law: Copyright Act, 1957 
  17. First owner of copyright- 
  Subject to the provisions of this Act, the
  
  author of a Work shall be the first owner of the copyright therein :
  Provided  that –
  a. in the case of
  
  a literary, dramatic or artistic work made by the author in the course of his
  
  employment by the proprietor of a newspaper, magazine or similar periodical
  
  under a contract of service or apprenticeship, for the purpose of publication
  
  in newspaper, magazine or similar periodical, the said proprietor shall, in the
  
  absence of any agreement to the contrary, be the first owner of the copyright
  
  in the work in any newspaper, magazine or similar periodical, or to the
  
  reproduction of the work for the purposes of its being so published, but in all
  
  other respects the author shall be the first owner of the copyright in the work.
  
  
  b. Subject to the
  
  provisions of clause (a), in the case of a photograph taken, or a painting or
  
  portrait drawn, or an engraving or a cinematograph film made, for valuable
  
  consideration at the instance of any person, such person shall, in the absence
  
  of any agreement to the contrary, be the first owner of the copyright therein.
  c. In the case of
  
  a work made in the course f the author’s employment under a contract of service
  
  or apprenticeship, to which clause (a) or clause (b) does not apply, the employer
  
  shall, in the absence of any agreement to the contrary, be the first owner of
  
  the copyright therein.
  cc. [(Note: Ins. by
  
  Act 23 of 1983, S.8 (w.e.f. 9-8-1984) in the case of any address or speech
  
  delivered in public, the person who has delivered such address or speech or if
  
  such person has delivered such address or speech on behalf of any other person,
  
  such other person shall be the first owner f the copyright therein
  
  notwithstanding that the person who delivers such address or speech, or as the
  
  case may be, the person on whose behalf such address or speech is delivered, is
  
  employed by any other person who arranges such address or speech or on whose
  
  behalf or premises such address or speech is delivered;]
  a. In the case of a
  
  Government work, Government shall, in the absence of any agreement to the
  
  contrary, be the first owner of the copyright therein.
  dd.[(Note: Ins. by
  
  Act 23 of 1983, S.8 (w.e.f. 9-8-1984) In the case of a work made or first
  
  published by or under the direction or control of any public undertaking, such
  
  public undertaking shall, in the absence of any agreement to the contrary, be
  
  the first owner of the copyright therein.
  Explanation – For the purposes of
  
  this clause and Section 28-A, "public undertaking", means- 
  i. an undertaking
  
  owned or controlled by Government, or
  ii. a Government
  
  Company as defined in Section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 ( 1 of 1956) or,
  iii. a body corporate
  
  established by or under any Central, Provincial or State Act;]
  e. in the case of
  
  a work to which the provisions of Section 41 apply, the international
  
  organization concerned shall be the first owner of the copyright therein.