India grants copyright without any formality: write the code, shoot the film, draw the label, and the right exists. The certificate's value is evidentiary — in an enforcement fight, a registration dated years earlier beats a folder of screenshots.
Terms worth knowing
- Literary, artistic, musical works: author's life + 60 years.
- Films, sound recordings, and works of certain organisations: 60 years from publication.
- Copyright protects expression, not ideas — a concept can be reimplemented; your specific code, copy or artwork cannot be copied.