Section 74 of CA, 1957 : Section 74: Registrar Of Copyrights And Appellate Board To Possess Certain Powers Of Civil Courts

Explanation using Example

Let's consider a hypothetical situation where Mr. A, a renowned author, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Mr. B, who allegedly copied significant portions of Mr. A's book in his own work. The case is brought before the Registrar of Copyrights.

In this scenario, under Section 74 of the Copyright Act, 1957, the Registrar of Copyrights has the same powers as a civil court. This means that the Registrar can summon Mr. B to appear before him. The Registrar can also require Mr. B to produce any documents related to the case, such as drafts of his book, correspondence related to the creation of his book, etc.

The Registrar can also receive evidence on affidavits, issue commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents, and requisition any public record or copy thereof from any court or office. If necessary, the Registrar can enforce the attendance of any witnesses from anywhere within the territory of India.