The copyright search forms the basic step of copyright registration. The copyright search is conducted by the applicant or his legal representative, to check if the same work has been published or has been made available to the public at large. However, the person can only proceed with the process of the copyright search, if he is of the view that his work is original and creative. Supposedly, if an individual wants to create any work in the form of a song, book, or painting, then he can conduct a copyright search to check if the work created him is complying with the principles of originality and creativity. The Applicant has the right to get his works registered in the context of literary, artistic, musical, sound recordings, computer software and cinematographic, etc. If the search states that the work produced by the applicant is similar to the already registered copyright, then the owner of that work would be liable for suing for infringement and also for further claiming damages for the same.
The copyright search helps the applicant to keep a check on his application and follow up on his case so that he is updated with all the necessary changes that are being made in his filed copyright application. It is important to note here that the person doing a copyright search must be determined what exactly he is looking for, and that the search related to copyright must be narrow and precise and must be guided by a legal professional or an advocate.