Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927

Register to be kept by proprietors of theatres, etc.

181.—(1) It shall be the duty of the proprietor of every theatre, hall, room, or other place, in which public entertainments are held to keep or cause to be kept in such theatre, hall, room, or place a register, in the form prescribed by the Minister, of all public entertainments held in such theatre, hall, room, or place, and within twelve hours after every such public entertainment to enter or cause to be entered in such register such particulars of the entertainment and of the person holding the same as shall be prescribed by regulations made by the Minister under this section.

(2) Every register kept in pursuance of this section may be inspected at all reasonable times by any officer of the Minister duly authorised by him in that behalf or by any person who is the author of or owner of the copyright in any published work.

(3) The Minister may by Order make regulations prescribing all or any of the following matters, that is to say:—

(a) the form of the register to be kept in pursuance of this section,

(b) the particulars to be entered in the register in respect of every entertainment, and of the person holding the same,

(c) defining the person who is to be deemed, in respect of any particular entertainment, to hold the same.

(4) If any person who is required by this section to keep, or cause to be kept, any such register as aforesaid—

(a) fails to keep such register or to cause the same to be kept, or

(b) fails to make or cause to be made in such register within the time prescribed by this section any entry required by or under this section to be made therein, or

(c) fails to produce such register for the inspection of any person entitled under this section to inspect the same or obstructs or impedes any such person in making such inspection, or

(d) wilfully or negligently makes or causes or permits to be made in such register any entry which is false or misleading in any material particular,

he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds.

(5) For the purposes of this section—

(a) inspection of a register includes taking copies thereof or of any part thereof, and

(b) “entertainment” means the presentation of any dramatic work as defined in Part VI . of this Act or the giving of a lecture as similarly defined: Provided that “lecture” shall not for the purposes of this section include sermon.