Intellectual Property Rights - Law and Practice · Copyrights

Publication of Entries in the Register of Copyrights (Section 50A)

Updated 11 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Section 50A of the Copyright Act, 1957 requires the Registrar of Copyrights to publish three things: every entry made in the Register or particulars entered under section 45, every correction under section 49, and every rectification ordered under section 50. Publication is in the Official Gazette or in any other manner the Registrar thinks fit.

Understand Publication of Entries in the Register

The Register of Copyrights is kept at the Copyright Office under section 44. It holds the names or titles of works, the names and addresses of authors, publishers and owners of copyright, and other prescribed particulars. Under section 48 it is prima facie evidence of the particulars entered in it. Under section 47 it is open to inspection at all reasonable times.

A register is useful only if people can know what is in it and when it changes. Section 50A deals with this. It places a duty on the Registrar of Copyrights to publish changes to the Register.

The section covers three events. First, every entry made in the Register, or the particulars of any work entered under section 45. Second, the correction of every entry made under section 49 (errors in names, addresses, particulars, or accidental slips or omissions). Third, every rectification ordered under section 50, where the High Court orders an entry to be made, expunged or corrected.

The mode of publication is flexible. The Registrar publishes in the Official Gazette or in such other manner as he may deem fit. So the Gazette is one permitted mode, not the only one.

Section 50A was inserted by Act 23 of 1983 and has been in force since 9 August 1984. Remember it as the publicity section that sits after the sections on entry, evidence, inspection, correction and rectification.

Key rules to remember

Duty under section 50A: Registrar of Copyrights must publish: (1) every entry / particulars entered under s.45 + (2) every correction under s.49 + (3) every rectification ordered under s.50; All three events are covered. Do not list only fresh entries.
Mode of publication: Official Gazette OR such other manner as the Registrar deems fit; The Registrar has discretion over the manner. The Gazette is not compulsory in every case.
Who publishes: Registrar of Copyrights; The High Court orders rectification under s.50. The Registrar publishes it.
Related sections in the chain: s.44 Register → s.45 entry → s.47 inspection → s.48 evidence → s.49 correction → s.50 rectification → s.50A publication; Use this chain to place s.50A in your answer.

How to solve Publication of Entries in the Register questions

Use this method for any question on publication of entries in the Register of Copyrights, whether it is a short note or a case-based problem.

1Identify the event in the facts: a new entry on application, a correction of an error, or a rectification ordered by the High Court.
2Name the section that governs that event: section 45 for entry, section 49 for correction by the Registrar, section 50 for rectification by the High Court.
3State section 50A: the Registrar must publish every such entry, correction or rectification.
4State the mode: Official Gazette or such other manner as the Registrar deems fit.
5Apply it to the facts. Say who must act (the Registrar) and what must be published.
6Add the supporting provisions where useful: Register is open to inspection (s.47) and is prima facie evidence (s.48).
7Conclude in one line that publication is mandatory, while its manner is discretionary.

Quickest way: Three events, one publisher, flexible mode

When to use it: Use when you have limited time or the question is a short note or a one-line MCQ-style query in a written paper.

Write: Section 50A, Copyright Act, 1957.
List the three events: entry, correction, rectification.
Write the publisher: Registrar of Copyrights.
Write the mode: Official Gazette or other manner deemed fit.
Link to sections 45, 49 and 50 in one line each.

Common mistakes in Publication of Entries in the Register

Saying section 50A covers only new entries.
The heading says entries, so students stop there.
Fix: Remember that the text also covers corrections under section 49 and rectifications under section 50.
Saying publication must always be in the Official Gazette.
Students assume Gazette notification is the norm for all statutory publicity.
Fix: Quote the words: in the Official Gazette or in such other manner as he may deem fit.
Saying the High Court publishes the rectification it orders.
The High Court orders rectification, so students link it to publication too.
Fix: The High Court orders under section 50. The Registrar publishes under section 50A.
Confusing sections 49 and 50.
Both deal with errors in the Register.
Fix: Section 49 is correction by the Registrar of errors in name, address, particulars or accidental slips. Section 50 is rectification by the High Court on application of the Registrar or a person aggrieved.
Writing that the Appellate Board orders rectification.
Older books use that term.
Fix: The official text now says High Court, substituted by Act 33 of 2021 with effect from 4 April 2021.

Worked examples

Example 1

The Registrar of Copyrights enters the particulars of a novel by Meera Iyer in the Register on her application. Is the Registrar required to publish the entry? In what manner?

Show the solution

Event: an entry of particulars of a work on application under section 45.
Section 50A requires every entry made in the Register, or particulars of any work entered under section 45, to be published by the Registrar.
So publication is mandatory and the duty lies on the Registrar.
Manner: in the Official Gazette or in such other manner as the Registrar deems fit.

Answer: Yes. Under section 50A the Registrar must publish the entry, either in the Official Gazette or in another manner he considers fit.

Example 2

An entry in the Register shows the address of the copyright owner, Rohan Traders, wrongly because of an accidental slip. The Registrar corrects it. Later, on a petition by a person aggrieved, the High Court orders an entry wrongly made to be expunged. What are the publication consequences?

Show the solution

First event: correction of an error in an address or an accidental slip. This falls under section 49(a) and (b).
Section 50A requires every correction of an entry under section 49 to be published by the Registrar.
Second event: the High Court orders expunging of an entry wrongly made, under section 50(b).
Section 50A also requires every rectification ordered under section 50 to be published by the Registrar.
The High Court orders the rectification, but the duty to publish rests on the Registrar. Manner in both cases: Official Gazette or other manner he deems fit.

Answer: Both the correction under section 49 and the rectification under section 50 must be published by the Registrar of Copyrights under section 50A, in the Official Gazette or in such other manner as he deems fit.

Exam tips

Quote the three events in section 50A exactly: entry or particulars under section 45, correction under section 49, rectification under section 50.
Use the phrase deem fit when stating the mode. It shows you know publication manner is discretionary.
In case-based questions, first label the event, then apply section 50A. Do not jump straight to publication.
Mention the High Court, not the Appellate Board, when you refer to section 50.
Add one line on sections 47 and 48 to show how publicity supports the Register's evidentiary value.

Practice questions from Copyrights

Publication of Entries in the Register: frequently asked questions

What does Section 50A of the Copyright Act say?

It says every entry in the Register of Copyrights, every correction under section 49 and every rectification ordered under section 50 must be published by the Registrar of Copyrights. Publication is in the Official Gazette or in another manner the Registrar considers fit.

Is publication in the Official Gazette compulsory under Section 50A?

No. The section allows publication in the Official Gazette or in such other manner as the Registrar deems fit. The duty to publish is mandatory, but the choice of manner is his.

Who publishes the entries, the Registrar or the High Court?

The Registrar of Copyrights publishes. The High Court only orders rectification under section 50. Section 50A then requires the Registrar to publish that rectification.

When was Section 50A added to the Copyright Act?

It was inserted by Act 23 of 1983 and came into force on 9 August 1984.