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ITA No.2535/Bang/2018
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30. With regard to cloud computing/cloud hosting charges, the concept
of Cloud computing is the delivery of different services through the
Internet, including data storage, servers, databases, networking, and
software. Cloud-based storage makes it possible to save files to a
remote database and retrieve them on demand. Traditionally we store
our data in our computer and can access the data only if the computer
is available. In cloud computing the data is store in a server and can
be accessed through any system. The Mumbai Tribunal in the case of
Rackspace, US Inc. ITA No.1634/Mum/2016 and ITA Nos. 3507 &
1075/Mum/2017 order dated 29.5.2019 followed the earlier decision
rendered in the case of American Chemical Society vs. DCIT in ITA No.
6811/Mum/2017 for the AY 2014-15 vide order dated 30.04.2019,
wherein identical issue was decided in the context of right to use
material in the form of journal,. The Tribunal held that the cloud
hosting company creates / maintains information online and grants
access to the journals, the assessee neither shares its experiences,
techniques or methodology employed in evolving databases with the
users, nor imparts any information relating to them. The terms of the
agreement between the cloud host and the customer provider that the
customer gets right to search, view and display the articles (whether
online or by taking a print) and reproducing or exploiting the same in
any manner for personal use. The customers do not get any rights to
the journal or articles therein. It was held that there was No 'use or
right to use' in any copyright or any other intellectual property of any
kind is provided by the assessee to its customers. Furthermore, the
information resides on servers outside India, to which the customers
have no right or access, nor do they possess control or dominion over
the servers in any way. Therefore, the question of such payments
qualifying as consideration for use or right to use any equipment,
whether industrial, commercial or scientific, does not arise. The
tribunal thereafter applied the ratio to the case of the Assessee
Rackspace, US Inc. and held that the agreement between the
assessee and its customer is for providing hosting and other ancillary
services to the customer and not for the use of / leasing of any
equipment. The Data Centre and the Infrastructure therein is used to
provide these services belong to the assessee. The customers do not
have physical control or possession over the servers and right to
operate and manage this infrastructure / servers vest solely with the
assessee. The agreements entered into the service level agreements.
The agreement is to provide hosting services simpliciter and is not for
the purpose of giving the underlying equipment on higher or lease. The
customer is not even aware of the specific location of the server in the
Data Centre where the customer application, web mail, websites etc.
The tribunal therefore held that income from cloud hosting services
was not royalty within the meaning of explanation (2) to section
9(1)(vi) of the Act as well as Article 12(3)(b) of the Indo-USA DTAA.