Copyright Registration Fees in Bangladesh 2026: Official Costs, Payment and Digital Copyright Protection

Copyright registration fees Bangladesh: what you pay and what it secures in 2026

Copyright registration fees Bangladesh applicants pay are modest by any international standard, yet the cost of getting registration wrong is not. A rejected file, an unregistered assignment or a certificate issued in the wrong name can undo the evidential advantage that registration is meant to deliver. In 2026 the fee itself is the smallest line in the budget; the real expense lies in stamp duty, document preparation, delays and, for digital businesses, the work of keeping pirated copies off the internet once a work is published.

This guide sets out the copyright registration fees Bangladesh law and practice impose by work type, what the Copyright Act 2023 and the operative Copyright Rules require, how to pay through the treasury challan and the online system, the timelines to plan around and the specific requirements for software, websites, films and music. It then turns to digital copyright law: the Act's provisions on IT-based digital works, service-provider liability, online takedown through platforms and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), collective management organisations, and the open questions around AI-generated works and NFTs.

Summary: Registration of a work at the Bangladesh Copyright Office costs a flat government fee of Tk 1,000 per work under published guidance, with Tk 800 historically charged to register a publishing or assignment agreement and Tk 300 non-judicial stamp paper needed for affidavits and transfer deeds. Payment is made by treasury challan to Bangladesh Bank or Sonali Bank, the application is filed online, hard copies follow within 15 days, and a 30-day objection window runs before a certificate can issue. Online, section 82 of the Copyright Act 2023 lets a rights owner demand removal from any service provider, which becomes liable if it fails to act.

Key point: The fee is charged per work, not per application or per portfolio. A company with fifty software modules, a hundred songs or a library of website assets should decide which works justify a certificate before paying, and must make sure the chain of title is recorded first, because a certificate in the wrong owner's name is a liability, not an asset.

At a glance

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Table of Contents

Copyright registration fees Bangladesh: the legal basis in 2026

The governing statute is the Copyright Act 2023, Act No. 34 of 2023, dated 18 September 2023, which repealed the Copyright Act 2000.[1] Parliament passed the bill on 11 September 2023, presenting it as a law that would widen protection to digital and computer-based works, introduce a chapter on folklore, add a royalty chapter and provide for an enforcement task force.[9] Chapter 11 of the Act deals with registration: section 53 covers copyright registration, section 54 the registration of assignments and licences, sections 55 and 56 entries in and publication of the register, section 57 makes register entries prima facie evidence, and section 58 covers the register, index, forms and inspection.[1]

The Act does not itself fix a Taka figure. Fees are left to rules made under section 126, the rule-making power.[1] That is why the copyright registration fees Bangladesh's Copyright Office charges are found in its rules, published guidance and the challan instructions it issues, rather than in the statute.

Which rules apply: 2006, not a new 2024 or 2025 set

A common assumption is that new Copyright Rules were issued in 2024 or 2025 to implement the 2023 Act. We found no such rules. A February 2026 analysis in the Chambers Trade Marks and Copyright guide records that no new rules had been made under the 2023 Act and that the Copyright Rules 2006 remain operative.[6] In practice the Copyright Office continues to use the 2006-era forms, the 30-day objection window and the fee structure set out in its citizen-facing guidance.[5] Check for fresh rules before paying, because new rules could change both the fee and the forms.

Registration is voluntary, but it changes the evidence

Copyright arises automatically when an original work is created; registration is not a condition of protection.[3] What registration does is give the owner a public record and, under section 57, an entry that a court treats as prima facie evidence of the particulars recorded.[1] That shifts the burden of proof onto the defendant. Our separate guide to copyright law in Bangladesh explains the substantive rights; this article focuses on the cost of securing that evidence and using it online.

Copyright registration fees Bangladesh by work type

Unlike many jurisdictions, Bangladesh does not run a long tiered tariff for copyright. Published Copyright Office guidance and press reporting describe a flat government fee of Tk 1,000 for registering a creative work.[3] [5] The same figure has been reported for software and for artistic works, and the Copyright Office applies the same procedure to literary works, music, films and records.[4] In other words, the copyright registration fees Bangladesh applicants pay are driven by the number of works, not by the category of work.

Creative works of every category

The Tk 1,000 fee applies per work. A novel, a painting, a logo created as an artistic work, a computer program, a website, a feature film or a sound recording each counts as a separate application. For music, practitioners report that up to 12 songs may be grouped in one application as an album, which is the most significant cost saving available to a record label or composer.[5] Confirm the grouping rule before filing.

Assignments, licences and publishing agreements

Registering a contract that transfers or licenses copyright has historically carried its own fee. Reporting on the Copyright Office procedure recorded a fee of Tk 800 for registering an author-publisher agreement.[4] The same contract-registration route is used for assignments of copyright under section 54.[1] For contract registration, two copies of the agreement are submitted, one of them notarised.[3]

Stamp paper and incidental costs

Two further items appear in almost every file. First, the originality affidavit, which confirms that the work is the applicant's own, that no case is pending and that the information is accurate, is sworn on Tk 300 non-judicial stamp paper. Second, where ownership has moved from the creator to the applicant, a notarised deed of transfer on Tk 300 non-judicial stamp paper is required.[3] [4] Notarisation, certified copies and courier charges add modest sums on top.

VAT and professional fees

None of the published guidance we reviewed adds value added tax to the Copyright Office fee; the Tk 1,000 figure is stated as the full government charge, payable into a single economic code.[3] That differs from trademark and patent filings at the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, which follow their own fee and VAT regime explained in our guide to trademark law in Bangladesh. Confirm on the day of payment whether the bank or the online payment channel adds any service charge. Lawyers' and agents' fees are separate, are not regulated and vary with the number of works and the complexity of the ownership chain.

Budgeting a portfolio

Because every work attracts its own fee, a portfolio decision should come first. A software company should register the core product and major versions rather than every internal tool; a publisher, titles with commercial life; a producer, each finished film with its key artwork and music. Volume is still low by any standard: the Copyright Office recorded 2,199 registrations in 2023 and 2,132 in 2022, which suggests most creators never register at all.[14]

How to pay copyright registration fees Bangladesh: challan and online steps

The fee is paid into government revenue through a treasury challan at Bangladesh Bank or Sonali Bank, under the economic code published for copyright fees, 1-3437-0000-1841, and the paid challan is then uploaded with the online application.[3] Earlier guidance advised confirming the code with the Copyright Office before paying, and that advice remains sound.[4] Online payment channels may also be offered; whichever route is used, keep the original challan, because it travels with the hard-copy package.[5]

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The e-Copyright system lets applicants anywhere in the country file without travelling to the Copyright Office in Agargaon, Dhaka.[3] Applicants register an account, complete Form 1 online, upload identity documents and a soft copy of the work, pay and upload the challan, and receive a tracking number.[3] The online filing does not replace paper. Within 15 days the applicant must deliver hard copies by courier or in person: two copies of the application, the challan, the work and a signed originality affidavit.[3]

Filing procedure, objection period and timelines

Our companion guide to copyright registration in Bangladesh walks through the full procedure, ownership checks and objection hearings. The points that drive cost and timing are these. After the hard copies arrive, the Copyright Office examines the file and verifies the challan. A 30-day period then allows any interested person to object.[5] The applicant must notify other interested parties of the application. If no objection is received and the Registrar is satisfied, the particulars are entered in the register and the certificate issues; if an objection is filed, the Registrar may hold an inquiry and a hearing.

Realistic timelines

The Copyright Office's citizen charter targets 60 working days from hard-copy submission for a creative work, assuming documents are complete and there is no objection.[5] In practice applicants should plan for two to three months and sometimes longer.[5] Before a launch, licensing deal or funding round, start at least three months ahead.

Documents every applicant needs

• The completed application form and two copies of the work, in the format the Copyright Office accepts for that category.[5]
• A passport-size photograph and a soft copy of the National ID or passport; a company applicant adds its memorandum, trade licence and TIN certificate.[3]
• The paid treasury challan, original and copy.[4]
• The originality affidavit on Tk 300 non-judicial stamp paper.[4]
• Where the applicant is not the creator, the deed of transfer on Tk 300 stamp paper, a no-objection certificate where relevant, or, for an employer, the creator's employment letter.[3] [4]
• A power of attorney where an agent files.[5]

Software, website, film and music registration

The copyright registration fees Bangladesh applicants pay are the same across categories, but the evidence differs, and the deposit decides whether the file goes through cleanly.

Software and apps

Software is deposited on physical media such as a CD or flash drive, with a written description of its functionality.[5] Earlier Copyright Office practice also asked for two printed copies and two copies on disc, and, where the applicant is a company, a certified copy of the developer's employment letter to prove that the employer owns the code.[4] Registration is particularly valuable for software because the industry has historically under-registered: a former president of the national software association estimated in 2021 that 90 per cent of locally developed software had never been registered.[7]

Websites and news portals

For a website, the soft copy uploaded with the application is a screenshot of the landing page, supported by the content and code the applicant claims.[3] A news portal must also file a consent letter from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.[3] Claim only what you own; licensed fonts, stock images, plug-ins and third-party code belong to others.

Films

A feature film, documentary or web series follows the same procedure, with copies of the film on physical media and evidence of censorship or certification clearance.[4] Films were the largest category of registration in 2019 and 2020, with 1,526 film registrations in 2020 alone, a reflection of how often producers, distributors and broadcasters dispute rights.[7] Record the producer's agreements with the director, screenwriter, composer and performers, because they determine who can license the film to streaming platforms.

Music and sound recordings

For songs and poems, the soft copy is a document or audio file of the work.[3] Up to 12 songs may be grouped in a single application.[5] Lyrics, composition and sound recording are distinct works, so a label should decide which it is registering and take written assignments from lyricists and composers first.

Books, art and logos

For literary works the cover and the text are filed; for artistic works, including logos, the image is uploaded.[3] A logo registered as an artistic work is protected against copying, but that is no substitute for trademark registration. Our guide to intellectual property law in Bangladesh explains how the regimes fit together.

Recording assignments and licences

Ownership transfers are where registration earns its fee. Section 16 of the Copyright Act 2023 governs the assignment of copyright and contemplates registration of the assignment deed with the Copyright Office, while section 17 sets the terms of assignment and section 18 provides for the resolution of assignment disputes.[1] Section 45 covers licences granted by the owner, and section 54 allows assignments and owner-granted licences to be registered.[1] An investor, distributor or acquirer that relies on a chain of title should insist that each link is recorded.

Practical drafting points

Prepare the assignment on Tk 300 non-judicial stamp paper and have it notarised; file two copies, one notarised, with the contract-registration application.[3] Describe the work, the rights transferred, territory, duration and consideration, and quote the registration number of the underlying work. For employee and contractor works, add a confirmatory deed for each significant work.

When to record

Record an assignment before relying on it: before a licensing deal, before an exit, and certainly before suing. In transactions, TRW's transaction due diligence team routinely finds valuable software and content that the target believes it owns but has never documented.

Certificate value as evidence

The copyright registration fees Bangladesh owners pay buy a strong opening card, not a winning hand. Under section 57 the register entry is prima facie evidence of the particulars it records, which means the court starts from the registered owner's position.[1] The defendant can still rebut it, for example by proving earlier creation, copying by the applicant or a defective assignment. A certificate obtained on a false affidavit can be challenged, and section 101 makes entering false information in the register an offence.[1]

Registration also strengthens action outside the courtroom. Platforms, marketplaces and customs respond faster to a certificate. For enforcement strategy, including civil suits, criminal complaints and customs measures, see our guide to intellectual property infringement in Bangladesh.

Digital copyright law: what the Copyright Act 2023 protects online

The 2023 Act was the first Bangladeshi copyright statute written with the internet in mind. Its definitions refer to communication and broadcasting through the internet and digital media, and it introduces the category of IT-based digital works.[1] For anyone weighing copyright registration fees Bangladesh offers a clear return online: digital copyright law now sits mainly in four parts of the Act: the definition and term of digital works, the information that must accompany recordings and digital video works, the penalty for infringing digital works and the liability of service providers.

IT-based digital works and databases

Section 2(10) defines IT-based digital works as creative works produced or used through computers, phones or other digital devices to process data for a specific result, and the Act treats databases, defined as collections of original works arranged electronically or by another methodical means, as protected works.[8] Under section 26, copyright in an IT-based digital work lasts 60 years from its first release.[8] The database definition is narrower than its European counterpart, because it protects collections of original works rather than collections of raw data, a point that matters for data-driven businesses.[8]

Rights information and the DRM gap

Section 75 requires certain information to be included in sound recordings and digital video works, and section 104 penalises failing to include it.[1] That is the closest the Act comes to rights-management rules. Its table of contents contains no stand-alone prohibition on circumventing technological protection measures, such as encryption or copy controls, of the kind found in jurisdictions that have implemented the WIPO internet treaties.[1] Businesses relying on digital rights management should protect content by contract and platform terms, and treat circumvention as evidence of infringement.

Penalties for digital infringement

Section 100 creates a specific offence for infringing IT-based digital works. Selling an infringing digital work for profit is punishable by up to four years' imprisonment or a fine of up to Tk 4 lakh; non-commercial infringement by up to three months or a fine of up to Tk 25,000; and each repeat offence by up to five years or a fine of up to Tk 5 lakh.[8] More broadly, reporting on the bill as passed described fines of up to Tk 5 lakh for publishing or performing another's work without permission, and up to five years' imprisonment and a Tk 10 lakh fine for film piracy.[9] Section 106 adds heavier treatment for second and subsequent offences.[1]

Online infringement and takedown in Bangladesh

For most digital businesses the immediate problem is not prosecution but removal: getting pirated films, cracked software or copied articles taken down quickly. Bangladesh offers three overlapping routes, and the right one depends on where the content sits.

Section 82: notice and removal against service providers

Section 82 is the centrepiece of the digital regime. Where a work is infringed through a network service provider or another third party, the author or the author's lawful licensee may send a written objection to the provider, intermediary or third party. The recipient must then promptly remove all copies of the work from any medium under its control and notify the complainant in writing. If it fails to do so, it becomes liable for copyright infringement.[2] A service provider is defined broadly as any network, person or organisation that broadcasts or publishes content through any medium, including information technology, the internet and digital platforms.[2]

Two features stand out. The section contains no detailed safe-harbour conditions, counter-notice procedure or put-back mechanism; the only route to avoiding liability is prompt removal and written notice.[2] And section 82(2) adds that any organisation using a work commercially must obtain a licence from the Copyright Office, a requirement whose scope is still unsettled in practice.[2] A section 82 notice should therefore identify the work, the owner, the registration number if any, each infringing URL and the legal basis, and should be served in a way that can be proved.

Platform reporting tools

Global platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, app stores and hosting providers operate their own copyright complaint systems, which usually act faster than any domestic process. A Bangladeshi certificate is not required to use them, but it makes a complaint more credible, and section 82 gives a local legal basis for any provider with a presence or audience in Bangladesh.[6] Log every notice and response; the record proves wilfulness if the infringer keeps uploading.

BTRC blocking and the cyber framework

Where pirate sites are hosted offshore and ignore notices, rights owners turn to blocking at the network level. In September 2025, Banglalink, operator of the Toffee streaming platform, asked the BTRC to block domains hosting illegal streaming apps and torrent sites, coordinate with internet service providers, issue takedown requests for files hosted on platforms such as GitHub and engage law enforcement.[11]

The BTRC's general blocking power now sits in the cyber security ordinance that replaced the Cyber Security Act 2023, section 8 of which allows the BTRC to ask platforms to block content. Google reported 89 BTRC requests covering 166 YouTube URLs in the first half of 2025.[12]

Blocking is discretionary and slow, so it works best as a complement to section 82 notices. Our guides to cyber law in Bangladesh and digital signature law in Bangladesh cover the wider online framework, including electronic evidence.

Enforcement bodies and criminal action

The Act gives the state real enforcement tools. Section 108 provides search and seizure powers, section 109 requires assistance from other government departments, section 110 allows the government to form a task force against copyright infringement, section 114 governs disposal of seized articles and section 115 allows offences to be tried by mobile court.[1] [6] Section 123 also empowers the Registrar to stop illegal broadcasts.[1] These powers are complaint-driven: the Copyright Office generally needs a written complaint before it acts, so a rights owner that wants enforcement must start it.[7]

Collective management organisations

Chapter 9 of the Act, sections 38 to 44, regulates copyright societies: their registration, suspension or cancellation, their enforcement of owners' rights, royalty payments, owners' control over the society, returns and reports, and accounts and audit.[1] Section 66 allows royalties to be collected through a copyright society, and section 90 penalises a society that fails to file returns.[1]

The leading society is the Bangladesh Lyricists, Composers and Performers Society (BLCPS), founded in 2013 and licensed by the government in 2014 as the country's first government-approved collective management organisation; in June 2024 it held a national event on copyright management with the Copyright Office.[10] For broadcasters, restaurants, event organisers and streaming services, the practical question is whether a licence from a registered society covers the repertoire they use. Where it does not, licences must be negotiated directly with owners.

AI-generated works and NFTs

The Copyright Act 2023 does not expressly address non-human authorship, and there is no specific legislation or reported decision in Bangladesh on works generated by artificial intelligence.[6] The Act's ownership provisions are built around human authors and the natural or juristic persons who own their works.[8] Our view is that output generated autonomously by an AI system is unlikely to attract protection on its own, while a work in which a person makes the creative choices, using AI as a tool, can be registered in that person's name. Describe the human contribution accurately in the originality affidavit.

NFTs raise a different question. Minting an NFT does not transfer copyright in the underlying artwork; only a written assignment or licence does. Domestically, Bangladesh Bank told investigators in July 2021 that cryptocurrency transactions and their promotion were illegal, citing foreign exchange, anti-terrorism and money laundering laws, so any NFT model involving payment in crypto-assets needs careful regulatory advice before launch.[13]

Common mistakes that cost time and money

• Paying under the wrong code. A challan paid to the wrong economic code delays examination and may have to be paid again.[4]
• Missing the 15-day hard-copy deadline. The online filing is not complete until the printed package arrives.[3]
• Registering in the wrong name. A company that files without an assignment from the developer or artist invites an objection and weakens its own evidence.
• Bundling what cannot be bundled. Only music has a recognised grouping practice; everything else is per work.[5]
• Relying on a certificate alone online. The certificate does not remove content; a section 82 notice and platform complaints do.[2]

When the work matters commercially, treat the copyright registration fees Bangladesh's Copyright Office charges as a minor cost against the evidence and leverage they secure. Our commercial advisory team can scope a registration programme, record your chain of title and run online enforcement; contact TRW to discuss a portfolio.

Frequently asked questions

What are the copyright registration fees Bangladesh applicants pay in 2026?

Published Copyright Office guidance sets a government fee of Tk 1,000 per creative work, paid by treasury challan. Add Tk 300 non-judicial stamp paper for the originality affidavit and, where ownership has been transferred, for the transfer deed.[3] [5]

Does the fee differ for software, films or music?

Not under current published guidance. The same Tk 1,000 fee has been reported for software and artistic works, and the same procedure applies to literary works, music, films and records. The practical difference lies in the deposit and supporting documents.[4] [5]

How is the copyright fee paid?

By treasury challan at Bangladesh Bank or Sonali Bank under the economic code published for copyright fees, 1-3437-0000-1841. The paid challan is uploaded with the online application and the original is sent with the hard copies.[3]

Is VAT added to copyright registration fees in Bangladesh?

The published guidance we reviewed states the Tk 1,000 fee as the full government charge without a VAT component. Confirm at the time of payment whether the bank or online channel adds a service charge.[3]

Were new Copyright Rules issued in 2024 or 2025?

We found none. As of February 2026, no rules had been made under the Copyright Act 2023 and the Copyright Rules 2006 remained operative. Check the Copyright Office for any later notification before filing.[6]

How long does copyright registration take?

The citizen charter targets 60 working days from hard-copy submission if the file is complete and unopposed, after a 30-day objection window. In practice, plan for two to three months or more.[5]

How much does it cost to register a copyright assignment?

Contract registration has historically carried a fee of Tk 800, with the deed prepared on Tk 300 non-judicial stamp paper and notarised. Section 54 of the Copyright Act 2023 provides for registering assignments and owner-granted licences.[1] [3] [4]

How do I get pirated content removed online in Bangladesh?

Send a written objection to the service provider under section 82 of the Copyright Act 2023. The provider must promptly remove the copies and notify you in writing, or it becomes liable for infringement. Use platform complaint tools in parallel and, for offshore pirate sites, consider a blocking request through the BTRC.[2] [12]

Can AI-generated works be registered in Bangladesh?

The Copyright Act 2023 does not expressly deal with non-human authorship and there is no specific law or decision on AI. A work in which a person makes the creative choices can be registered in that person's name; purely machine-generated output is unlikely to qualify.[6]

Is a copyright certificate conclusive proof of ownership?

No. Under section 57 a register entry is prima facie evidence of its particulars, which shifts the burden to the other side, but it can be rebutted with evidence of earlier creation, copying or a defective transfer.[1]