Copyright Act, 1957
18. Assignment of copyright-
(1) The owner of the copyright in an existing
work or the prospective owner of the copyright in a future work may assign to
any person the copyright either wholly or partially and either generally or
subject to limitations and either for the whole term of the copyright or any
part thereof.
Provided that in the case of the assignment of
copyright in any future work, the assignment shall take effect only when the
work comes into existence.
(2) Whereas the assignee of a copyright
becomes entitled to any right comprised in the copyright, the assignee as
respects the rights to assigned, and the assignor as respects the rights not
assigned, shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as the owner of
copyright and the provisions of this Act shall have effect accordingly.
(3) In this section, the expression,
"assignee" as respects the assignment of the copyright in any future
work includes the legal representatives of the assignee, if the assignee dies
before the work comes into existence.