International Copyright

Introduction to International Copyright

Almost every nation has some form of copyright protection for authors and artists. Several important international treaties also deal with copyright law among nations. The first and perhaps the most important international treaty concerning copyright law is called the Berne Convention, first adopted in Bern (Berne), Switzerland, in 1886 and revised several times since. Most countries of the world are members of the Berne Convention, including the United States and Canada. Members of the Berne Convention grant copyright protection to works of authors who are citizens of any member country. The treaty also forbids members from placing conditions on copyright protection based on the observance of formalities, such as registration of the copyright or placement of the copyright notice on copies of the work. Thus, although no such thing as an international copyright exists, the Berne Convention makes it easy for an author to obtain copyright protection in many nations.

In 1994 most countries of the world signed another important treaty dealing with copyright law. This agreement, called the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), clarified several aspects of copyright law and strengthened copyright protections internationally.

Some nations of the world have weak copyright laws or few resources devoted to enforce those laws. These countries often have a large market for counterfeit goods made in violation of the copyright protections of authors. Unauthorized recordings of music on compact discs, computer software, and videocassettes or DVDs of movies are often available at very low prices in these countries. This activity costs American copyright owners billions of dollars each year in lost sales and royalties. To protect these copyright owners, the United States attempts to persuade other countries to enforce copyright laws vigorously. This issue has been a source of particular tension between the United States and China. Although the Chinese government has signed agreements promising to combat copyright piracy, copyright violation continues to be a serious problem there. Certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement may help the United States persuade foreign governments to fight piracy more vigorously. ” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about International Copyright in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to International Copyright

In this Section

Copyright, Copyright History, Copyright in the Digital Age and International Copyright.