The NUJS Law Review Call for Papers announces a dedicated special issue focusing on the theme: "The Copyright Amendment Act, 2012: Welcome change or missed opportunity?" As the flagship quarterly publication of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, the journal invites legal scholars, practitioners, and students to submit critical academic papers analyzing the statutory, economic, and cultural ramifications of India's amended copyright regime.
Institutional Context and Objectives of the Special Issue
The NUJS Law Review was established in 2008 as a student-run quarterly law review dedicated to promoting rigorous legal scholarship and providing a forum for critical legal thought. Published by this premier National University of Juridical Sciences journal, the publication aims to bridge the gap between academic theory, legislative policy, and judicial interpretation across diverse areas of Indian law.
The passage of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 by the Indian Parliament marked a historic milestone in Indian intellectual property law. The amendment introduced far-reaching modifications to author royalty rights, digital anti-circumvention rules, statutory licensing mechanisms, and access exceptions for persons with disabilities. This Copyright Amendment Act 2012 special issue provides a timely academic platform for examining whether these reforms successfully achieved their intended legislative objectives.
Key Substantive Areas for Research Submissions
The editorial board encourages contributors to examine both doctrinal and empirical dimensions of the copyright amendments. Indicative thematic areas for Indian copyright law reform submissions include:
- Author and Performer Royalties: The statutory framework governing non-waivable royalty rights for music composers, lyricists, and performers under Sections 18 and 19.
- Statutory and Compulsory Licensing: The operational mechanisms of statutory licensing for broadcasting organizations under Section 31D and its impact on copyright owners.
- Digital Rights Management and Safe Harbors: Technological protection measures (Section 65A), rights management information (Section 65B), and intermediary liability limits.
- Fair Dealing and Disability Access: Expanding fair dealing exemptions under Section 52, including specific provisions facilitating access for persons with print disabilities.
- Copyright Societies and Collective Management: Governance standards, tariff schemes, and regulatory transparency in the administration of collective licensing bodies.
- Cinematograph Films and Sound Recordings: Evolving ownership dynamics between principal directors, producers, and creative authors in multimedia works.
- Border Enforcement and Infringement Remedies: Customs notification procedures and civil remedies against commercial copyright infringement.
Categories of Manuscripts and Prescribed Word Limits
In accordance with academic legal research paper guidelines, submissions must adhere to the following category limits (inclusive of text and footnotes):
- Articles (6000 to 10000 words): Exhaustive doctrinal or empirical studies offering thorough evaluation of statutory provisions and comparative international standards.
- Notes (4000 to 6000 words): Focused academic treatises exploring specific sections, judicial interpretations, or policy controversies.
- Comments and Book Reviews (2000 to 4000 words): Critical assessments of recent judicial rulings, legislative drafts, or academic treatises on intellectual property law.
Manuscript Formatting and Style Guidelines
To maintain high publishing standards, all manuscripts must conform strictly to the following editorial criteria:
Submissions must be word-processed in Times New Roman font and adhere strictly to the NUJS Law Review Citation and Style Standard. Foreign words and phrases not absorbed into ordinary English (such as inter alia, bona fide, or ratio decidendi) must be italicized throughout the text. All submissions must include an abstract of not more than 200 words summarizing the research premise, methodology, and central thesis.
Editorial Review Workflow and Publication Ethics
All submissions to the NUJS Law Review undergo a multi-stage review process conducted by the student editorial board under faculty advisory supervision. Manuscripts are evaluated for analytical originality, logical coherence, clarity of exposition, and adherence to citation protocols.
The journal maintains a zero tolerance policy toward academic dishonesty. Authors must ensure that all factual assertions and secondary citations are verifiable through reliable primary legal authorities. Selected papers undergo detailed editing and citation cross-checking before entering production.
Integration with Broader Legal Scholarship
Contributors are encouraged to place Indian copyright developments within broader comparative and interdisciplinary contexts. For researchers seeking reference on international scholarly standards, reviewing comparative research standards in international legal conferences offers valuable guidance on doctrinal structuring. Additionally, understanding statutory interpretation techniques through statutory interpretation in Tej Bahadur Thapa v District Central Co-operative Bank assists authors in analyzing statutory wording and judicial intent.
Comparative and Policy Perspectives in Copyright Reform
The editorial board particularly values papers that benchmark the Indian copyright amendments against international treaties such as the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT). Submissions may examine how developing legal systems balance author economic rewards against broader societal access to cultural and educational materials.
Authors are invited to assess the practical implementation challenges faced by the Copyright Board, collective management organizations, and digital content distribution platforms operating in India's creative industry.
Conditions for Publication and Submission Procedure
The NUJS Law Review enforces strict ethical and publication standards:
- Exclusive Submission: Manuscripts submitted to the Law Review must be original and must not be under simultaneous consideration by any other journal or publisher.
- Indemnity and Originality: Submissions are accepted on the condition that they do not infringe third-party copyrights or contain defamatory material.
- Licensing: Authors grant the Law Review an irrevocable, transferable, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish and distribute the work across print and digital media platforms.
Manuscripts must be emailed in electronic format (.doc or .docx) to nujslr@gmail.com along with a covering letter specifying author details, institutional affiliation, and contact information. The deadline for this special issue is 15th November 2012.
Editorial Office: NUJS Law Review, The W.B. National University of Juridical Sciences, Dr. Ambedkar Bhavan, 12, LB Block, Sector III, Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700098.