Arrange the following acts according to their year of enactment:

A. The Information Technology Act

B. The Press and Registration of Books Act

C. The Right to Information Act (RTI)

D. Copyright Act

E. The Patent Act

Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

The Correct answer is B, D, E, A, C.

Key Points

• The Press and Registration of Books Act:
  • The Press and Registration of Books Act is legislation designed to govern printing presses and Newspapers in India.
  • Its purpose is to regulate the printing industry, preserve copies of books and newspapers printed in India, and facilitate the registration of such publications.
  • Enacted in 1867, this law replaced the Metcalfe Act of 1835.
  • Unlike its predecessor, the Press and Registration of Books Act of 1867 does not impose restrictions or regulations on the press.
  • However, it mandates that printed material include the names of the printer, publisher, and place of publication.
  • Additionally, a copy of the publication must be submitted to the government for record-keeping.
  • The Act was amended in 1958. This law is now administered by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I & B), Government of India.
  • The Press Registrar, who is a senior official of the I&B ministry, is the nodal person under this law and is charged with implementing it.
• Copyright Act:
  • India’s copyright law was laid down in the Indian Copyright Act, of 1957.
  • It came into force on the 21st of January, 1958.
  • The Copyright Act of 1957 was the first post-independence copyright legislation in India and the law has been amended six times since 1957.
  • The most recent amendment was in the year 2012, through the Copyright (Amendment) Act 2012.
  • ​Copyright (and related rights) is a right of use given by the law to the creators of literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works for a specified time.
• Patent Act:
  • The Patents Act, 1970 is the legislation that till date governs patents in India.
  • It first came into force in 1972.
  • A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention.
  • Nagpur hosts the office of the Patent Information System.
  • The Patent Office has its headquarters in Calcutta.
• ​ Information Technology Act:
  • The "Information Technology Act" came into force in the year 2000. 
  • The Information Technology Act, 2000 (also known as ITA-2000, or the IT Act) is an Act of the Indian Parliament (No 21 of 2000) notified on 17 October 2000. 
  • It is the primary law in India dealing with cybercrime and electronic commerce.
  • The laws apply to the whole of India.
  • If a crime involves a computer or network located in India, persons of other nationalities can also be indicted under the law.
• The Right to Information Act:
  • The Right to Information Act (RTI) was originally enacted in 2005 to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority.
  • In 2019, the RTI Act was amended by the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
  • The amendment changed the terms and conditions of service of the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners at the central and state levels.
  • Previously, the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners had fixed terms of five years or until the age of 65, whichever was earlier. The amendment gave the central government the power to notify the term of office.