The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade through notification dated the 30th March, 2021 has issued the Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021.
A copyright society must ensure that where the royalty cannot be distributed within the time specified as the relevant author or other owner could not be identified or located; such royalties are kept separate in the accounts of the copyright society. A copyright society must take all necessary measures to identify and locate the authors and other owners and must publish on its website, at the end of every quarter, the following information:
(a) the title of the work;
(b) the name of the author and other right owners of the work, as available; and
(c) any other relevant information available which could assist in identifying the right holder.
In case the royalty due to author and other owners remains undistributed at the end of the period of three years from the end of the financial year in which collection of the royalty occurred, the copyright society shall transfer such amount to the welfare fund of the copyright society.
