The Copyright Board was the quasi-judicial body established under Sections 11-12 of the Copyright Act, 1957 to adjudicate copyright disputes in India, including compulsory licences, tariff schemes, and appeals against the Registrar of Copyrights. Under the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, the Copyright Board (by then subsumed into the Intellectual Property Appellate Board) was abolished, and its jurisdiction was transferred to Commercial Courts and the Commercial Division of High Courts.
Legal definition
The Copyright Act, 1957 originally established the Copyright Board under Sections 11-12:
Section 11 (now repealed): The Central Government shall, as soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, constitute a Board to be called the Copyright Board which shall consist of a Chairman and not less than two nor more than fourteen other members.
The Board had jurisdiction over: (1) compulsory licences for published or unpublished Indian works (Section 31), (2) statutory licences for cover versions of sound recordings (Section 31C), (3) determination of royalty rates for copyright societies, (4) settling disputes between copyright societies and users, (5) appeals against the Registrar of Copyrights' decisions, and (6) registration of copyright societies (Section 33).
Abolition history: The Finance Act, 2017 first dissolved the Copyright Board and transferred its functions to the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB). The IPAB was itself abolished by the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 (effective 4 April 2021), with all pending matters transferred to the Commercial Court or the Commercial Division of the High Court having jurisdiction.
The current position is governed by the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, Second Schedule, which specifies that all functions of the erstwhile Copyright Board (and subsequently IPAB in copyright matters) vest in the Commercial Court or Commercial Division.
How courts have interpreted this term
Madras Bar Association v. Union of India [(2021) 7 SCC 369]
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 insofar as it abolished the IPAB and transferred jurisdiction to High Courts. The Court observed that the transfer ensures that IP disputes — including copyright matters previously handled by the Copyright Board — are adjudicated by constitutional courts with established appellate mechanisms.
Indian Performing Rights Society Ltd. v. Aditya Pandey [(2011)]
The Copyright Board (pre-abolition) ruled on the tariff scheme for public performance of musical works by the Indian Performing Rights Society. This type of tariff-setting function is now exercised by Commercial Courts, with the copyright society filing its scheme and affected parties raising objections before the Commercial Court.
Why this matters
The abolition of the Copyright Board (and subsequently the IPAB) has fundamentally changed the landscape of copyright dispute resolution in India. Where copyright disputes previously went to a specialised tribunal with expertise in intellectual property, they now go to Commercial Courts that handle a broader range of commercial disputes.
For copyright holders, the practical impact is mixed. On one hand, Commercial Courts benefit from established procedural frameworks and constitutional court supervision. On the other hand, Commercial Courts lack the specialised IP expertise that the Copyright Board and IPAB possessed, and case volumes may lead to longer resolution times.
For copyright societies (such as the Indian Performing Rights Society, Phonographic Performance Ltd., and the Indian Reprographic Rights Organisation), the abolition means that tariff scheme approvals, compulsory licence applications, and licensing disputes are now adjudicated by Commercial Courts. The procedures for filing and challenging tariff schemes have been adapted to fit the Commercial Courts framework.
For practitioners, the transition requires awareness that copyright matters previously filed before the Copyright Board or IPAB should now be filed before the Commercial Court having jurisdiction. Pending cases were transferred to the relevant High Court's Commercial Division upon the IPAB's abolition.
Related terms
Broader concepts:
Related concepts:
Frequently asked questions
Does the Copyright Board still exist?
No. The Copyright Board was first dissolved by the Finance Act, 2017, which transferred its functions to the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB). The IPAB itself was abolished by the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021. All copyright dispute functions now vest in the Commercial Court or Commercial Division of the High Court.
Where are copyright disputes heard now?
Since 4 April 2021, copyright disputes previously handled by the Copyright Board and IPAB are heard by Commercial Courts (for disputes of specified value) or the Commercial Division of the High Court. This includes compulsory licence applications, tariff scheme disputes, copyright registration appeals, and copyright society regulation matters.
Can the Registrar of Copyrights' decisions still be appealed?
Yes. Appeals against the Registrar of Copyrights' decisions that previously went to the Copyright Board now go to the Commercial Court or Commercial Division of the High Court having jurisdiction. The right of appeal has been preserved; only the appellate forum has changed.
This entry is part of the Veritect Indian Legal Glossary, a comprehensive reference of Indian legal terminology grounded in statutory text and judicial interpretation.
Last updated: 2026-03-27. Veritect provides this content for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.