Which Act protects intellectual property rights of creators?
The primary law that protects the intellectual property rights of creators in India is the:
Copyright Act, 1957
It protects original works such as:
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Literature
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Music
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Art
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Films
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Computer programs
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Dramatic and architectural works
Other major IP laws include:
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Patents Act, 1970 — protects inventions
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Trademarks Act, 1999 — protects brand names, logos, symbols
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Designs Act, 2000 — protects industrial designs
But for creators of original expressive works, the Copyright Act, 1957 is the key legislation.
The intellectual property rights of creators are protected by several Acts which collectively form the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) framework in India. Key among these are:
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The Copyright Act, 1957: This Act protects original works of authorship such as literary, artistic, musical, and cinematographic works, including software. It grants creators exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and adapt their work, ensuring moral and economic rights over their creations for the lifetime of the author plus 60 years generally.
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The Patents Act, 1970: It protects inventions and grants patents to inventors, giving them exclusive rights to exploit their invention for a specified period, usually 20 years.
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The Trade Marks Act, 1999: This Act covers the registration and protection of trademarks, service marks, and collective marks, safeguarding brand identity and preventing unauthorized use.
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The Designs Act, 2000: It protects the visual design of products, encouraging originality and creativity in industrial design.
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The Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000: It protects layout designs of semiconductor chips.
Together, these Acts provide a comprehensive legal framework to protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring their creations are legally safeguarded from unauthorized use and exploitation, and enabling creators to benefit economically and maintain control over their innovations and artistic works.
Therefore, the Act that protects intellectual property rights of creators is not a single Act but a collection of laws under the Intellectual Property Rights framework, prominently including the Copyright Act, 1957 for creative works, along with the Patents Act, Trade Marks Act, and Designs Act.
