No copyright except as provided in this Act
Section 16 of the Copyright Act, 1957 deals with no copyright except as provided in this Act. No person shall be entitled to copyright or any similar right in any work, whether published or unpublished, otherwise than under and in accordance with the provisions of this Act or of any other law for the time being in force, but nothing in this section shall be construed as abrogating any right The Act came into force on 21 Jan 1958.
No person shall be entitled to copyright or any similar right in any work, whether published or unpublished, otherwise than under and in accordance with the provisions of this Act or of any other law for the time being in force, but nothing in this section shall be construed as abrogating any right or jurisdiction to restrain a breach of trust or confidence.
Section 16, The Copyright Act, 1957 (Act 14 of 1957).
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. & Ors. v. RPG Netcom & Ors.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Copyright Act s.16 bars any claim to copyright or similar right otherwise than under the Act (or then-existing statute): Del HC DB held Hollywood studios cannot obtain omnibus injunctions for unproduced future cinematograph films under a common-law/tort theory because s.16 (read with the 1911 Act s.31 abrogation of common-law copyright) confines remedies to the statutory scheme.
On this section: True
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 16
What have the courts held on Section 16 of the Copyright Act?
Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. & Ors. v. RPG Netcom & Ors. (15 May 2007) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: True.
How do I find court cases under Section 16 of the Copyright Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Copyright Act 16, section 16 Copyright Act, section 16 of the Copyright Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. & Ors. v. RPG Netcom & Ors. (15 May 2007).
When did Section 16 of the Copyright Act come into force?
Section 16 of the Copyright Act, cited as Copyright Act 16, came into force on 21 Jan 1958, having been enacted on 04 Jun 1957. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 17 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.