File with the Copyright Office
We submit Form XIV and pay the fee, and track the diary number and examination.
Answer objections
We respond to any examination queries or objections from the Copyright Office within the response window.
Receive the certificate
We hand over the registration certificate and advise on assignment or licensing if you plan to monetise the work.
AEO summary
Copyright arises automatically when a work is created (s.13 Copyright Act 1957), but registration under s.45 gives you a public record and a certificate that makes ownership easy to prove in court, licensing, and diligence.
Why a certificate beats a creation-date story
In an infringement case, the court needs proof of ownership and the date the work existed. A registration certificate under s.45 is the cleanest form of that proof — it records the work, the owner, and the date of filing, and shifts the evidentiary work to the other side.
The same document does commercial work: licensees want to see the registration before paying royalties, and buyers of a business want the IP schedule to match registered certificates. For a software product or content business, the copyright register is effectively an asset register.
- • Ownership provable on day one of a dispute
- • Licensing and diligence ready from the start
- • A public record that deters copying
Getting the application right the first time
Most Copyright Office objections come from misclassification, incomplete Statements of Particulars, or unclear ownership. A software programme, for example, is treated as a literary work, and a logo may need both copyright and trademark protection — the categories matter.
We prepare the application so the first examination passes cleanly, and if an objection does come, we answer it within the response window instead of letting the file lapse.
- • Correct classification from the start
- • Statement of Particulars complete and consistent
- • Ownership chain documented before filing
Government fees
Fee breakdown
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copyright Office filing fee | As per Copyright Rules 2013 | The prescribed fee varies by the class of work. |
Timeline
Typical turnaround
Typical timeline usually means a 2–3 months turnaround, assuming documents are complete and any board or shareholder approvals are already in place.
Government fee applies as per the Copyright Rules 2013 fee schedule; the professional fee depends on the work type and whether a response to an objection is needed.
Related services
Keep the company moving
Protect the brand name and logo — copyright protects the expression, trademark protects the mark
Patent filing support for inventions — provisional and complete specifications with attorney coordination
IP portfolio review, ownership structuring, and monetisation through licensing and assignment
CA-certified IP valuation for balance sheet and M&A purposes under applicable accounting standards
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is registration really needed if copyright is automatic?
Who owns the copyright in work created for a company?
How long does copyright protection last?
What should you send us before we start?
Canonical reference: https://www.pvtltd.co/services/copyright-registration
Get started
Ready to move this filing forward?
We can help with the filing, the legal mapping, and the follow-up work that keeps the company compliant after submission.