Description – If you are running a business, it is very important to do copyright registration for your products to ensure exclusivity. Click here to know more reasons.
When it comes to run a business in India, you have to take extra care and ensure protecting every small interest of the organization. It is important to copyright your product, design or even an idea for your business. With the absence of any copyright, anyone can steal your ideas or counterfeit your products. It can affect the exclusivity of your brand and take your profits away. In order to prevent such disasters, you should opt for copyright registration. This small step can save you from many hurdles in the long term.
What is Copyright?
Copyright is basically a kind of protection for your intellectual property. It helps protect your creations against plagiarism, especially in physical form. For example, you can copyright a written script, but not an idea. Since copyright is registered as intellectual property, it is quite similar to patent and trademark registration. The copyright registration is conducted under the Copyrights Act 1957. The copyrights registration act has been designed to protect the credits of intellectual property owners.
Copyright registration is usually done to protect intellectual properties that are related to a script or work of art or a certain story, play or songs, etc. But copyright registration is not done for methods, procedures, or ideas. There is a patent registration for such things. In this guide, we are here to discuss rights which are protected under copyright registration.
Your Rights under Copyright Act, 1957
According to the Copyright Act, 1957, a Copyright protects all the manufacturer’s products and creative works like artistic and literary works, cinematographic productions, dramatic works, and music. The creators and authors reserve the right to broadcast, reproduce, alter, perform and replicate their works for a specific time period. These rights are rewarded to the creators so no one can use their work without their consent. The owner also has the right to license the copyright to the third party as royalty payment or selling the right for a fee. If anyone uses your creation for free without your consent, you have the right to sue them.
Here are the rights of a copyright owner –
Reproduction
Distribute your work as lease, sale or even transfer of your ownership
Create more materials on the basis of the original
Display the work (in case of an art piece)
Transfer the above rights to anyone as a contract.
There are other moral rights covered under the Copyright Act –
Integrity rights – The right to object against derogation or adaptation of your work.
Paternity rights – You have the right to raise complaints against mutilation or distortion of your work.
Importance of Copyright Registrations
Here are the reasons to undergo copyright registration for your business –
You have proper legal evidence – It is the first and foremost reason to get a copyright for your products. Once you have a copyright, your work is completely exclusive to your brand. It keeps your work safe. If anyone attempts to replicate your design of infringes your policy, product, or idea, you can claim the registered copyright as your legal evidence. It will smoothly and automatically get the case in your favor. You cannot contest this issue without proper copyright. You can easily sort down this issue with proper copyright registration.
Public Notice – It is another important benefit for your copyright registration. Along with protecting your creation, it also spreads your brand name freely among the public and gives you ownership. It gives credibility and face to your idea or design. It also keeps others from claiming wrongfully and taking ownership that they have manufactured or invented that specific work. This way, nobody can claim to use your work as their own and have your ownership. It can help protect your reputation in your work and it can easily turn into honorary and monetary benefits.
Benefits of Early Registration – You can register your copyright within a few years of starting your business. But doing registration early has its own perks. You should do it early because someone else may jump in and register the name similar to that you have decided if you delay. Even though you are the rightful owner, you won’t have any right over the original idea, design or product. It is very easy to conduct copyright registration. You can also apply for copyright registration online within a short time. Don’t wait any further or it will be too late.
Seeking claim for damages – Plagiarism is not just a threat to your financial health, but it can also affect your position and status. If you end up in a tangle of copyright infringement due to any unforeseen event, you can claim for damage from the authorities. But it can be possible only when the copyright is properly booked under your name. Without proper registration, you cannot build your base. So, be prepared for the damages which may happen in the future and register copyright as soon as possible.
It helps your business to stand out – There is a great competition in every stage of life. You might be lost in the crowd of your rivals when starting your own business. This way, you need a copyright registration in that case. Copyright every small item to make it difficult for the competitors to reach them. This way, you can easily stand out in the competition and you can have a great push to your business. Keep in mind that it is very important to undergo a copyright registration when starting your own business.
Final Thoughts
All in all, you cannot survive in the competition without a proper copyright registration. This small step can save you from a lot of hurdles and offer a lot of benefits in the long run. From protecting your ideas to offering more economic benefits, you can get the most of it. If you are still lagging behind without copyright registration, you should do it today.