The various sections of law that may be applicable in case of different Intellectual Property Violations / Infringements in India are as follows-
Copyrights Act
IT Act
TRADEMARKS ACT
INDIAN COPYRIGHTS ACT 1957
CHAPTER XI : INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT
Section 51 Copyright in a work shall be deemed to be infringed
- when any person, without a licence granted by the owner of the copyright or the Registrar of Copyrights under this Act or in contravention of the conditions of a licence so granted or of any condition imposed by a competent authority under this Act-
- does anything, the exclusive right to do which is by this Act conferred upon the owner of the copyright, or
- permits for profit any place to be used for the communication of the work to the public where such communication constitutes an infringement of the copyright in the work, unless he was not aware and had no reasonable ground for believing that such communication to the public would be an infringement of copyright; or
- when any person-
- makes for sale or hire, or sells or lets for hire, or by way of trade displays or offers for sale or hire, or
- distributes either for the purpose of trade or to such an extent as to affect prejudicially the owner of the copyright, or
- by way of trade exhibits in public, or
- imports into India, any infringing copies of the work Provided that nothing in sub-clause
- shall apply to the import of one copy of any work for the private and domestic use of the importer.
Section 63(b) of the Indian Copyrights Act 1957 States –
63B. Knowing use of infringing copy of computer program to be an offence.
Any person who knowingly makes use on a computer of an infringing copy of a computer program shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven days but which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees:
Provided that where the computer program has not been used for gain or in the course of trade or business, the court may, for adequate and special reasons to be mentioned in the judgment, not impose any sentence of imprisonment and may impose a fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees."
CHAPTER XIII : OFFENCES
Section 64. Power of police to seize infringing copies –
Any police officer, not below the rank of a sub inspector, may, if he is satisfied that an offence under Section 63 in respect of the infringement of copyright in work has been, is being, or is likely to be, committed, seize without warrant, all copies of the work, and all plates used for the purpose of making infringing copies of the work, wherever found, and all copies and plates so seized shall, as soon as practicable, be produced before a Magistrate.]
Any person having an interest in any copies of a work [(Note: Ins. by Act 65 of 1984, S.7 (w.e.f. 8-10-1984)) , or plates] seized under sub section (1) may, within fifteen days of such seizure, make an application to the Magistrate for such copies [(Note: Ins. by Act 65 of 1984, S.7 (w.e.f. 8-10-1984)) or plates] being restored to him and the Magistrate, after hearing the applicant and the complainant and making such further inquiry as may be necessary, shall make such order on the application, as he may deem fit.
CHAPTER XIII : OFFENCES
Section 68. Penalty for making false statements for the purpose of deceiving or influencing any authority or officer
-Any person who -
(a) With a view to deceiving any authority or officer in the execution of the provisions of this Act, or
(b) With a view to procuring or influencing the doing or omission of anything in relation to this act or any matter there under , makes a false statement or representation knowing the same to be false , shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
CHAPTER XIII : OFFENCES
Section 69. Offences by companies –
(1) Where any offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who at the time the offence was committed was in charge of, and was responsible to the company for, the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company shall be deemed to be guilty of such offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly. Provided that nothing contained in this sub section shall render any person liable to nay punishment, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence was committed with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to any negligence on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Explanation – For the purposes of this section -
(a) “Company” means anybody corporate and includes a firm or other association of persons, and
(b) “Director” in relation to a firm means a partner in the firm.
IT Act
CHAPTER XI – OFFENCES
Section 65: Tampering with computer source documents.
Whoever knowingly or intentionally conceals, destroy, or alter any computer source code used for a computer, computer programme, computer system or computer network, when the computer source code is required to be kept or maintained by law for the time being in force, shall be punishable with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both.
Explanation – For the purposes of this section, “computer source code” means the listing of programs, compute commands, design and layout and program analysis of computer resource in any form.
TRADEMARKS ACT
TRADEMARKS ACT, 1999
Chapter 4 Effect of Registration
29. Infringement of registered trade marks.—
- A registered trade mark is infringed by a person who, not being a registered proprietor or a person using by way of permitted use, uses in the course of trade, a mark which is identical with, or deceptively similar to, the trade mark in relation to goods or services in respect of which the trade mark is registered and in such manner as to render the use of the mark likely to be taken as being used as a trade mark.
- A registered trade mark is infringed by a person who, not being a registered proprietor or a person using by way of permitted use, uses in the course of trade, a mark which because of—
- its identity with the registered trade mark and the similarity of the goods or services covered by such registered trade mark; or
- its similarity to the registered trade mark and the identity or similarity of the goods or services covered by such registered trade mark; or
- its identity with the registered trade mark and the identity of the goods or services covered by such registered trade mark, is likely to cause confusion on the part of the public, or which is likely to have an association with the registered trade mark.
- In any case falling under clause (c) of sub-section (2), the court shall presume that it is likely to cause confusion on the part of the public.
- A registered trade mark is infringed by a person who, not being a registered proprietor or a person using by way of permitted use, uses in the course of trade, a mark which—
- is identical with or similar to the registered trade mark; and
- is used in relation to goods or services which are not similar to those for which the trade mark is registered; and
- the registered trade mark has a reputation in India and the use of the mark without due cause takes unfair advantage of or is detrimental to, the distinctive character or repute of the registered trade mark.
- A registered trade mark is infringed by a person if he uses such registered trade mark, as his trade name or part of his trade name, or name of his business concern or part of the name, of his business concern dealing in goods or services in respect of which the trade mark is registered.
- For the purposes of this section, a person uses a registered mark, if, in particular, he—
- affixes it to goods or the packaging thereof;
- offers or exposes goods for sale, puts them on the market, or stocks them for those purposes under the registered trade mark, or offers or supplies services under the registered trade mark;
- imports or exports goods under the mark; or
- uses the registered trade mark on business papers or in advertising.
- A registered trade mark is infringed by a person who applies such registered trade mark to a material intended to be used for labelling or packaging goods, as a business paper, or for advertising goods or services, provided such person, when he applied the mark, knew or had reason to believe that the application of the mark was not duly authorised by the proprietor or a licensee.
- A registered trade mark is infringed by any advertising of that trade mark if such advertising—
- takes unfair advantage of and is contrary to honest practices in industrial or commercial matters; or
- is detrimental to its distinctive character; or
- is against the reputation of the trade mark.
- Where the distinctive elements of a registered trade mark consist of or include words, the trade mark may be infringed by the spoken use of those words as well as by their visual representation and reference in this section to the use of a mark shall be construed accordingly.
Chapter 12 Offences, Penalties and Procedure
101. Meaning of applying trade marks and trade descriptions.—
- A person shall be deemed to apply a trade mark or mark or trade description to goods or services who—
- applies it to the goods themselves or uses it in relation to services; or
- applies it to any package in or with which the goods are sold, or exposed for sale, or had in possession for sale or for any purpose of trade or manufacture, or
- places, encloses or annexes any goods which are sold, or exposed for sale, or had in possession for sale or for any purpose of trade or manufacture, in or with any package or other thing to which a trade mark or mark or trade description has been applied; or
- uses a trade mark or mark or trade description in any manner reasonably likely to lead to the belief that the goods or services in connection with which it is used are designated or described by that trade mark or mark or trade description; or
- in relation to the goods or services uses a trade mark or trade description in any sign, advertisement, invoice, catalogue, business letter, business paper, price list or other commercial document and goods are delivered or services are rendered to a person in pursuance of a request or order made by reference to the trade mark or trade description as so used.
- A trade mark or mark or trade description shall be deemed to be applied to goods whether it is woven in, impressed on, or otherwise worked into, or annexed or affixed to, the goods or to any package or other thing.
102. Falsifying and falsely applying trade marks.—
- A person shall be deemed to falsify a trade mark who, either,—
- without the assent of the proprietor of the trade mark makes that trade mark or a deceptively similar mark; or
- falsifies any genuine trade mark, whether by alteration, addition, effacement or otherwise.
- A person shall be deemed to falsely apply to goods or services a trade mark who, without the assent of the proprietor of the trade mark,—
- applies such trade mark or a deceptively similar mark to goods or services or any package containing goods;
- uses any package bearing a mark which is identical with or deceptively similar to the trade mark of such proprietor, for the purpose of packing, filling or wrapping therein any goods other than the genuine goods of the proprietor of the trade mark.
- Any trade mark falsified as mentioned in sub-section (1) or falsely applied as mentioned in sub-section (2), is in this Act referred to as a false trade mark.
- In any prosecution for falsifying a trade mark or falsely applying a trade mark to goods or services, the burden of proving the assent of the proprietor shall lie on the accused.
103. Penalty for applying false trade marks, trade descriptions, etc.—
Any person who-- falsifies any trade mark; or
- falsely applies to goods or services any trade mark; or
- makes, disposes of, or has in his possession, any die, block, machine, plate or other instrument for the purpose of falsifying or of being used for falsifying, a trade mark; or
- applies any false trade description to goods or services; or
- applies to any goods to which an indication of the country or place in which they were made or produced or the name and address of the manufacturer or person for whom the goods are manufactured is required to be applied under section 139, a false indication of such country, place, name or address; or
- tampers with, alters or effaces an indication of origin which has been applied to any goods to which it is required to be applied under section 139; or
- causes any of the things above-mentioned in this section to be done,
shall, unless he proves that he acted, without intent to defraud, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees: Provided that the court may, for adequate and special reasons to be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than six months or a fine of less than fifty thousand rupees.
104. Penalty for selling goods or providing services to which false trade mark or false trade description is applied.—
Any person who sells, lets for hire or exposes for sale, or hires or has in his possession for sale, goods or things, or provides or hires services, to which any false trade mark or false trade description is applied or which, being required under section 139 to have applied to them an indication of the country or place in which they were made or produced or the name and address of the manufacturer, or person for whom the goods are manufactured or services provided, as the case may be, are without the indications so required, shall, unless he proves,—
- that, having taken all reasonable precautions against committing an offence against this section, he had at the time of commission of the alleged offence no reason to suspect the genuineness of the trade mark or trade description or that any offence had been committed in respect of the goods or services; or
- that, on demand by or on behalf of the prosecutor, he gave all the information in his power with respect to the person from whom he obtained such goods or things or services; or
- that otherwise he had acted innocently, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees: Provided that the court may, for adequate and special reasons to be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than six months or a fine of less than fifty thousand rupees.
105. Enhanced penalty on second or subsequent conviction.—
Whoever having already been convicted of an offence under section 103 or section 104 is again convicted of any such offence shall be punishable for the second and for every subsequent offence, with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees: Provided that the court may, for adequate and special reasons to be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than one year or a fine of less than one lakh rupees: Provided further that for the purposes of this section, no cognizance shall be taken of any conviction made before the commencement of this Act.