Section 23 of CA, 1957 : Section 23: Term Of Copyright In Anonymous And Pseudonymous Works

(1) In the case of literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work (other than a photograph), which is published anonymously or pseudonymously, copyright shall subsist until sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the work is first published: Provided that where the identity of the author is disclosed before the expiry of the said period, copyright shall subsist until sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the author dies. (2) In sub-section (1), references to the author shall, in the case of an anonymous work of joint authorship, be construed, (a) where the identity of one of the authors is disclosed, as references to that author; (b) where the identity of more authors than one is disclosed, as references to the author who dies last from amongst such authors. (3) In sub-section (1), references to the author shall, in the case of a pseudonymous work of joint authorship, be construed, (a) where the names of one or more (but not all) of the authors are pseudonyms and his or their identity is not disclosed, as references to the author whose name is not a pseudonym, or, if the names of two or more of the authors are not pseudonyms, as references to such of those authors who dies last; ...

Simplified Explanation of Section 23 of The Copyright Act, 1957 Part 1: If a book, play, music, or artwork (not a photo) is released without revealing the creator's real name or under a fake name, the copyright lasts for 60 years starting from January 1st of the year after it was first published. However, if the creator's real identity is revealed before those 60 years are up, then the copyright w...

Let's consider a hypothetical scenario where an anonymous author "X" publishes a novel in 1960. According to Section 23 (1) of The Copyright Act, 1957, the copyright for this novel will last until the end of 2020 (60 years from the year following the first publication). However, if the author reveals...