Intellectual Property Rights - Law and Practice · Copyrights

Enforcement of Orders for Payment of Money under the Copyright Act

Updated 11 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Under Section 75 of the Copyright Act, 1957, an order for payment of money made by the Registrar of Copyrights, the Appellate Board, or the High Court in appeal from the Board is deemed a civil court decree once the proper authority issues a certificate. It is then executed like a decree.

Understand Enforcement of Orders for Payment of Money

A body that decides a money claim is useless if it cannot make the loser pay. The Registrar of Copyrights and the Appellate Board are not civil courts. So the Act gives their money orders the force of a court decree through Section 75.

The rule covers three kinds of orders: an order of the Registrar of Copyrights for payment of money, an order of the Appellate Board for payment of money, and an order of the High Court in an appeal against such an order of the Appellate Board. The order must be made under the Act and must be for payment of money. Orders on other matters are not covered.

The order does not become a decree automatically. A certificate must be issued: by the Registrar of Copyrights, by the Appellate Board, or by the Registrar of the High Court, as the case may be. On the certificate, the order is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is executable in the same manner as a decree of that court.

The text of Section 75 still refers to the Appellate Board, which replaced the Copyright Board from 26 May 2017 (Act 7 of 2017). Section 72 was substituted by Act 33 of 2021 w.e.f. 4 April 2021, and appeals from final decisions or orders of the Registrar now lie to the High Court. Section 74 gives the Registrar the powers of a civil court for certain matters such as summoning witnesses, discovery, affidavits and commissions. Read these sections together in the exam.

Key rules to remember

Section 75 rule: Money order + certificate = deemed decree of a civil court; The order must be for payment of money under the Act. Execution follows the same manner as a civil court decree.
Orders covered: Registrar of Copyrights | Appellate Board | High Court (appeal from the Board); These are the three sources of orders named in Section 75.
Who issues the certificate: Registrar of Copyrights | Appellate Board | Registrar of the High Court; It depends on who made the order: 'as the case may be'.
Appeal from Registrar (Section 72): Appeal to High Court within 3 months; single Judge; further appeal to Bench within 3 months; Time taken to get a certified copy is excluded. The single Judge may refer the appeal to a Bench.
Registrar's civil court powers (Section 74): Summoning, discovery, affidavits, commissions, public records, prescribed matters; Powers are those of a civil court trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.

How to solve Enforcement of Orders for Payment of Money questions

Use this method for any case-based question on Section 75. Move from the facts to the provision, then to the conclusion.

1Identify who made the order: the Registrar of Copyrights, the Appellate Board, or the High Court in appeal from the Board.
2Check the nature of the order. Is it for payment of money under the Act? If not, Section 75 does not apply.
3State the rule: on a certificate, the order is deemed a decree of a civil court and is executable like one.
4Name the correct certifying authority: Registrar of Copyrights, Appellate Board, or Registrar of the High Court.
5Apply to the facts. Say whether a certificate has been issued and whether execution can start.
6If the question mentions challenging the order, add the appeal route. For a final Registrar order, Section 72 gives an appeal to the High Court within three months, excluding certified copy time.
7Conclude clearly and add the practical step, such as applying for the certificate and then filing for execution.

Quickest way: Three-check shortcut for Section 75

When to use it: Use it when time is short and the question asks whether an order can be executed.

Check 1: Is it a money order made under the Copyright Act by the Registrar, the Board or the High Court in appeal?
Check 2: Has the right authority issued a certificate?
Check 3: If both are yes, write: deemed decree, executable like a civil court decree. Add the appeal point under Section 72 if relevant.

Common mistakes in Enforcement of Orders for Payment of Money

Saying every order of the Registrar is executable as a decree.
Students remember the heading and skip the words 'for the payment of any money'.
Fix: Write that only money orders qualify. Orders on other matters are outside Section 75.
Ignoring the certificate requirement.
The deeming effect sounds automatic.
Fix: State that the order is deemed a decree only on a certificate issued by the proper authority.
Naming the wrong authority to issue the certificate for a High Court order.
Students assume the Registrar of Copyrights issues all certificates.
Fix: For a High Court appeal order, the Registrar of the High Court issues the certificate.
Calling the Copyright Board the appellate body.
Older textbooks use the earlier name.
Fix: Use Appellate Board and note it replaced the Copyright Board w.e.f. 26-5-2017.
Giving the wrong appeal period or forum under Section 72.
Students confuse it with the 30-day appeal in Section 71 against Magistrate orders.
Fix: Section 72: High Court, three months, excluding certified copy time. Section 71: thirty days against orders under Section 64(2) or Section 66.

Worked examples

Example 1

The Registrar of Copyrights passes an order directing a party to pay a sum of ₹2,50,000 under the Copyright Act. The party does not pay. Advise the other side whether and how the order can be enforced.

Show the solution

Provision: Section 75 makes an order of the Registrar for payment of money deemed a decree of a civil court on a certificate.
Facts: The order is by the Registrar and is for payment of money, so it falls within Section 75.
Certificate: The Registrar of Copyrights must issue the certificate.
Effect: Once issued, the order is deemed a civil court decree and is executable in the same manner as such a decree.

Answer: Yes. After obtaining the Registrar's certificate, the order for ₹2,50,000 is deemed a decree and can be executed like a civil court decree.

Example 2

A party is aggrieved by a final order of the Registrar of Copyrights, passed on 1 March, and wants to challenge it. Separately, it asks who certifies a money order passed by the High Court in an appeal against the Appellate Board. Answer both.

Show the solution

Appeal: Section 72(1) allows an appeal to the High Court within three months from the date of the order, and time taken to obtain a certified copy is excluded.
Hearing: The appeal is heard by a single Judge, who may refer it to a Bench. A further appeal from the single Judge lies to a Bench within three months.
Certificate: Under Section 75, a High Court money order in an appeal from the Appellate Board is certified by the Registrar of the High Court.
Effect: On that certificate it is deemed a civil court decree.

Answer: The aggrieved party may appeal to the High Court within three months (excluding certified copy time). The Registrar of the High Court issues the certificate for the High Court's money order, which then becomes executable as a decree.

Exam tips

Quote the key words: 'deemed to be a decree of a civil court' and 'on a certificate'.
List the three authorities and the matching certifying authority in a short table-like line.
Link Section 75 with Sections 72 and 74 to show the full picture from powers to appeal to execution.
In case-based questions, always check whether the order is for money before applying Section 75.

Practice questions from Copyrights

Enforcement of Orders for Payment of Money: frequently asked questions

Does Section 75 apply to all orders of the Registrar of Copyrights?

No. It applies only to orders for payment of money made under the Act. Other orders follow the ordinary appeal route, such as Section 72 for final decisions.

Who issues the certificate under Section 75?

It depends on the order. The Registrar of Copyrights, the Appellate Board or the Registrar of the High Court issues it, as the case may be.

What is the time limit to appeal against the Registrar's order?

Under Section 72, an appeal lies to the High Court within three months from the date of the order or decision. The time taken to get a certified copy is excluded.

Does the Registrar have the powers of a civil court?

Yes, for specified matters under Section 74, such as summoning and examining persons on oath, discovery and production of documents, receiving affidavits and issuing commissions.