Copyright, Design & Patent
Copyrights
According to The Copyrights Act, 1957 copyright is a right given by the law to creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works and producers of cinematographic films and sound recordings. It is a bundle of rights including rights of reproduction, communication to the public, adaptation and translation of the work. The Act confers on the owner of the Copyright exclusive right to multiply copies of his work for commercial exploitation and also rights to refrain others from illegal copying of his work. Computer Softwares also come under purview of The Copyrights Act.
Designs
The Designs Act, 2000 regulates registration of Designs in India. If you have come up with a new product design (industrial) in shape, configuration, pattern, color, that can be registered under this Act, and you can have exclusive legal rights for your intellectual work and you can stop others from copying the same. According to the Act, a work can be registered, only if it is new or original, it has not been disclosed to the public anywhere in India or in any other country by publication in tangible form or by use in any other way prior to the filing date or where applicable, the priority date of the application for registration, it is significantly distinguishable from known designs or combination of known designs, it does not comprise or contain scandalous or obscene matter.
Patents
Patent is a grant from the Central Government which confers on the grantee for a limited period of time exclusive previleges of making, selling and using the invention for which a patent has been granted and also of authorising others to do so. In India, The Patents Act, 1970 governs patent registrations. It is observed that many inventors are loosing the chance of obtaining Patents for their inventions by commercially using or publishing their invention in newspapers or scientific and technical journals before applying for Patent at Patent Office and such inventions thus remain unprotected and loose their exclusive rights.