IP & Business
Copyright Registration
At Soni And Soni we act for creators: writers, musicians, film and recording companies, artists and software authors, from registration through to enforcement, under the Copyright Act, 1957.
The ground
What you are actually dealing with
What copyright protects?
Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself. Under the Copyright Act, 1957 it subsists in original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, and in cinematograph films and sound recordings. Computer programs are protected as literary works. The right arises automatically the moment the work is created and fixed in some form; nothing needs to be filed for it to exist.
Then why register?
Because ownership has to be provable, usually years later and usually to someone who disputes it. The entry in the Register of Copyrights is admissible evidence of the particulars it records, which turns a contested question of who made what and when into a documentary one. It is also what most platforms, licensees, investors and enforcement authorities ask to see.
Ownership is not always the author
Work made by an employee in the course of employment generally belongs to the employer; work commissioned from an independent contractor generally does not, unless the contract says so. This is where most disputes we see actually begin: a logo, a website or a codebase paid for in full, with the copyright still sitting with the person who made it. An assignment must be in writing and signed to be effective.
Our part
How we handle creative rights
Copyright matters are rarely only about registration. They are about who owns what, on what terms, and what happens when someone uses it without asking.
- 01
Chains of title checked and repaired before they are needed, not after.
- 02
Assignments and licences drafted to say what the parties actually agreed.
- 03
Infringement pursued through notice, takedown and, where it is warranted, suit.
- 04
Software and digital works handled by people who understand what is being copied.
Scope
What this engagement covers
- Registration of literary, artistic, musical, dramatic, film and sound recording works
- Software and database registration
- Assignment, licensing and royalty arrangements
- Objections and hearings before the Copyright Office
- Infringement notices, takedowns and civil action
How it runs
The process, stage by stage
No stage carries a promised date. The Registry's queue and the court's list are not ours to commit on your behalf. What we commit to is doing our part of each stage without delay.
- 01
Establish ownership
Authorship, employment and commissioning arrangements are checked, and any assignment needed to put title where it belongs is executed first.
- 02
File
The application is filed with the Copyright Office with the work, the statement of particulars and any no-objection certificates required.
- 03
Scrutiny and objections
The application is examined and any objection or third-party dispute answered, with a hearing attended where one is fixed.
- 04
Registration
The Registration Certificate issues and the entry is made in the Register of Copyrights, which is the evidence you will use later.
- 05
Commercialise or enforce
Licences and assignments drafted so the work earns, and infringement pursued where it does not.
Common questions
Questions we are asked most often
No. Copyright exists from creation. Registration does not create the right; it gives you an official record that makes proving it straightforward.