[i][Chapter VII
COPYRIGHT SOCIETIES
33. Registration of copyright society.
33. Registration of copyright society.—(1) No person or association of persons shall, after coming into force of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 1994 commence or, carry on the business of issuing or granting licences in respect of any work in which copyright subsists or in respect of any other rights conferred by this Act except under or in accordance with the registration granted under sub-section (3):
Provided that an owner of copyright shall, in his individual capacity, continue to have the right to grant licences in respect of his own works consistent with his obligations as a member of the registered copyright society:
[ii][Provided further that the business of issuing or granting license in respect of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works incorporated in a cinematograph films or sound recordings shall be carried out only through a copyright society duly registered under this Act:
Provided also] that a performing rights society functioning in accordance with the provisions of Section 33 on the date immediately before the coming into force of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 1994 shall be deemed to be a copyright society for the purposes of this Chapter and every such society shall get itself registered within a period of one year from the date of commencement of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 1994.
(2) Any association of persons which fulfils such conditions as may be prescribed may apply for permission to do the business specified in sub-section (1) to the Registrar of Copyrights who shall submit the application to the Central Government.
(3) The Central Government may, having regard to the interests of the authors and other owners of rights under this Act, the interest and convenience of the public and in particular of the groups of persons who are most likely to seek licences in respect of the relevant rights and the ability and professional competence of the applicants, register such association of persons as a copyright society subject to such conditions as may be prescribed:
Provided that the Central Government shall not ordinarily register more than one copyright society to do business in respect of the same class of works.
[iii][(3-A) The registration granted to a copyright society under sub-section (3) shall be for a period of five years and may be renewed from time to time before the end of every five years on a request in the prescribed form and the Central Government may renew the registration after considering the report of Registrar of Copyrights on the working of the copyright society under Section 36:
Provided that the renewal of the registration of a copyright society shall be subject to the continued collective control of the copyright society being shared with the authors of works in their capacity as owners of copyright or of the right to receive royalty:
Provided further that every copyright society already registered before the coming into force of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 shall get itself registered under this Chapter within a period of one year from the date of commencement of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012.]
(4) The Central Government may, if it is satisfied that a copyright society is being managed in a manner detrimental to the interest of the [iv][authors and other owners of right] concerned, cancel the registration of such society after such inquiry as may be prescribed.
(5) If the Central Government is of the opinion that in the interest of the [v][authors and other owners of right] concerned [vi][or for non-compliance of Sections 33-A, sub-section (3) of Section 35 and Section 36 or any change carried out in the instrument by which the copyright society is established or incorporated and registered by the Central Government without prior notice to it], it is necessary so to do, it may, by order, suspend the registration of such society pending inquiry for such period not exceeding one year as may be specified in such order under sub-section (4) and that Government shall appoint an administrator to discharge the functions of the copyright society.
33-A. Tariff scheme by copyright societies.
[vii][33-A. Tariff scheme by copyright societies.—(1) Every copyright society shall publish its tariff scheme in such manner as may be prescribed.
(2) Any person who is aggrieved by the tariff scheme may appeal to the [viii][Appellate Board] and the Board may, if satisfied after holding such inquiry as it may consider necessary, make such orders as may be required to remove any unreasonable element, anomaly or inconsistency therein:
Provided that the aggrieved person shall pay to the copyright society any fee as may be prescribed that has fallen due before making an appeal to the [ix][Appellate Board] and shall continue to pay such fee until the appeal is decided, and the Board shall not issue any order staying the collection of such fee pending disposal of the appeal:
Provided further that the [x][Appellate Board] may after hearing the parties fix an interim tariff and direct the aggrieved parties to make the payment accordingly pending disposal of the appeal.]
34. Administration of rights of owner by copyright society.
34. Administration of rights of owner by copyright society.—(1) Subject to such conditions as may be prescribed,—
(a) a copyright society may accept from an [xi][author and other owners of right] exclusive authorisation to administer any right in any work by issue of licences or collection of licence fees or both; and
(b) an [xii][author and other owners of right] shall have the right to withdraw such authorisation without prejudice to the rights of the copyright society under any contract.
(2) It shall be competent for a copyright society to enter into agreement with any foreign society or organisation administering rights corresponding to rights under this Act, to entrust to such foreign society or organisation the administration in any foreign country of rights administered by the said copyright society in India, or for administering in India the rights administered in a foreign country by such foreign society or organisation:
Provided that no such society or organisation shall permit any discrimination in regard to the terms of licence or the distribution of fees collected between rights in Indian and other works.
(3) Subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, a copyright society may—
(i) issue licences under Section 30 in respect of any rights under this Act;
(ii) collect fees in pursuance of such licences;
(iii) distribute such fees among owners of rights after making deductions for its own expenses;
(iv) perform any other functions consistent with the provisions of Section 35.
34-A. Payment of remunerations by copyright society.
34-A. Payment of remunerations by copyright society.—[xiii][* * *]
35. Control over the copyright society by the author and other owners of right.
35. Control over the copyright society by the [xiv][author and other owners of right].—(1) Every copyright society shall be subject to the collective control of the owners of rights under this Act whose rights it administers [not being owners of rights under this Act administered by a foreign society or organisation referred to in sub-section, (2) of Section 34] and shall, in such manner as may be prescribed,—
(a) obtain the approval of such owners of rights for its procedures of collection and distribution of fees;
(b) obtain their approval for the utilisation of any amounts collected as fees for any purpose other than distribution to the [xv][author and other owners of right]; and
(c) provide to such owners regular, full and detailed information concerning all its activities, in relation to the administration of their rights.
(2) All fees distributed among the owners of rights shall, as far as may be, be distributed in proportion to the actual use of their works.
[xvi][(3) Every copyright society shall have a governing body with such number of persons elected from among the members of the society consisting of equal number of authors and owners of work for the purpose of the administration of the society as may be specified.
(4) All members of copyrights society shall enjoy equal membership rights and there shall be no discrimination between authors and owners of rights in the distribution of royalties.]
36. Submission of returns and reports.
36. Submission of returns and reports.—(1) Every copyright society shall submit to the Registrar of Copyrights such returns as may be prescribed.
(2) Any officer duly authorised by the Central Government in this behalf may call for any report and also call for any records of any copyright society for the purpose of satisfying himself that the fees collected by the society in respect of rights administered by it are being utilised or distributed in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
36-A. Rights and liabilities of performing rights societies.
36-A. Rights and liabilities of performing rights societies.—Nothing in this Chapter shall affect any rights or liabilities in any work in connection with a [xvii][copyright society] which had accrued or were incurred on or before the day prior to the commencement of [xviii][the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012], or any legal proceedings in respect of any such rights or liabilities pending on that day.]
References
[i] Chap. VII Substituted by Act, 38 of 1994, S. 11 (w.e.f. 10-5-1995).
[ii] Substituted for “provided further” by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 19(i) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[iii] Inserted by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 19(ii) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[iv] Substituted for “owners of rights” by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 19(iii) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[v] Substituted for “owners of rights” by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 19(iii) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[vi] Inserted by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 19(iv) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[vii] Inserted by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 20 (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[viii] Substituted for “Copyright Board” by Act, 7 of 2017, S. 160(a) (w.e.f. 26-5-2017).
[ix] Substituted for “Copyright Board” by Act, 7 of 2017, S. 160(a) (w.e.f. 26-5-2017).
[x] Substituted for “Copyright Board” by Act, 7 of 2017, S. 160(a) (w.e.f. 26-5-2017).
[xi] Substituted for “owner of rights” by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 21 (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[xii] Substituted for “owner of rights” by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 21 (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[xiii] Omitted by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 22 (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[xiv] Substituted for “owner of rights” by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 23(a) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[xv] Substituted for “owner of rights” by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 23(a) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[xvi] Inserted by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 23(b) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[xvii] Substituted for “performing rights society” by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 24(a) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
[xviii] Substituted for “the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 1994 (38 of 1994)” by Act, 27 of 2012, S. 24(b) (w.e.f. 21-6-2012).
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