Form XIV explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Once a literary work clears the protection tests, the Manual's Part 6 sets out how the application itself must look: the Formality Check, a thirty-day waiting period, Form XIV with its Statement of Particulars, two copies of the work, and the documents that prove who may apply. The legal basis is rule 70, explained in our article on rule 70. Authors and publishers preparing a copyright registration filing can use this article as a pre-filing check.
Status. The Manual was published by the Copyright Office in 2018 after public comments on a draft. It is the Copyright Office's guidance and does not have the force of law; the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Copyright Rules, 2013 as now in force prevail. The Office may revise its practice, so check the current position on copyright.gov.in.
The Office first runs a Formality Check, then holds the application for a minimum thirty days for objections. Form XIV has three parts: the application and declaration, the Statement of Particulars and the Statement of Further Particulars. The applicant alone signs, never the advocate. Enclose two identical copies, and for software the source and object code in digital form. Each Statement entry is cross-checked against the work, so mismatches draw a letter.
Formality Check and waiting period
On receipt, the Office checks that two copies of the work, a complete Form XIV, a power of attorney where used and the prescribed fee are there. If not, a letter goes to the applicant's communication address and the status is shown as "Work Awaited". After the Check, a minimum waiting period of thirty days from receipt applies so that anyone with an interest or a dispute can object; the Manual cites rule 70(9) read with rule 70(10). Only then is the application processed, on a first come first serve basis, and the actual time varies with workload.
Form XIV, part by part
The author, publisher, owner or other person interested may apply in Form XIV, online or offline, with the prescribed fee, which the Manual states as INR 500 per work and ties to the Second Schedule. That matches the literary-work head in our post on rule 83 and the Second Schedule as notified in 2013, but check the current Schedule. Payment by gateway, demand draft or postal order is the 2018 practice as the Manual describes it. See also our guide to filing Form XIV.
Part (i), application and declaration. The applicant gives, in the columns the Manual identifies:
- the persons notified under rule 70(9) (the Manual says this is not mandatory, and "NIL" may be shown if no notice was needed);
- the fee payment details;
- a communication address, which for a foreign applicant must be in India;
- the list of enclosures; and
- a signature, date and place, by the applicant only.
Part (ii), Statement of Particulars. The Manual stresses care because these particulars go into the Register of Copyrights and the extracts issued. Our own summary of the entries:
| Entry | What the Office expects | Common lapse |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant and interest (Cols 2, 3) | Name, address, nationality; whether author, owner or publisher | Interest left unstated |
| Class (Col 4) | "Literary" for literary or dramatic work; "Software or Computer Programme" for code | Software filed as "Literary" |
| Title (Col 5) | Exactly as on the work | Shortened or translated title |
| Language (Col 6) | Every language used; Hindi in English letters is shown as Hindi; for code, only the programming language | Writing "English" for a Hinglish text |
| Author (Col 7) | Each person who wrote it, as a natural person | Naming a firm as author |
| Status and publication (Cols 8 to 10) | Published or unpublished; publisher, year, country; later publications or "NIL" | Missing year or country |
| Rights holders (Col 11) | Everyone who holds rights; the applicant's own details if holding all; all partners and their shares if a partnership | Leaving partners' shares out |
| Authorised persons (Col 12) | Anyone authorised to assign or license, else "NIL" | Blank column |
| Cols 13 to 16 | Artistic-work columns: "NIL" or "N/A" | Blank |
| Remarks (Col 17) | Optional | None |
Part (iii), Statement of Further Particulars. For a work that is not an adaptation or translation, answer "Yes" at Column 1(a) and mark the rest "NIL" or "N/A". For an adaptation or translation, answer "No", say whether the prior work is in the public domain, and give the prior-work details if copyright still subsists.
Copies and one work per application
Two identical copies must accompany every application. For software, two copies of source code and object code, in digital, machine-readable form and not on paper. The examiner then checks that the title in Column 5 appears on the work, the language in Column 6 matches the language used, the author's name in Column 7 appears on the work, and the publisher and publication details match Columns 8 to 10. An application covers one work only, and a digital copy must hold only that one, easy to identify and open. A compilation is submitted as a single compiled work.
Who signs, and which documents follow
- Signature. Only the applicant signs, not the advocate (rule 70(2) as the Manual cites it). For several applicants, all may sign, though not all need to if Column 11 names them all. A firm's authorised signatory may sign, and the Manual says a board resolution in the signatory's favour may be submitted, though it is optional case by case. A partnership signs through all partners, with the same exception.
- Power of attorney. If an attorney files, an original or notarised power of attorney is needed; the attorney still cannot sign the application. A notarised copy of a notarised power of attorney may not be admitted.
- NOC or assignment deed. An original NOC from the author is required where the owner or publisher applies, where one joint author applies for the work, where the publisher is a different person, and wherever the examiner finds another person's interest or dispute. See our post on NOC for registration.
- Deceased author. The death certificate, plus NOCs from all legal heirs or a notarised succession certificate. If the certificate cannot be had, an affidavit may be filed, and its admissibility is decided case by case.
For a model layout of the entries, see our Statement of Particulars template.
A worked example
Tanvi Shah wrote a business handbook and publishes it through Lakshya Press. She files in Form XIV as owner. Column 7 names Tanvi, Column 9 names Lakshya Press. The Formality Check passes. At examination the examiner notes that Tanvi is applying as owner while Lakshya Press is the publisher, so an original NOC from the publisher in her favour is missing. A letter goes out, Tanvi files the NOC with a covering reply, and the application proceeds.
Need help with Form XIV and the enclosures?
An error in one column of the Statement of Particulars is a common reason for a discrepancy letter. We can prepare Form XIV, the Statement and the NOCs through our copyright registration service.
Key takeaways
- Formality Check first, then a minimum thirty-day waiting period.
- Form XIV has three parts, and only the applicant signs.
- Statement of Particulars entries go into the Register and are checked against the work.
- Two identical copies; software as source and object code in digital form.
- One work per application; NOCs where the applicant is not the author.
Read next
- The five Copyright Office manuals and how an application is examined
- Literary Works Manual: originality, authorship and publication
- Literary Works Manual: foreign works, Government works and subject matter
- Documents required for copyright registration
Disclaimer: Based on the Practice and Procedure Manuals published by the Copyright Office in 2018 for literary, artistic, musical, cinematograph film and sound recording works, as consulted on 4 October 2026. The manuals are guidance and do not have the force of law; the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Copyright Rules, 2013 as now in force prevail, and current fees, forms and practice should be checked on copyright.gov.in. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.