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2021 (12) TMI 571 - HC - Income TaxIncome accrued in India - royalty receipts - transfer of copyright in the software - India-UK DTAA - payment received by EYGSL (UK) for providing access to computer software to its member firms of EY Network located in India payment received by EYGSL (UK) from EYGBS (India) to be taxed as “royalty”- HELD THAT:- As it is essential to show a transfer of copyright in the software to do any of the acts mentioned in Section 14 of the Copyright Act, 1957. A licence conferring no proprietary interest on the licencee, does not entail parting with the copyright. Where the core of a transaction is to authorise the end-user to have access to and make use of the licenced software over which the licencee has no exclusive rights, no copyright is parted with and therefore, the payment received cannot be termed as “royalty”. In the present case, the EYGBS (India), in terms of the Service Agreement and the MOU, merely receives the right to use the software procured by the EYGSL (UK) from third-party vendors. The consideration paid for the use of the same therefore, cannot be termed as “royalty” as held by the Supreme Court in Engineering Analysis Centre [2021 (3) TMI 138 - SUPREME COURT] In determining the same, the rights acquired by the EYGSL (UK) from the third-party software vendors are not relevant. What is relevant is the Agreement between the EYGSL (UK) and the EYGBS (India). As the same does not create any right to transfer the copyright in the software, the same would not fall within the ambit of the term “royalty” as held by the Supreme Court in Engineering Analysis Centre The submission of the learned counsel for the Revenue that the judgment of the Supreme Court in Engineering Analysis Centre (supra) cannot be applied because it confines itself only to the four categories mentioned in paragraph 4, also cannot be accepted. Though the Supreme Court was on facts considering the four categories of cases that arose in the appeals before it, it has laid down the law for general application. The law, as laid down by the Supreme Court, when applied to facts of the present case, squarely covers the same in favour of the petitioners. The submission made by the learned counsel for the revenue relying upon the amendment to Section 9(1)(vi) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 has also been specifically considered and rejected by the Supreme Court. The Impugned Rulings passed by the learned AAR are set aside and it is held that the payment received by EYGSL (UK) for providing access to computer software to its member firms of EY Network located in India, that is, EYGBS (India), does not amount to “royalty” liable to be taxed in India under the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and the India-UK DTAA. - Decided in favour of assessee.
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