Copyright Infringement

Certain uses of copyrighted works are legally permitted without requiring the copyright owner’s consent. In India, the following activities are not considered copyright infringement:

• Fair dealing for specific purposes:
  • Personal or private use, including research.
  • Criticism or review of the work.
  • Reporting current events or public lectures.
• Computer programs:
  • Using the program for its intended purpose.
  • Making backup copies for temporary protection against damage or loss.
• Judicial and legislative use:
  • Reproducing work as part of judicial proceedings.
  • Publishing or reproducing work prepared by the Secretariat of a Legislature for the exclusive use of its members.
  • Creating certified copies of work as required by law.
• Educational and instructional use:
  • Public recitation or reading of reasonable extracts from published literary or dramatic works.
  • Publishing short passages from such works in collections intended for educational use.
  • Teachers reproducing work during instruction, including for exams and answers.
  • Students and staff performing dramatic, literary, or musical works, or reproducing sound recordings or films within the institution for an audience limited to staff and students.
• Non-commercial performances:
  • Playing sound recordings in residential spaces or common areas for residents.
  • Performances by amateur clubs or societies for religious institutions or non-paying audiences.
• Press and media use:
  • Reproducing articles on current political, economic, social, or religious topics in newspapers, magazines, or periodicals — unless the author has explicitly reserved reproduction rights.
• Reproduction for public access or preservation:
  • Copying unpublished literary, dramatic, or musical works stored in museums, libraries, or other public institutions.
  • Creating drawings, engravings, paintings, photographs, or displays of architectural works.
• Artistic and industrial use:
  • Including artistic works permanently displayed in public places or accessible premises as part of a cinematograph film’s background.
  • Making three-dimensional objects from two-dimensional artistic works for industrial purposes.
  • Reconstructing buildings or structures according to original architectural plans or designs.