In Brief
B.N. Firos, a software developer, claimed ownership of copyright in the FRIENDS application software developed for the State of Kerala's integrated citizen services project. The State declared the system 'protected' under the Information Technology Act, which Firos challenged, arguing he owned the copyright. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding that Firos was not the copyright owner. Microsoft, which engaged Firos and paid him remuneration, held first ownership under the Copyright Act. Additionally, the Memorandum of Understanding explicitly vested intellectual property rights in the Government. The Court upheld that Section 70 of the I.T. Act, read with the Copyright Act provisions defining government works, does not constitute excessive delegation.
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