Question

Read the following statements and choose the correct option. Under the Copyright Act, 1957: Statement I: In the case of a posthumous literary work, copyright subsists for sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the work is first published. Statement II: For such works, publication refers to making the work available to the public by issue of copies or by communication to the public.

• A. Both Statements I and II are false
• B. Only Statement II is true
• C. Both Statements I and II are true
• D. Only Statement I is true

Hint:

Copyright for Posthumous works = 60 years after the publication year! It's not based on the author's death, but on the date of publication.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Identify the law.
Both statements deal with the Copyright Act, 1957. We are looking at posthumous works, meaning works published after the author has died. The key provision is Section 24.

Step 2: Check Statement I.
Statement I says copyright in a posthumous literary work lasts sixty years from the start of the calendar year after the year in which it is first published. Section 24 prescribes exactly this term. So Statement I is true.

Step 3: Understand why the term starts from publication.
For a posthumous work, the clock starts not from the author's death but from the first publication. This makes sure such works still get a full protected term once they reach the public.

Step 4: Check Statement II.
Statement II says publication means making the work available to the public by issuing copies or by communicating it to the public. The Act's idea of publication matches this. So Statement II is true.

Step 5: Connect the two.
Since the term is counted from publication, it makes sense that the Act also explains what publication means. Both statements work together and both are correct.

Step 6: Conclude.
Both Statement I and Statement II are true.
\[ \boxed{\text{Both Statements I and II are true}} \]