Rules 32 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Rules 32 to 34 open Chapter IX of the Copyright Rules, 2013, on licences for translations under section 32 of the Copyright Act, 1957. They say how to apply for a licence to produce and publish a translation of a literary or dramatic work, how the application is advertised, how long the authority must wait before considering it, and what every licence must state.
Apply in Form VI, with the Second Schedule fee, for one work and one language only. The Board gives notice in the Official Gazette (and in newspapers if it thinks fit) and sends a copy to the owner where practicable. It considers the application not less than one hundred and twenty days after the Gazette publication, hears the applicant and any interested person, and considers competing applications for the same language together. A licence states the period, language, royalty rate and payee. The rules refer to the Board, abolished at Act level in 2021.
The Board caution
Rules 33 and 34 give the main steps to "the Board", and Form VI is addressed to the Registrar of Copyrights/Secretary, Intellectual Property Appellate Board. That is the text as notified in 2013. The Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 abolished the Board at Act level and moved its role under section 32 to the Commercial Court (see the Appellate Board provisions after 2021). These Rules have not been checked here for a matching amendment. This article explains what the rules require of the applicant; it does not present procedure before the Board as current. For the Act text see section 32. If you hold a work that someone wants to translate, or want to translate one yourself, our copyright objection reply team can advise on the position and the response.
Rule 32: the application
Rule 32(1). An application for a licence under section 32 "to produce and publish a translation of a literary or dramatic work in any language shall be made in Form VI and shall be accompanied by the fee specified in Second Schedule."
Rule 32(2). Every application shall be "in a respect of one work only and for translation of that work into one language only." So a publisher who wants a Hindi and a Tamil edition files two applications.
What Form VI asks
Form VI, "Application for licence for translation" (see rule 32), asks the applicant to apply under section 32 for a licence to produce and publish a translation, and to undertake to abide by its terms. Unlike Forms II, III, V and VII it has no printed verification clause. The Statement covers:
| Items | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Applicant's name, address, nationality, contacts |
| 4 | The work: class, title, author (with date of death if deceased), language, publisher, years and countries of first and last publication, price, registration number if known |
| 5 to 7 | The language of translation; the translator's name, qualifications and address; the applicant's qualification to produce and publish |
| 8 to 12 | Number of copies, estimated cost, proposed retail price, proposed royalty, means to pay it |
| 13 | Fee payment particulars |
| 14 | Person competent to issue a licence; whether found; whether authorisation was requested and denied; whether, if the owner could not be found, a copy of the request was sent to the publisher, with date and evidence |
| 15 | Whether the author has withdrawn copies of the work from circulation |
| 16 and 17 | Earlier translations in the same language (including whether out of print) and in other languages |
| 18 and 19 | Remarks; enclosures |
Fee (as notified in 2013; check the current Schedule)
The Second Schedule has an entry for an application for a licence to produce and publish a translation of a literary or dramatic work in any language (sections 32 and 32A) at Rs. 5,000 per work (entry 8).
Rule 33: notice of the application
Rule 33(1). When an application has been made, the Board "shall, as soon as possible, give notice of the application in the Official Gazette and also, if the Board thinks fit, in one or two newspapers and shall send a copy of the notice to the owner of the Copyright, wherever practicable."
Rule 33(2). Every such notice contains:
| Item | Particular |
|---|---|
| (a) | The date of the application |
| (b) | Name, address and nationality of the applicant |
| (c) | Particulars of the work to be translated |
| (d) | The date and country of first publication |
| (e) | Name, address and nationality of the owner as stated in the application |
| (f) | The language of translation |
| (g) | The registration number of the work, if any |
Note that the notice goes out from the Board, not the applicant. This differs from rule 11(3), where the applicant encloses a newspaper publication.
Rule 34: consideration of the application
Rule 34(1). The Board "shall consider the application after the expiry of not less than one hundred and twenty days from the date of the publication of the notice in the Official Gazette."
Rule 34(2). It gives an opportunity to be heard to the applicant and, wherever practicable, to any person claiming any interest in the copyright, and may take such evidence as it thinks fit.
Rule 34(3). If more than one application for translation of the work in the same language is pending at the expiry of one hundred and twenty days after the notice of the application first received, "all such applications shall be considered together."
Rule 34(4). If satisfied that a licence for translation in the language applied for may be granted, to the applicant or, among several, to the one who in the Board's opinion would serve the general public interest most effectively, it shall grant the licence.
Rule 34(5). Every licence is subject to the section 32(4) condition on payment of royalties and shall specify (a) the period within which the translation is to be produced and published; (b) the language; (c) the rate of royalty on copies of the translation sold to the public; and (d) the person or persons to whom royalty is payable.
Rule 34(6). The grant is notified "as soon as possible" in the Official Gazette and the newspapers (if any) used for the rule 33 notice, a copy goes to the other parties, and it is posted on the website of the Copyright Office and the Board.
An example
Lakshmi Books wants to publish a Kannada translation of a Marathi play, and the owner has not replied to its request. Lakshmi files Form VI for that play and language only, pays the fee as notified in 2013 (check the current Schedule), and records in item 14 the request, the lack of authorisation and the copy sent to the publisher. The notice appears in the Gazette. Nothing is decided until one hundred and twenty days have passed. If another publisher has also applied for a Kannada translation of the same play, both applications are considered together; a Telugu application would be separate.
What the rules do not say
- No time limit for deciding after the 120 days.
- The fee is a flat amount; the rules do not say whether it is refundable.
- No rate of royalty is printed; see our article on rules 35 to 37.
- No definition of "the person competent to issue a licence".
Need help with a translation licence?
Whether you need a licence to translate a work or you own a work and have received a notice, the timeline and the evidence matter. Our copyright objection reply team can review the papers and help prepare the response or the application.
Key takeaways
- Rule 32 requires Form VI, the fee, one work and one language only.
- The Board gives notice in the Gazette (newspapers if it thinks fit) and sends a copy to the owner where practicable.
- Consideration starts only after at least one hundred and twenty days from the Gazette notice; competing applications in the same language are decided together.
- A licence states period, language, royalty rate and payee.
- The Board is abolished at Act level; check later amendments.
Read next
- Rules 35–37: translation licence royalties, extension and cancellation
- Rules 38–39: licence for publication, translation and reproduction
- Section 32A: licence to reproduce and publish works for certain purposes
Disclaimer: Based on the Copyright Rules, 2013 as notified (with the 2016 amendment), read with the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, as consulted on 1 October 2026. Later amendment rules, forms and fees should be checked in their current form. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.