Legal Reasoning Questions for CLAT | QB Set 70

Copyright law protects original literary, artistic, musical, dramatic and other creative works from being copied or used without the permission of the creator. The purpose of copyright is to encourage creativity by giving authors and creators exclusive rights over their work for a limited period. These rights include the right to reproduce, publish, adapt, translate, distribute and communicate the work to the public. However, copyright protects only the expression of an idea and not the idea itself. Certain uses, such as fair dealing for private research, criticism, review, reporting of current events and education, may be permitted without the owner’s permission under specific conditions.

Several landmark cases have shaped copyright law. In R.G. Anand v. Deluxe Films (1978), the Supreme Court of India held that copyright does not protect ideas, themes or concepts but only their original expression. In Eastern Book Company v. D.B. Modak (2008), the Court ruled that originality requires a minimal degree of creativity and that mere labour or effort is not enough for copyright protection. Another important decision is Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. v. Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (1977), where the Supreme Court clarified the rights of authors and composers when their works are incorporated into cinematograph films. Together, these cases emphasise that copyright seeks to balance the interests of creators with public access to knowledge and creativity.

Questions

Question 1

Rohan, a college student, watches a documentary and likes its central idea. He writes his own script using different characters, dialogues, settings and sequence of events while keeping the same underlying concept. The producer of the documentary files a copyright suit, claiming that Rohan copied the work.

Which of the following is the most appropriate conclusion?

A. Rohan is liable because every idea is protected under copyright law.

B. Rohan is liable because using the same concept always amounts to copyright infringement.

C. Rohan is liable because copyright automatically covers all themes and subjects.

D. Rohan is not liable if only the idea is similar and the expression is original.

Question 2

Meera purchases a legal textbook and scans the entire book. She uploads the complete scanned copy on a public website so that anyone can download it free of cost. She argues that she legally bought the book and therefore has the right to share it.

Which option best reflects the legal position?

A. Meera can upload the book because ownership of the book includes copyright.

B. Meera can upload it because education is always exempt from copyright law.

C. Meera is likely to infringe copyright because purchasing a copy does not transfer copyright ownership.

D. Meera is protected because she did not earn any money from the uploads.

Question 3

Ananya writes a poem and publishes it on her personal blog. Without asking for permission, Kabir copies the poem into his own book, claiming that he only changed a few punctuation marks and corrected grammatical mistakes.

What is the most appropriate legal conclusion?

A. Kabir is likely to infringe copyright because the original expression has been substantially copied.

B. Kabir cannot be liable because grammatical corrections create a new work.

C. Kabir automatically becomes a joint author after making corrections.

D. Kabir owns the copyright because the poem appeared on a public website.

Question 4

Dev prepares a review of a recently published novel. While explaining his criticism, he reproduces two short paragraphs from the novel and clearly acknowledges the author and publisher. The extracts are necessary for his analysis and are not excessive.

Which of the following is the best legal conclusion?

A. Dev infringes copyright because quoting any part of a work is prohibited.

B. Dev may rely on fair dealing since the extracts are limited and used for genuine criticism with proper acknowledgement.

C. Dev becomes the copyright owner of the quoted portions.

D. Dev must always obtain permission even for a brief quotation used in criticism.

Question 5

Priya creates an original illustration for a children’s book. Aman downloads the illustration, changes its colours, removes Priya’s signature and uploads it on his commercial website as his own artwork.

Which statement best reflects the legal position?

A. Aman is not liable because changing colours creates a completely new work.

B. Aman is protected because digital images are freely available on the internet.

C. Aman is likely to infringe copyright because merely making minor alterations does not remove the original author’s rights.

D. Aman automatically acquires copyright by uploading the modified illustration first.

Answers with Explanations

Answer 1: D

Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself. If Rohan independently created a different script, characters and dialogues while only borrowing the underlying concept, there is generally no copyright infringement. This principle was recognised in R.G. Anand v. Deluxe Films (1978).

Answer 2: C

Buying a physical copy of a book gives ownership of that copy, but does not transfer copyright. Uploading the entire book to a public website reproduces and distributes the copyrighted work without permission, making it likely to amount to infringement.

Answer 3: A

Changing punctuation or correcting grammar does not create a substantially new original work. Since Kabir has copied the poem’s original expression, he is likely to be liable for copyright infringement. Copyright protects the author’s original literary expression.

Answer 4: B

Copyright law recognises fair dealing in certain situations, including criticism and review. Since Dev used only limited extracts that were necessary for his review and acknowledged the source, his use is likely to fall within the fair dealing exception rather than amount to infringement.

Answer 5: C

Changing colours or removing the author’s signature does not eliminate the copyright owner’s rights. The illustration remains substantially the same original work, and using it commercially without permission is likely to constitute copyright infringement. Minor modifications do not create an independent copyrighted work.