Sections 9-10 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.
Sections 9 and 10 set up the office that keeps the Register of Copyrights and the officers who run it. Section 9 creates the Copyright Office and gives it a seal; section 10 provides for a Registrar of Copyrights and Deputy Registrars. If you apply to register a work, the officers in these sections are the people who decide your application. For the filing itself, see our copyright registration service.
The Act establishes a Copyright Office, under the immediate control of the Registrar of Copyrights, who acts under the superintendence and direction of the Central Government. The Office has a seal. The Central Government appoints a Registrar and may appoint one or more Deputy Registrars, who perform the functions the Registrar assigns, and a reference to the Registrar includes a Deputy Registrar when so acting.
Section 9: Copyright Office
| Sub-section | Printed text, in substance | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | "There shall be established for the purposes of this Act an office to be called the Copyright Office." | The statutory office for the Act |
| (2) | The Office "shall be under the immediate control of the Registrar of Copyrights who shall act under the superintendence and direction of the Central Government." | Two layers: the Registrar runs the Office; the Central Government supervises the Registrar |
| (3) | "There shall be a seal for the Copyright Office." | The Office acts and authenticates through its seal |
Section 9 does not say where the Office is located, how many sub-offices there are, or how it is staffed. Those details are not in the text. Procedure and forms are for the Copyright Rules, 2013, which this series does not recite.
The chapter heading. Section 9 sits under Chapter II, printed as "Copyright Office and ". The Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 omits the words "and Appellate Board" from the Chapter II heading. Before the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 the heading read with the Appellate Board; the printed footnote shows that the Finance Act, 2017 had replaced "Copyright Board" with "Appellate Board" in it. Section 9 itself is not in the 2021 list of amended sections.
Section 10: Registrar and Deputy Registrar of Copyrights
Section 10(1): "The Central Government shall appoint a Registrar of Copyrights and may appoint one or more Deputy Registrars of Copyrights." The Registrar is a must; Deputy Registrars are a may.
Section 10(2): "A Deputy Registrar of Copyrights shall discharge under the superintendence and direction of the Registrar of Copyrights such functions of the Registrar under this Act as the Registrar may, from time to time, assign to him; and any reference in this Act to the Registrar of Copyrights shall include a reference to a Deputy Registrar of Copyrights when so discharging any such functions."
Four consequences follow:
- Appointment is by the Central Government. No other body appoints the Registrar.
- Deputy Registrars work by assignment. They have the Registrar's functions only to the extent the Registrar assigns them, "from time to time".
- Assignment is revocable in practice. Because it is "from time to time", the Registrar can change what each Deputy does.
- A reference to the Registrar includes a Deputy acting for him. So when a later section says "the Registrar of Copyrights", an order may be made by a Deputy Registrar to whom that function has been assigned.
Where the Registrar's functions appear
Sections 9 and 10 create the office-holders; they do not list the functions. Those are scattered through the Act, and the later articles in this series take them up:
| Function | Where it is found |
|---|---|
| Publishing a notice of relinquishment of copyright | Section 21 |
| Keeping the Register of Copyrights and entering particulars | Chapter X (sections 44 onwards) |
| Correcting or rectifying entries | Chapter X |
| Powers of the Registrar in proceedings | Chapter XV (sections 74, 75) |
| Appeals from the Registrar's orders | Chapter XIV (section 72) |
For the registration process as practised, see our guide to the copyright registration process, sections 44 to 50A.
What the 2021 amendments do to these sections
- Sections 9 and 10 are unchanged.
- Appeals from the Registrar's final decisions or orders now lie to the High Court, under section 72 as substituted by the 2021 Act, within three months. That is covered in our later articles on Chapter XIV.
- Sections 74 and 75, on the Registrar's powers, drop the words "and the Appellate Board" in the 2021 Act.
- The Jan Vishwas Acts do not touch sections 9 and 10.
Practical points for applicants
- Know who decides. An application goes to the Registrar of Copyrights; a Deputy Registrar may act for the Registrar only under an assignment from the Registrar.
- The Office is a statutory body. Its authority comes from section 9; its seal authenticates its acts.
- Do not assume more than the text says. Qualifications, term of office and location are not stated in sections 9 and 10.
- Check orders for the officer's capacity. Where a Deputy Registrar signs, the reference to the Registrar is read as including the Deputy for that function under section 10(2).
Drafting notes
- The text provides "one or more Deputy Registrars", so there is no statutory ceiling on their number.
- Neither section says anything about assistant officers or examiners. The text is silent.
Need help with an application to the Registrar?
An application is easier to process when the work is described clearly and the statement of particulars is complete. Our copyright registration team prepares the filing and follows it through with the Copyright Office.
Key takeaways
- Section 9 establishes the Copyright Office and a seal for it.
- The Office is under the immediate control of the Registrar of Copyrights, who acts under the Central Government's superintendence and direction.
- Section 10 requires the Central Government to appoint a Registrar and allows Deputy Registrars.
- A Deputy Registrar discharges the Registrar's functions only as the Registrar assigns.
- A reference to the Registrar includes a Deputy acting on assigned functions.
- The 2021 Act omits "and Appellate Board" from the Chapter II heading; sections 9 and 10 are unchanged.
Read next
- Sections 6-8: disputes on publication, nationality and domicile
- Sections 11-12: Appellate Board provisions after 2021
- Copyright registration process: sections 44 to 50A
Disclaimer: Based on the Copyright Act, 1957 as amended up to 2012, read with the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Acts of 2023 and 2026, as consulted on 1 October 2026. Forms, fees and procedure are set by the Copyright Rules, 2013 as amended from time to time. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.