What are the Different Types of Works Under Copyright?

Copyright is a pack of rights that includes rights of adaptation, reproduction, communication to the public and work translation. The right is also known as the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to music, work of literary, cinematography, etc., during its creation, and it rests with the person who has created it. The main criteria to determine whether an individual is eligible for Copyright Registration is the creativity of expression. There are certain rights that are also associated with the different types of works under Copyright in India. Scroll down to check the different types of works under Copyright.

What is Copyright? – An Overview

Before we discuss the different types of works under Copyright, let us first understand the term “Copyright”. A copyright refers to the “Right to Copy” only available to the original author or creator. If any unauthorized person or individual copies the original creator’s work, they will be liable for Copyright Infringement as per the Copyright Act, 1957. This Act promises certain protections with regard to the author’s right over the creations made by them.

The copyright protection provided by the Copyright Act, 1957, to the efforts of artists, writers, producers, musicians, computer software, dramatists, etc. creates an inspiring creativity atmosphere for them, which also inspires them to create or innovate more and also to inspire others to innovate or create such works. The invention or creation generated by the inventor or creator cannot be claimed for ownership for generations as it will be harmful to social integrity. In India, the time period for Copyright Registration may vary from country to country. If there is a stiff application of Copyright Registration in a country, it can affect society’s progress. So, in a country, Copyright Laws are passed with some essential expectations and restrictions, which are crucial to making sure that a balance is maintained between the community and the creators’ comforts.

Different Types of Works under Copyright

Following is the list of different types of works under Copyright:

Literary Works

This works includes the original or distinct creation of literature, which can be in any form such as technical books, script, novels, thesis, research work, biography, computer programmes, etc. and it can be claimed irrespective of the quality, literary merit of the work, or style.

Dramatic Works

 This is also a type of literary work, and it includes any preparation of performing a play, choreography, dumb show entertainment, or drama on fixed writing work. However, dramatic works do not contain any type of cinematographic films.

Musical Works

It is a separate work that is copyrightable in itself, and it doesn’t include any types of lyrics or sound. The sound recording works are dependent on musical work, but to safeguard musical work, a distinct application is required to be moved with the Copyright Office for the Copyright Registration of such musical works. It is not required for the author of sound recording to take permission from the author of a musical work. For adoring Copyright protection for a musical work, the musical work doesn’t need to be written down.

Artistic Works

Copyright Act, 1957 Section 2 provides the provision related to the Artistic Works safeguarded by Copyright in India. In Section 2 of the Copyright Act, 1957, copyright protection in artistic works occurs in an original artistic work including paintings, graphics, drawing, sculpture, photography, buildings models, diagrams, cartoons, lithographs, casts for sculptures, molds, etchings, plans, etc.

Cinematograph Films

It is a work of a visual recording with the sound recordings accomplished by any process, whether analogous or digital, containing the video films. It also contains visual recordings in any medium and by any method of keeping such visual records. According to the meaning of cinematograph films, every single recorded work with moving visuals or images will be considered as a cinematograph. 

Sound Recording

It includes any work of sound recording regardless of its storage medium. Any song which contains the voice of a singer with or without any music, a recorded audio or podcast is an example of sound recording. The sound recording also includes music, so permission from the creator or inventor of musical work must be obtained for the Copyright protection of the sound recording.

What are the Exclusive Rights Concerned with the Types of Works Safeguarded by Copyright in India?

Following are some exclusive rights concerned with different types of works under Copyright in India:

Literary Works

In Literary works Copyright, Copyright means a special right:

• For reproducing the work;
• For connecting the work to the public;
• To make certain variations of the work;
• For many translations of the work;
• For performing the work in public;
• For allotting the work copies to the public.

Dramatic Work

For a Copyright of Dramatic Works, the Copyright means an exclusive right:

• For reproducing the work;
• For issuing the copies of the work to the public;
• For connecting the work to the public;
• To make certain variations of the work;
• For comprising the work in any cinematograph film.

Musical Work

For a Copyright of Musical Works, the Copyright means an exclusive right:

• For making cinematograph film or sound recording in respect of the work.
• For reproducing the work;
• For connecting the work to the public;
• To make certain variations of the work;
• For many translations of the work;
• For performing the work in public;
• For allotting the work copies to the public.

Cinematograph Film

For a Copyright ofCinematograph Film, the Copyright means an exclusive right:

• For communicating the cinematograph film to the common public;
• For selling or giving on offer or hire for sale or hire a cinematograph film copy;
• For making a copy of the cinematograph film, which contains a photograph of any image forming part thereof.

Sound Recordings

For a Copyright of Cinematograph Film, the Copyright means an exclusive right:

• For making any sound recording representing it;
• For giving or selling or offering for sale or hire any copy of sound recordings;
• For communicating the sound recording to the public.

Conclusion

All the different types of works under Copyright, as we mentioned above, are relatively unstructured and broad. The possibility of the Copyright Law regarding the creative or original work nature is drafted in such a way to take into account any form of creative work. The different categories in which the works are safeguarded by Copyright Registration are so extensive that it is difficult to imagine the other works that cannot be safeguarded by Copyright. The extensive range of different works safeguarded by Copyright offers satisfaction in the creator’s minds concerning the productivity and usage of their works.

Also, Read: How Can You Copyright a Song in India?