Section 32A of the Copyright Act, 1957 - Licence to Reproduce and Publish Works for Certain Purposes
Section 32A provides a limited compulsory licensing mechanism for reproducing and publishing certain literary, scientific or artistic works in India when the statutory conditions are met. The provision is directed particularly to availability of works for the public and for systematic instructional activities.
Meaning and scope of Section 32A
The section permits an applicant, after expiry of the applicable statutory period from first publication, to seek a non-exclusive licence to reproduce and publish an edition where copies are not available in India, or have not been on sale in India for six months at a price reasonably related to comparable works. The reproduction must be in printed or analogous form and the statutory scheme is tied to public availability and systematic instructional activities.
Relevant period from first publication
| Category of work | Relevant period |
|---|---|
| Fiction, poetry, drama, music or art | 7 years |
| Natural science, physical science, mathematics or technology | 3 years |
| Any other case | 5 years |
Application, form and prescribed fee
Under Rule 38 of the Copyright Rules, 2013, an application relating to Section 32A is made in Form VII. Each application is for one work only and, where translation is involved, for translation into one language only. The Second Schedule prescribes a fee of Rs. 5,000 per work for a licence to republish a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work under Section 32A, and also lists Rs. 5,000 per work for an application to produce and publish a translation under Sections 32 and 32A.
Important conditions before a licence can be granted
The applicant must establish the statutory prerequisites, including a prior request for authorisation that was refused or due diligence showing that the copyright owner could not be found. Where the owner could not be found, the required request must also be sent to the publisher in the manner specified by the section. The applicant must be capable of producing an accurate reproduction and must have the means to pay royalties.
The licence is non-exclusive. The Commercial Court may fix the price and determine royalties in the prescribed manner. Copies made under the licence cannot be exported outside India and must carry notice that they are available for distribution only in India. The author's name and the title of the relevant edition must appear on all copies.
Waiting period after requesting permission
Even after requesting permission from the copyright owner, the section requires a further waiting period before the licence may be granted: six months for works of natural science, physical science, mathematics or technology, and three months for other works, subject to the detailed statutory conditions.
Translations and audio-visual instructional material
Section 32A also contains special rules concerning reproduction and publication of translations. It further extends to reproduction and publication, or translation into a language in general use in India, of text incorporated in audio-visual fixations prepared and published solely for systematic instructional activities.
Text of Section 32A
32A. Licence to reproduce and publish works for certain purposes.
(1) Where, after the expiration of the relevant period from the date of the first publication of an edition of a literary, scientific or artistic work,--
(a) the copies of such edition are not made available in India; or
(b) such copies have not been put on sale in India for a period of six months,
to the public, or in connection with systematic instructional activities at a price reasonably related to that normally charged in India for comparable works by the owner of the right of reproduction or by any person authorised by him in this behalf, any person may apply to the Commercial Court for a licence to reproduce and publish such work in printed or analogous forms of reproduction at the price at which such edition is sold or at a lower price for the purposes of systematic instructional activities.
(2) Every such application shall be made in such form as may be prescribed and shall state the proposed retail price of a copy of the work to be reproduced.
(3) Every applicant for a licence under this section shall, along with his application, deposit with the Registrar of Copyrights such fee as may be prescribed.
(4) Where an application is made to the Commercial Court under this section, it may, after holding such inquiry as may be prescribed, grant to the applicant a licence, not being an exclusive licence, to produce and publish a reproduction of the work mentioned in the application subject to the conditions that,--
(i) the applicant shall pay to the owner of the copyright in the work royalties in respect of copies of the reproduction of the work sold to the public, calculated at such rate as the Commercial Court may, in the circumstances of each case, determine in the prescribed manner;
(ii) a licence granted under this section shall not extend to the export of copies of the reproduction of the work outside India and every copy of such reproduction shall contain a notice that the copy is available for distribution only in India:
Provided that no such licence shall be granted unless--
(a) the applicant has proved to the satisfaction of the Commercial Court that he had requested and had been denied authorisation by the owner of the copyright in the work to reproduce and publish such work or that he was, after due diligence on his part, unable to find such owner;
(b) where the applicant was unable to find the owner of the copyright, he had sent a copy of his request for such authorisation by registered air-mail post to the publisher whose name appears from the work not less than three months before the application for the licence;
(c) the Commercial Court is satisfied that the applicant is competent to reproduce and publish an accurate reproduction of the work and possesses the means to pay the owner of the copyright the royalties payable to him under this section;
(d) the applicant undertakes to reproduce and publish the work at such price as may be fixed by the Commercial Court, being a price reasonably related to the price normally charged in India for works of the same standard on the same or similar subjects;
(e) a period of six months in the case of an application for the reproduction and publication of any work of natural science, physical science, mathematics or technology, or a period of three months in the case of an application for the reproduction and publication of any other work, has elapsed from the date of making the request under clause (a), or where a copy of the request has been sent under clause (b), from the date of sending of a copy, and a reproduction of the work has not been published by the owner of the copyright in the work or any person authorised by him within the said period of six months or three months, as the case may be;
(f) the name of the author and the title of the particular edition of the work proposed to be reproduced are printed on all the copies of the reproduction;
(g) the author has not withdrawn from circulation copies of the work; and
(h) an opportunity of being heard is given, wherever practicable, to the owner of the copyright in the work.
(5) No licence to reproduce and publish the translation of a work shall be granted under this section unless such translation has been published by the owner of the right of translation or any person authorised by him and the translation is not in a language in general use in India.
(6) The provisions of this section shall also apply to the reproduction and publication, or translation into a language in general use in India, of any text incorporated in audio-visual fixations prepared and published solely for the purpose of systematic instructional activities.
Explanation. For the purpose of this section, relevant period, in relation to any work, means a period of--
(a) seven years from the date of the first publication of that work, where the application is for the reproduction and publication of any work of, or relating to, fiction, poetry, drama, music or art;
(b) three years from the date of the first publication of that work, where the application is for the reproduction and publication of any work of, or relating to, natural science, physical science, mathematics or technology; and
(c) five years from the date of the first publication of that work, in any other case.
Legislative note: Section 32A was inserted by Act 23 of 1983 with effect from 9 August 1984. Act 33 of 2021 substituted "Commercial Court" for "Appellate Board" with effect from 4 April 2021.
Official resources
For the current statutory text, rules, forms and administrative information, refer to the official India Code and the Copyright Office, Government of India.