Question

PRINCIPLE: Under copyright law copyright subsists in original literary work also. A literary work need not be of literary quality. Even so prosaic a work as an index of railway stations or a railway guide or a list of stock exchange quotations qualifies as literary work if sufficient work has been expanded in compiling it to give it a new and original character.
FACTS: Michael works hard enough, walking down the streets, taking down the names of people who live at houses and makes a street directory as a result of that labour.

• A. Michael's exercise in making a street directory is sufficient to justify in making claim to copyright in that work which is ultimately produced
• B. Michael's exercise in making a street directory is not enough to justify in making claim to copyright in that work which is ultimately produced
• C. A street dictionary cannot be enough to be considered as a literary work
• D. None of the above statements is correct

Answer 1

The correct option is A Michael's exercise in making a street directory is sufficient to justify in making claim to copyright in that work which is ultimately produced

Under section 13 of Copyright Act 1957, all the original literary, dramatic, musical, artistic work etc are covered under Copyright Act 1957. It aims to protect the original ideas of a creator. Here in the given situation, Michael has compiled a street directory by his own original hard work. Hence it can sufficiently justified in making the claim in copyright act. The correct answer is A.