Rules 84 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.
Rules 84 to 86 close the Rules proper. Rule 84 gives every party the right to appear in person or through a pleader or other authorised person. Rule 85 leaves costs to the discretion of the Board or the Registrar of Copyrights. Rule 86 repeals the Copyright Rules, 1958, without prejudice to anything done under them before the 2013 Rules came into force.
In proceedings before the Board or the Registrar of Copyrights, any party may appear and be heard in person or by a pleader or other person duly authorised (rule 84). Costs incidental to those proceedings are in the discretion of the Board or the Registrar, as the case may be (rule 85). The Copyright Rules, 1958 are repealed, without prejudice to anything done under them before the 2013 Rules came into force (rule 86). Rules 84 and 85 name the Board, which the 2021 Act abolished at Act level.
The Board caution
Rules 84 and 85 speak of proceedings "before the Board" and costs in the discretion of "the Board". That is the text as notified in 2013. The Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 abolished the Board at Act level and moved its functions to the Commercial Court or the High Court, as each amended section provides (see the Appellate Board provisions after 2021). These Rules have not been checked here for a matching amendment. So the Board's part in these two rules should not be read as a description of a body now sitting; what remains of use is the position before the Registrar of Copyrights, whose proceedings are covered by the same words. For the Registrar's powers under the Act see sections 74 and 75. If you face a hearing and want to know who may represent you, a legal consultation can help.
Rule 84: right of audience
"In any proceedings before the Board or the Registrar of Copyrights any party may appear and be heard either in person or by a pleader or other person duly authorised by such party."
| Element | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Where | Any proceedings before the Board or the Registrar of Copyrights |
| Who | "any party" |
| How | In person, or by a pleader, or by another person duly authorised by the party |
Three points. First, the right belongs to every party, so applicants, objectors, owners, licensees and societies all have it. Second, the representative need not be a pleader: "other person duly authorised" opens the door to a chartered accountant, company secretary or an officer of a company, if the party authorises him. The text does not say what "duly authorised" requires, such as a letter or power of attorney. Third, the rule speaks of proceedings before the Board or the Registrar; it does not cover courts, whose rules of appearance are their own.
This right sits alongside some specific signing rules. For example, rule 70(3) says an application for registration is signed only by the applicant, and the Form XIV instructions say no attorney can sign the application; rule 84 deals with appearing and being heard, not with signing. See our article on rule 70.
Rule 85: costs
"The cost incidental to the proceedings before the Board or the Registrar of Copyrights shall be in the discretion of the Board or the Registrar of Copyrights, as the case may be."
| Element | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| What | The cost incidental to the proceedings |
| Who decides | The Board or the Registrar of Copyrights, "as the case may be", that is, whichever conducted the proceedings |
| Standard | "in the discretion" |
The rule gives wide discretion and no guidance: no scale of costs, no requirement that costs follow the result, no cap, and no statement of whether costs can be awarded against a party who loses a hearing before the Registrar. The Registrar's powers under the Act are in sections 74 and 75; the rule adds a costs discretion for proceedings before him. The text does not say how costs are recovered if unpaid.
Rule 86: repeal
"The Copyright Rules, 1958, are hereby repealed without prejudice to anything done under such rules before the coming into force of these rules."
| Element | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| What is repealed | The Copyright Rules, 1958 |
| Saving | "without prejudice to anything done under such rules before the coming into force of these rules" |
| Date | Coming into force of the 2013 Rules, recorded in the footnote to rule 1 as 14 March 2013 |
Two things follow. The 1958 Rules stand repealed from the date the 2013 Rules came into force. And the repeal does not, by itself, undo what was done under them before that date. The rule does not say how steps pending on 14 March 2013 are to be completed. Form X, the certificate of registration of a copyright society, still refers to "the copyright Rules, 1958" in its printed condition, a leftover in the 2013 text noted in our article on rule 49. Rule 47 gave existing societies two months to apply for re-registration.
The wider Act-level saving provisions are in section 79; see our article on section 79: repeals, savings and transitional provisions. The rule-level saving here is only the single clause quoted above.
An example
Prakash Industries is a party to an objection before the Registrar of Copyrights on a registration application. At the hearing it appears through its company secretary, who holds a written authority; the other side appears through a pleader. Under rule 84 either is entitled to be heard. If the Registrar orders costs at the end, rule 85 leaves the amount to his discretion. Separately, rule 86 does not by itself undo a step taken under the 1958 Rules before 2013, though rule 47 separately required existing societies to apply for re-registration.
What rules 84 to 86 do not say
- No scale or limit on costs and no rule on recovery.
- No form of authority for a representative.
- No statement of the rules of procedure before the Registrar.
- No list of the 1958 provisions repealed and no detail on pending matters.
- Whether the Board's functions in rules 84 and 85 have been re-allocated by amendment; the Rules as notified in 2013 have not been checked here.
Need help with a hearing or a transition question?
Whether you are preparing for a hearing or checking whether an old step still stands, we can read the text with you. Our legal consultation team can help.
Key takeaways
- Any party may appear before the Registrar (and, as notified, the Board) in person or through a pleader or other duly authorised person.
- Costs incidental to those proceedings are in the discretion of the Board or the Registrar.
- The Copyright Rules, 1958 are repealed, without prejudice to anything done under them before the 2013 Rules came into force on 14 March 2013.
- The Board named in rules 84 and 85 was abolished at Act level by the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021; the Rules have not been checked here for a matching amendment.
- The text is as notified in 2013 with the 2016 amendment; check later amendments.
Read next
- Rule 83: fees, mode of payment and the Second Schedule
- Forms I to XVI: the First Schedule forms
- Introduction to the Copyright Act, 1957: complete guide
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.