Dear Sir,

What You Should Do Now

1. Check the Copyright Office portal

Log in and see:

• Whether any hearing notice (PDF) is attached to your application number.

• If any objection document is uploaded.

2. Check your email thoroughly

Check:

• Spam / Junk / Promotions

• The email used in the copyright application

Search terms: copyright hearing, ROC, objection, copyright.gov.in.

3. Contact the Copyright Office

You can contact them directly:

You can seek help by filing an application for the status of your application 

1) A third party has likely filed a formal objection during the mandatory 30-day waiting period, claiming an interest in the work or disputing your authorship/ownership.

2) Alternatively, the Copyright Office examiner may have found discrepancies during scrutiny (e.g., incomplete documentation, incorrect categorization) and the issues were not resolved through correspondence 

3)check the official Copyright Office website for any e-notices or updates on your application status in the "Hearing Notice & Orders" section.

- It means that there may be an objection or discrepancy , or it may caused due to an objection filed by any third party during the 30-day public notice period.

- Hence, you should contact the officials for getting the same. 

- If even no positive response, then send a legal notice. 

1.Check the online record — look for any notice uploaded.

2. Email the Copyright Office requesting hearing details.

3. Prepare for the hearing once notice is received.

4. If no response → File RTI.

5. No need to worry — your copyright is already legally protected.

ChatGPT said:

When the Copyright Office shows the status “Pending for Hearing,” it means your application has reached a stage where the examiner requires clarification or someone has filed an objection. This does not imply rejection. It simply indicates that the office intends to schedule a hearing before processing the application further.

In many cases, the system updates the status before any actual notice is sent out. Sometimes the hearing notice is uploaded on the portal but not emailed, or the email may have gone to spam. The office may also send physical notices by post, which can be delayed.

Your next step is to check the Copyright Office website by entering your diary number and reviewing the “View Documents” or “Latest Documents” section to see if any notice has been uploaded. If nothing is available there, you should email the Copyright Office asking whether a hearing date has been fixed for your application. In the email, mention your diary number, date of filing, name, email address, and phone number. You can also call the Copyright Office to confirm the status.

If a hearing is eventually scheduled, you must attend it either personally or through a lawyer or copyright agent. The hearing usually involves verifying authorship, publication details, and originality. If no third-party objection exists, the hearing is generally a simple formality. After attending, the application typically moves forward to registration.

You need a lawyer only if a third-party objection has been filed or if the notice states that the examiner found similarity with another work and you are uncomfortable defending the originality yourself. Otherwise, you can comfortably attend the hearing on your own.