Importation of infringing copies
Section 53 of the Copyright Act, 1957 deals with importation of infringing copies. The owner of any right conferred by this act in respect of any work or any performance embodied in such work, or his duly authorised agent, may give notice in writing to be Commissioner of Customs, or to any other officer authorised in this behalf by the Central Board of Excise and Customs, -- (a) t The Act came into force on 21 Jan 1958.
1[53. Importation of infringing copies.-- (1) The owner of any right conferred by this act in respect of any work or any performance embodied in such work, or his duly authorised agent, may give notice in writing to be Commissioner of Customs, or to any other officer authorised in this behalf by the Central Board of Excise and Customs, --
(a) that he is the owner of the said right, with proof thereof, and
(b) that he requests the Commissioner for a period specified in the notice, which shall not exceed one year, to treat infringing copies of the work as prohibited goods, and that infringing copies of the work are expected to arrive in India at a time and a place specified in the notice.
(2) The Commissioner, after scrutiny of the evidence furnished by the owner of the right and on being satisfied may, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), treat infringing copies of the work as prohibited goods that have been imported into India, excluding goods in transit:
Provided that owner of the work deposits such amount as the Commissioner may require as security having regard to the likely expenses on demurrage, cost of storage and compensation to the importer in case it is found that works are not infringing copies.
(3) When any goods treated as prohibited under sub-section (2) have been detained, the Customs Officer detaining them shall inform the importer as well as the person who gave notice under sub-section (1) of the such goods within forty-eight hours of their detention.
(4) The Customs Officer shall release the goods, and they shall not longer be treated as prohibited goods, if the person who gave notice under sub-section (1) does not produce any order from a court having jurisdiction as to the temporary or permanent disposal of such goods within fourteen days from the date of their detention.]
Section 53, 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.
Made under this section, and citing it
1 instrument names this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
Questions about Section 53
What does Section 53 of the Copyright Act deal with?
Section 53 of the Copyright Act is headed "Importation of infringing copies". [53. Importation of infringing copies.-- (1) The owner of any right conferred by this act in respect of any work or any performance embodied in such work, or his duly authorised agent, may give notice in writing to be Commissioner of Customs, or to any other officer authorised in this behalf by the
How do I find court cases under Section 53 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 53, section 53 Copyright Act, section 53 of the Copyright Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
What should I read with Section 53 of the Copyright Act, and has it changed?
1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it. One instrument names it without being made under it, most recently The Copyright Rules, 1958 (1958).
When did Section 53 of the Copyright Act come into force?
Section 53 of the Copyright Act, cited as Copyright Act 53, 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 18 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.