Copyright and Design Registration for Gurugram Businesses
A software product built in Cyber City, a brochure designed in a Sector 44 studio and a new bottle shape developed for a Manesar plant are all creative output, but the law treats them differently. Source code and artwork usually fall under copyright, while the shape or pattern of an article made in volume may qualify as a registered design. Gurugram's IT, retail and manufacturing businesses produce all three kinds. Knowing which route fits, and filing before a design is shown widely, saves disputes later. A short review of who created what, and when, usually settles the right route. PC Media House is based in Delhi and prepares and files both kinds of applications online for businesses in Gurugram.
Relevant for businesses around: Cyber City, Sector 44, Sector 29, Udyog Vihar, IMT Manesar, MG Road, DLF Phase 2, Sikanderpur.
Why Gurugram Businesses Look for Copyright and Design Registration
Intellectual property matters most where ideas are the product. Gurugram's information technology and consulting firms create software, reports and training material, its retail and hospitality brands create artwork, menus and packaging, and manufacturers in IMT Manesar and Udyog Vihar develop parts and products whose appearance can be a registrable design. Copyright arises on creation, but registration gives an official record and helps if ownership is questioned, for example when work was made by freelancers or an outside agency. We check who actually owns what before filing. A design must be new, so it generally should not be published or sold before the application is made. Software, drawings and brand artwork each need slightly different supporting papers.
Pricing and Fees for Copyright and Design Registration
Government fees below come from the Copyright Office manuals under the Copyright Rules, 2013, and the IP India fee schedule under the Designs Rules, 2001, as seen in October 2026. Fees are paid per work or per application and can be revised.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copyright: literary work, including software | ₹500 per work | Software is filed as a literary work in the Software category, with source code |
| Copyright: artistic work not used on goods or services | ₹500 per work | For example a painting or an illustration kept as art |
| Copyright: artistic work used or capable of use on goods or services | ₹2,000 per work | A search certificate from the Trade Marks Registry is also required |
| Design: Form 1, natural person, startup or small enterprise | ₹1,000 per application | Government fee under the Designs Rules, 2001 |
| Design: Form 1, all other applicants | ₹4,000 per application | Companies, LLPs and firms that do not qualify for the lower tier |
| Design: extension of term by 5 years (Form 3) | ₹2,000 or ₹8,000 | Lower figure for natural person, startup or small enterprise |
| PC Media House professional fee | From ₹3,999 + govt. fees | Review of the right protection, form preparation, filing and follow-up; scope confirmed before we file |
Copyright fees are not refunded if an application is rejected. Fees for other categories, such as films and sound recordings, are set separately, and we confirm them before filing.
What changes the cost or timeline:
- Number of works or designs: copyright is filed work by work and a design is filed per application
- Type of work: software needs source code preparation, and artwork used on goods needs a search certificate
- Applicant category for designs: the lower fee tier applies to natural persons, startups and small enterprises
- Ownership position: outsourced or employee-made works may need assignment papers first
- Objections or discrepancy letters: replies and any hearing are scoped separately
How the Process Works Online
Step 1: Choose the right protection
We look at what you made and decide whether copyright, a design registration, or a trademark fits, since the three protect different things. (1 working day)
Step 2: Gather particulars and copies
You share author details, the work or the product images, dates of creation and publication, and any ownership papers. We prepare the form details. (1 to 3 working days)
Step 3: File online
We file Form XIV for copyright, or Form 1 for a design, and pay the government fee. Copyright online filing generates a diary number immediately. (1 working day after documents)
Step 4: Waiting period and scrutiny
Copyright has a mandatory 30-day window for objections before examination. Designs go through formality check, novelty search and examination. (30 days minimum for copyright; varies for designs)
Step 5: Replies to discrepancies or objections
If the office raises a discrepancy letter or a statement of objections, we draft the response within the time allowed. (Within the deadline stated in the letter)
Step 6: Registration and extract or certificate
On acceptance, the work is entered in the Register of Copyrights or the design is registered and published. We hand over the record and note future dates. (Set by the office)
The Copyright Office states that registration typically takes around two to three months after the diary number, including a mandatory 30-day objection window; design registration timing varies with examination and any objection.
What to Keep Ready
What you need depends on whether you are protecting a work (copyright) or a product look (design). Keep the relevant set ready.
For a copyright application
- Name, address and nationality of the author and the applicant, and ownership papers if the applicant is not the author
- Title, language, year of creation and, if published, year and place of first publication
- A copy of the work: the manuscript, artwork file or media file; for software, the source code extract and a note on its function
- For artwork used on goods or services: a search certificate from the Trade Marks Registry, as the Copyright Office requires
- If the work was made by an employee or outsourced, the employment terms or assignment that decide who owns it
For a design application
- Name and address of the proprietor, and a statement of whether the applicant is an individual, startup, small enterprise or other
- Clear images or drawings of the article from the needed views, with the article name
- The Locarno class that fits the article, which we help you select
- A declaration that the design has not been published or disclosed before the filing date
- Udyam or DPIIT certificate if you want the lower fee tier
Decisions we ask you to make
- Who is to be named as author and who as owner, since these can differ
- Whether an artwork will be used on goods, which changes the copyright fee and documents
- Whether a product's look is still unpublished and so can go for design registration
Local Notes for Gurugram
Copyright and design law is national, so fees and steps are the same for Gurugram as anywhere in India. Copyright applications go to the Copyright Office under the Registrar of Copyrights, and design applications go to the Designs Wing of the Patent Office. Both can be filed online, so no visit is needed. The Copyright Office says registration typically takes around two to three months after the diary number, including a mandatory 30-day objection window. Our fee starts From ₹3,999 plus government fees.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes. Software is filed as a literary work, with the source code extracts the Copyright Office requires. We check who wrote the code, whether employees or freelancers contributed and whether an agreement assigns ownership, since these details decide who the applicant should be. Registration is separate from any patent or trade secret protection.
They protect different things. A registered design covers the new look of an article, such as its shape or pattern, while a trademark covers a brand identifier. A product can have both. The design must generally be new, so file before launching or showing it publicly. We help decide what to file for.
No. The Copyright Office accepts online applications, and a diary number is generated as soon as you file online. Copies of the work and other papers are submitted as the office instructs. We prepare and file everything remotely for Gurugram clients, and messages about scrutiny reach you electronically.
It depends on the contract. Ownership of commissioned work can stay with the creator unless it is assigned in writing. Before registering, we check the agreement and, if needed, draft an assignment so the right person or company is named as applicant.
No. The government fee depends on the type of work or the applicant category, not on the city. A literary work and an artwork used on goods carry different fees, and a design application has a lower tier for individuals, startups and small enterprises. Any difference in your total comes from how many works or designs you file.
No. Copyright arises automatically when an original work is created, and registration is not compulsory. However, a registration certificate serves as prima facie evidence in a dispute about ownership, which makes enforcement and negotiation easier. Many creators register their important works so they have a clear record that is simple to show.