Rule 83 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.
Rule 83 says that fees under the Copyright Act, 1957 are those in the Second Schedule and lays down how to pay them: postal order, bank draft, treasury or bank deposit, or the payment gateway on the Copyright Office website. The Second Schedule lists nineteen entries. This article gives the amounts as they were notified in 2013; the current Schedule must be checked before any payment.
Fees are as specified in the Second Schedule (rule 83(1)). They may be paid to the Registrar of Copyrights, New Delhi, by postal order or bank draft of a Scheduled Bank, by deposit in a Government Treasury, the Reserve Bank of India or the State Bank of India under a stated head of account, or by the payment gateway on copyright.gov.in. Drafts and orders are crossed and drawn in New Delhi, a draft must include the bank commission, and a challan goes to the authority by pre-paid registered post. Governments pay nothing for official extracts. The Second Schedule has nineteen entries.
Which provisions the rule serves
Rule 83 supports every rule that says "the fee specified in the Second Schedule", and the Act's fee provisions. See our fee guides: copyright registration fees and government charges and the fee chart by category. If you want the filing and payment handled together, our copyright registration team can do it. The Board is not mentioned in rule 83, but the Second Schedule's entry 18 mentions the Secretary of the Copyright Board, as noted below.
Rule 83(1) to (6)
| Sub-rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| (1) | Fees payable under the Act in respect of any matter "shall be as specified in the Second Schedule" |
| (2) | Fees may be paid to the Registrar of Copyrights, New Delhi, by (a) postal order or (b) bank draft issued by a Scheduled Bank as defined in the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, or (c) deposit into a Government Treasury or a branch of the Reserve Bank of India or the State Bank of India under the head of account Major Head 0070; 60 Other Services; Minor Head 113; Copyright Registration Fees, or (d) payment gateway in the online-filing facility of the Copyright Office website, copyright.gov.in |
| (3) | Postal orders and bank drafts shall be crossed and drawn in New Delhi |
| (4) | Payment by bank draft is not valid unless the amount of bank commission is included |
| (5) | Where payment is by deposit, the challan evidencing the payment is sent to the authority concerned by pre-paid registered post |
| (6) | No fee is required for taking extracts from the Register of Copyrights or indexes for official purposes by the Central Government or a State Government |
The commission rule in (4) catches applicants: a draft for the exact fee, without the bank's commission, is not valid as worded. Sub-rule (5) matches the forms, which ask for payment details (postal order, bank draft or treasury challan number).
The Second Schedule: nineteen entries (as notified in 2013; check the current Schedule)
The Schedule is headed "(See rule 83)". The entries and amounts below are as printed; every one is legible in the text.
| No. | Item | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Licence to republish a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work (sections 31, 31A, 31B* and 32A) | Rs. 5,000 per work |
| 2 | Licence to communicate any work to the public by broadcast, section 31(1)(b) | Rs. 40,000 per applicant/per station |
| 3 | Licence to republish a cinematograph film (section 31) | Rs. 15,000 per work |
| 4 | Licence to republish a sound recording (section 31) | Rs. 10,000 per work |
| 5 | Licence to perform any work in public (section 31) | Rs. 5,000 per work |
| 6 | Licence to publish or communicate to the public the work or translation (section 31A) | Rs. 5,000 per work |
| 7 | Licence to publish any work in any format useful for persons with disability (section 31B) | Rs. 2,000 per work |
| 8 | Application for a licence to produce and publish a translation of a literary or dramatic work in any language (sections 32 and 32A) | Rs. 5,000 per work |
| 9 | Application for registration of copyright: (a) literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work; (b) literary or artistic work used or capable of being used in relation to any goods (section 45) | (a) Rs. 500 per work; (b) Rs. 2,000 per work |
| 10 | Application for change in particulars of copyright entered in the Register: (a) literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work; (b) literary or artistic work used or capable of being used in relation to any goods | (a) Rs. 200 per work; (b) Rs. 1,000 per work |
| 11 | Registration of copyright in a cinematograph film (section 45) | Rs. 5,000 per work |
| 12 | Registration of changes in particulars, cinematograph film (section 45) | Rs. 2,000 per work |
| 13 | Registration of copyright in a sound recording (section 45) | Rs. 2,000 per work |
| 14 | Registration of changes in particulars, sound recording (section 45) | Rs. 1,000 per work |
| 15 | Taking extracts from the Register of Copyrights (section 47) | Rs. 500 per work |
| 16 | Taking extracts from the indexes (section 47) | Rs. 500 per work |
| 17 | Certified copy of an extract from the Register or the Indexes (section 47) | Rs. 500 per copy |
| 18 | Certified copy of any other public document in the custody of the Registrar of Copyrights or Secretary of the Copyright Board | Rs. 500 per copy |
| 19 | Application for prevention of importation of infringing copies (section 53) | Rs. 1,200 per work per place of entry |
Points to note about the Schedule
- Entry 1 and the asterisk. Entry 1 prints "31B*" with an asterisk that has no matching footnote in the text. Entry 7 separately gives the section 31B fee, so the text does not say how the two relate.
- "Goods" only. Entries 9(b) and 10(b) speak of "goods"; rule 70(6) was amended in 2016 to say "goods or services". The Schedule text does not reflect that change.
- No entry for some filings. The Schedule has no entry that names the application for registration of a copyright society or performers' society, a tariff appeal under rule 57, a relinquishment notice, or online inspection of the Register. Where a rule says "the fee specified in the Second Schedule" for such a step, the text does not show an amount. Our articles on those rules say so.
- Entry 18 mentions the "Secretary of the Copyright Board", another place where the Rules refer to the Board; see our article on rules 81 and 82.
- Per-unit wording. Fees are per work, per copy, per applicant or station, or per work per place of entry, so a fee for several works is a multiple.
An example
Rekha Pillai registers a literary work and a film script as two works. She pays Rs. 500 for each under entry 9(a), as notified in 2013 (rule 70(2) requires one work per application), by a crossed bank draft drawn in New Delhi that includes the bank commission. Had she paid by treasury deposit, she would send the challan by pre-paid registered post.
What rule 83 does not say
- No refund rule, and no consequence for a draft that omits commission beyond "not valid".
- No fee for entries not listed, such as a society application; later amendments are not in this text.
Need help with fees and filings?
Paying the right fee in the right way avoids a rejected filing. Our copyright registration team can confirm the current fee, prepare the payment and file the application.
Key takeaways
- Fees are those in the Second Schedule, payable to the Registrar of Copyrights, New Delhi.
- Modes: postal order, bank draft (crossed, drawn in New Delhi, commission included), treasury or bank deposit with challan by registered post, or the online payment gateway.
- The Second Schedule has nineteen entries; for example Rs. 500 for registering a literary work (entry 9(a)), as notified in 2013.
- Governments pay no fee for official extracts.
- The text is as notified in 2013 with the 2016 amendment; check the current Schedule before paying.
Read next
- Rules 84–86: right of audience, costs and repeal of the 1958 Rules
- Rule 70: application for registration of copyright
- Copyright registration fee chart: all categories
Disclaimer: Based on the Copyright Rules, 2013 as notified (with the 2016 amendment), read with the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, as consulted on 1 October 2026. Later amendment rules, forms and fees should be checked in their current form. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.