Section 31B

Compulsory licence for benefit of disabled

1 - Any person working for the benefit of persons with disability on a profit basis or for business may apply to the ACommercial Court, in such form and manner and accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed, for a compulsory licence to published any work in which copyright subsists for the benefit of such persons, in a case to which clause (zb) of sub-section (1) of section 52 does not apply and the Commercial Court shall dispose of such application within a period of two months from the receipt of the application.

2 - The Commercial Court may, on receipt of an application under sub-section (1), inquire, or direct such inquiry as it considers necessary to establish the credentials of the applicant and satisfy itself that the application has been made in good faith.

3 - If the Commercial Court is satisfied, after giving to the owners of rights in the work a reasonable opportunity of being heard and after holding such inquiry as it may deem necessary, that a compulsory licence needs to be issued to make the work available to the disabled, it may direct the Registrar of Copyright to grant to the applicant such a licence to publish the work.

4 - Every compulsory licence issued under this section shall specify the means and format of publication, the period during which the compulsory licence may be exercised and, in the case of issue of copies, the number of copies that may be issued including the rate or royalty: Provided that where the Commercial Court issued such a compulsory licence it may, on a further application and after giving reasonable opportunity to the owners of rights, extend the period of such compulsory licence and allow the issue of more copies as it may deem fit.