Licences by owners of copyright
Section 30 of the Copyright Act, 1957 deals with licences by owners of copyright. The owner of the copyright in any existing work of the prospective owner of the copyright in any future work may grant any interest in the right by licence in [writing by him] or by his duly authorised agent: Provided that in the case of a licence relating to copyright in any future work, the licenc The Act came into force on 21 Jan 1958.
The owner of the copyright in any existing work of the prospective owner of the copyright in any future work may grant any interest in the right by licence in 1[writing by him] or by his duly authorised agent:
Provided that in the case of a licence relating to copyright in any future work, the licence shall take effect only when the work comes into existence.
Explanation.--Where a person to whom a licence relating to copyright in any future work is granted under this section dies before the work comes into existence, his legal representatives shall, in the absence of any provision to the contrary in the licence, be entitled to the benefit of the licence.
Section 30, The Copyright Act, 1957 (Act 14 of 1957).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
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.
-
Novex Communications Pvt. Ltd. v. DXC Technology Pvt. Ltd.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Where sound-recording owners assign public-performance rights under Copyright Act s.18(1), the assignee becomes owner of those rights for the Act's purposes under s.18(2) and may sue and license as owner — Mad HC held Novex entitled to enforce assigned sound-recording rights against commercial users (hotel/IT campus public performance) without itself being a registered copyright society under s.33 for that enforcement path (doctrinal counterpart later revisited by Del HC DB in Azure).
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.
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
-
… Thus, the conclusion that when computer software is licensed for use under an EULA, what is also licensed is the right to use the copyright embedded therein, is wholly incorrect. The licence for the use of a product under an EULA cannot be construed as the licence spoken of in section 30 of the Copyright Act, as such EULA only imposes restrictive conditions upon the end-user and does not part with any interest relatable to any rights mentioned in sections 14(a) and 14(b) of the Copyright Act. ITA Nos.32/2022 & 34/2022 Page 3 of 7 xxxx xxxx xxxx 101. …
Questions about Section 30
What have the courts held on Section 30 of the Copyright Act?
Novex Communications Pvt. Ltd. v. DXC Technology Pvt. Ltd. (08 Dec 2021) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: True.
How do I find court cases under Section 30 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 30, section 30 Copyright Act, section 30 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 Novex Communications Pvt. Ltd. v. DXC Technology Pvt. Ltd. (08 Dec 2021).
What should I read with Section 30 of the Copyright Act, and has it changed?
3 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When did Section 30 of the Copyright Act come into force?
Section 30 of the Copyright Act, cited as Copyright Act 30, 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 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.