Copyright registration in India: optional, inexpensive, and worth understanding

Do you need to register copyright in India?

No. The Copyright Office’s Basic of Copyright page answers the question “Is it necessary to register a work to claim copyright?” like this:

“No. Acquisition of copyright is automatic and it does not require any formality. However, certificate of registration and the entries made therein serve as prima facie evidence in a court of law with reference to disputes relating to ownership of copyright.”

The same page sets out some basic points:

“Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself.”

“The work must be original (not copied).”

The Copyright Act, 1957 sets up the register. Section 45(1) says the author, publisher, owner “or other person interested in the copyright in, any work may make an application in the prescribed form accompanied by the prescribed fee to the Registrar of Copyrights for entering particulars of the work in the Register of Copyrights”. Section 48 says: “The Register of Copyrights shall be prima facie evidence of the particulars entered therein”.

Copyright registration in India: the official fees

These fees come from the official forms and fees page, as we checked it on 30 October 2026. They’re in Indian rupees.

Check the page again before you apply, as fees can change.

How registration works

The Copyright Office’s guidance says:

“Every application for registration of copyright shall be made in Form-XIV and every application for registration of changes in the particulars of copyright entered in the Register of Copyright shall be made in Form-XV.”

“Every such application shall be in respect of one work only, and shall be accompanied by the fee specified in the Second Schedule in this behalf.”

For software, it adds: “The applicant is advised to submit an application for registration of the computer programme under the Software category (not under the Literary category), along with the source code.”

Who owns the work at the start? The same page says: “Ordinarily the author is the first owner of copyright in a work.” For a musical work, it names the author as “the composer”. For a photograph, it’s “the photographer”. Contracts and employment can change who owns a work, so get advice if that applies to you.

How long does copyright last? The page says: “In the case of original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, the 60-year period is counted from the year following the death of the author.”

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, speak to a lawyer in your country.

Registration vs a timestamp: different jobs

• Registration is an entry in the government’s Register of Copyrights. You make one application per work, usually for a finished work.
• A timestamp is a private, dated record of exact files. TimeBinder works out a hash of each file on your device. A hash is a fingerprint of the file: a short code calculated from the file’s exact contents. Your file is never uploaded. Only the fingerprint is anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain. A TimeBind then shows that an exact file existed no later than the recorded time, and that the file you have still matches its fingerprint. There’s a step-by-step explanation on how TimeBinder works.

Register when the work is finished, you want an official entry naming you, or a publisher, label or buyer asks whether it’s registered.

Add a timestamp when the work is still changing, you’re about to send drafts, demos or code to someone else, or you want a dated record of each version, not just the final one.

For the wider picture, see copyright registration vs a timestamp. Another country with an optional register is Canada: see copyright registration in Canada.

How to timestamp your work from India

1. Pick the exact files. For example, a manuscript draft, a song demo and its lyric sheet, or a zipped code release. You can add up to 10 files to one TimeBind.
2. They’re hashed on your device. Your browser works out each file’s fingerprint. Nothing is uploaded.
3. Choose Pooled or ASAP.
   • Pooled (1 Token). Your fingerprint is grouped with other users’ and recorded on Bitcoin, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity. It’s checked through TimeBinder. The Free plan’s monthly Token covers one Pooled TimeBind.
   • ASAP (3 Tokens). It gets its own Bitcoin transaction, sent straight away. It can be checked independently with the certificate and the Bitcoin blockchain, without relying on TimeBinder.
4. Keep the certificate and the original files. Keep the files unchanged and backed up. Any edit gives a different fingerprint, so the record only matches the exact file you timestamped.

When TimeBinder isn’t the right tool

• You want an official entry on the Register of Copyrights. Only registration with the Copyright Office does that.
• You only ever need copyright itself. You already have it. Doing nothing extra is a fine choice for a lot of work.
• You want someone to hold a copy of your work. TimeBinder never receives your files, so it can’t store them for you.
• You’re already in a dispute. Records made at the time count most. Speak to a lawyer rather than relying on anything created now.

Which plan fits

Most creators can start on the Free plan: 1 Token a month, enough for one Pooled TimeBind. The Free plan’s monthly Token doesn’t roll over. If you date work most weeks, the pricing page lists Essential at $20 a month for 5 Tokens and Expert at $50 a month for 15 Tokens. Each paid plan replaces the Free plan’s monthly Token. Extra Tokens are $5 each, 3 for $15 or 9 for $40. Prices are in US dollars. Our guide to which plan you need walks through it.