Copyright Act, 1957
12. Powers and procedure of Copyright Board-
(1) The Copyright Board shall, subject to any
rules that may be made under this Act, have power to regulate its own
procedure, including the fixing of places and time of its sittings:
Provided that the Copyright Board shall
ordinarily hear and proceeding instituted before it under this Act within the
zone in which, at the time of the institution of the proceeding, the person
instituting the proceeding actually and voluntarily resides or carries on
business or personally works for gain.
Explanation - In this sub section
'zone" means a zone specified in section 1 5 of the States Reorganization
Act, 1956 (37 of 1956).
(2) The Copyright Board may exercise and
discharge its powers and functions through Benches constituted by the Chairman
of the Copyright Board from amongst its members, each Bench consisting of not
less than three members.
[(Note: Ins. by Act 38 of 1994, S.6 (w.e.f.
a date to be notified) Provided that if the Chairman is of opinion that any
matter of importance is required to be heard by a larger Bench, he may refer
the matter to a special Bench consisting of five members.]
(3) If there is a difference of opinion among
the members of the Copyright Board or any Bench thereof in respect of any
matter coming before it for decision under this Act, the opinion of the
majority shall prevail.
[(Note: Subs. by Act 38 of 1994, S.6
(w.e.f. a date to be notified) Provided that where there is no such
majority, the opinion of the Chairman shall prevail.]
(4) The [Chairman(Note: Subs. for
"Copyright Board" by Act 38 of 1994, S.6 (w.e.f. a date to be notified) ]
may authorize any of its members to exercise any of the powers conferred on it
by Section 74 and any order made or act done in exercise of those powers by the
members so authorized shall be deemed to be the order or act, as the case may
be, of the Board.
(5) No member of the Copyright Board shall
take part in any proceedings before the Board in respect of any matter in which
he has a personal interest.
(6) No act done or proceeding taken by the
Copyright Board under this Act, shall be questioned on the ground merely of the
existence of any vacancy in, or defect in the constitution of the Board.
(7) The Copyright Board shall be deemed to be
a civil court for the purposes of [(Note: Subs. by Act 23 of 1983, S.6
(w.e.f. 9-8-1984) Sections 345 and 346 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,
1973 ( 2 of 1974),] and all proceedings before the Board shall be deemed to be
judicial proceedings within the meaning of sections 193 and 228 of the Indian
Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1860).