Copyright, Its History and Its Law/Conspectus

by Richard Rogers Bowker

Conspectus of Copyright by Countries

Under the names of countries are given dates of the basic and latest amendatory laws. International relations are shown by the name in small caps of the convention city where a country is a party to the International Copyright Union or the Pan American conventions, and by the names of countries with which there are specific treaties, excepting those within the union or conventions. The general term of duration is entered, without specification of special terms for specific classes. Places of registration and deposit are indicated by R and D when these are not the same. The number of copies required and in some cases period after publication within which deposit is required are given in parentheses. Notice of copyright or of reservation is indicated. Special exceptions or conditions are noted so far as practicable under remarks. An asterisk indicates that specific exceptions exist.

The International Copyright Union includes (A) under the Berlin convention, 1908 (a) without reservation Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Spain, Monaco, Liberia, Haiti, Portugal, and (b) with reservation France, Norway, Tunis, Japan; (B) under the Berne convention, 1886, and the Paris additional act and interpretative declaration, 1896, Denmark, Italy; (C) under the Berne convention. 1886, and the Paris additional act, 1896, Great Britain; (D) under the Berne convention, 1886, and the Paris interpretative declaration, 1896. Sweden. The Pan American conventions agreed on at Mexico City, 1902. Rio de Janeiro, 1906, and Buenos Aires, 1910, have not been ratified except that of Mexico by the United States and by Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Salvador, and doubtfully by Cuba and Dominican Republic; that of Rio by a few states insufficient to make it anywhere operative; and that of Buenos Aires by the United States. The South American convention of Montevideo, 1889, has been accepted by Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, Peru and Bolivia, and has the adherence (in relation with Argentina and Paraguay only) of Belgium, France, Italy and Spain. The five Central American states have a mutual convention through their Washington treaty of peace of 1907.

	Countries Dates of laws	International relations	Duration	Registration and Deposit	Notice	Remarks
North America:	North America (English-speaking)
English	United States 1909	Mexico, B. Aires, Gt. Brit., Belg., China, Den., Fr., Ger., It., Jap., Lux., Nor., Sp., Swe., Switz., Aust., Hol., Port., Chile, Costa R., Cuba, Mex.	28 + 28	Library of Congress (2 "promptly")	"Copyright, 19—, by A. B." or statutory equivalent	Manufacture within U. S, for books, etc.
	Canada 1875–1908 [1912?]	See Gt. Brit.* (Aus. Hung. excepted)	28 + 14	Dept, of Agriculture: Copyright Branch (3)	"Copyright, Canada 19—, by A. B." or signature of artist	Printing and publ. within Canada*
	Newfoundland 1890-1899	See Gt. Brit.	28 + 14	Colonial Sec. (2)	"Entered, Newf. . . ., by A. B." etc, or signature of artist	Printing and publ. within Newf. *
	Canal Zone (U. S.)	See U. S.
	Porto Rico (U. S.)	See U. S.
	Jamaica (Br.) 1887	See Gt. Brit.	Life + 7 or 42*	(3 or 1* within mo.)	None
	Trinidad (Br.) 1888	See Gt. Brit.	Life + 7 or 42*	Registrar of copyright (3 within mo.)	None
Europe:	Europe
English	Great Britain & Ireland	Berne-Paris A U. S., Aus.-Hung.*	Life + 7 or 42* [Life + 50*]	R Stationers Hall (before suit)* D British Museum (1) + 4 library copies (on demand)*	None*	First or simultaneous publication
	D 1842–1906 I 1844–1886				[None]
	[1911]				[No registration]	[In effect 1912]
	Isle of Man 1907	See Gt. Brit.
	Channel Isles	See Gt. Brit.
French	France 1793–1910	Berlin* Montv.* U. S., Aus.-Hung., Hol., Port., Mont., Roum., Lat. Amer.	Life + 50*	D Ministry of Interior or prefecture (2 before suit)*	None
	Belgium 1886	Berlin, Montv.* U. S., Aus., Hol., Port., Roum., Mex.	Life + 50	None*	None*
	Luxemburg 1898	Berlin U. S.	Life + 50*	None*	None* (res. playr.)
	Holland 1881 [1912?]	U. S., Belg., Fr.	50 or life*	Dept. of Justice (2 within mo.)	None* (res. trans., playr.)	Printing within Holland
German	Germany 1901–1910	Berlin U. S., Aus.-Hung.	Life + 30*	None*	None*
	Austria 1805, 1907	Hung., U. S., Gt. Brit.,* Belg., Den., Fr., Ger., It., Roum., Swed.	Life + 30*	None*	None* (res. trans. photos, mus.)
	Hungary 1884	Aust., Gt. Brit.,* Fr., Ger., It.	Life + 50*	None*	None* (res. trans. photos)
Scandinavian	Switzerland 1874, 1883	Berlin U. S.	Life + 30*	R Office of Intel. Prop, optional*	None* (res. playr.)
	Denmark 1865–1911	Berne-Paris U. S., Aus.	Life + 50*	None*	None* (photos, res. music)
	Iceland (Den.) 1905	See Denmark				As in Denmark
	Norway 1877–1910	Berlin* U. S.	Life + 50*	None*	None (photos, res. music)
	Sweden 1897–1908	Berne-Paris D U. S., Aus.	Life + 50*	None	None* (photos, res. playr.
Russian	Russia 1911	France	Life + 50*		None* (photos, res. trans mus.)
	Finland 1880	None	Life + 50*	None*	None*
Southern	Spain 1879–1896	Berlin, Montv.* U. S., Port., Lat. Amer.	Life + 80*	Register of Intel. Prop. (3 within one year*)	None*	Special provisions
	Portugal 1867, 1886	Berlin U. S., It., Sp., Bra.	Life + 50*	Pub. Lib.* (2 before pub)	None
	Italy 1882, 1889, 1910	Berne-Paris Montv.* U. S., Aus.-Hung., Mont., Port., Roum., San. Mar., Lat. Amer.	Life or 40* + 40*	Prefecture (3 within 3 months)*	None* (res. trans.)	Added 40 yrs. on royalty of 5 p. c.
Minor States	San Marino	See Italy				As in Italy
	Monaco 1889, 1896	Berlin	Life + 50*	None	None*
	Greece 1833–1910	None	15 + *	D (4 within 10 days*)
	Malta, Cyprus, etc. (Br.)	See Gt. Brit.	Life + 7 or 42*	D (3 within mo.)
Balkan States	Montenegro	Fr., It.				Uncertain protection
	Bulgaria 1896?					Uncertain protection
	Servia					No protection
	Roumania 1862–1904	Aus., Belg., Fr., It.	Life + 10	R.  Min. of Instruc.
	Turkey 1910	None	Life + 30*	Min. of Pub. Instruc. (3)*	None
Asia	Asia
	Japan 1899, 1910	Berlin* U. S.,* China	Life + 30*	R Ministry of Int. (before suit)	None*
	Korea 1908	See Japan				As in Japan
	China 1910	U. S.,* Japan	Life + 30*	Ministry of Int. (2)
	Hong-Kong (Br.)	See Gt. Brit.	Life + 7 or 42*	D (3 within mo.)
	Philippines (U. S.)	See U. S.
	India, British 1847, 1867	See Gt. Brit.	Life + 7 or 42*	D (3 within mo.)	Printer's and publisher's name on work
	Ceylon, etc. (Br.)	See Gt. Brit.	Life + 7 or 42*	D (3 within mo.) (4 within yr.)
	Siam 1901	None	Life + 7 or 42*
	Persia	None				No protection
Africa	Africa
	Egypt	None	Indefinite			Court protection
	Tunis 1889	Berlin*	Life + 50*			As in France
	Algeria (Fr.)	See France
	Sierra Leone, etc. (Br.) 1887	See Gt. Brit.	Life + 7 or 42*	D (3)*
	Liberia	Berlin	Indefinite			Without specific law
	Congo Free State	Belg., Fr. (extradition)				Punishes fraud only
	So. Africa (Br.)	See Gt. Brit.* Aus.-Hung., excepted
	Cape Colony 1873–1895		Life + 5 or 30*	Registrar of Deeds D (4 within mo.)*
	Natal 1895–1898		Life + 7 or 42*	Colonial Sec., D (2 within 3 mos.)*
	Transvaal, etc. 1887		50 or life*	Registrator D (3 within 2 mos.)*	Reserv. of playr. and trans.	Printing within colony* (?
America, Latin:	Latin America
Mexico	Mexico 1871, 1874	U. S., Dom.	Perpetuity*	R. Min. Pub. Instruc. D (2)*	None* (res. trans.)
Central America	Costa Rica 1880–1896	Mexico U. S., Sp., Fr. Guat., Sal., Hon.	Life + 50*	Office of Pub. Libs. (3)*	None
	Guatemala 1879	Mexico Sp., Fr., Costa R.	Perpetuity	Min. of Pub. Educ. (4)*	(res. trans.)
	Honduras 1894, 1898	Mexico Costa R.	Indefinite			No specific law
	Nicaragua 1904	Mexico It.	Perpetuity*	Min. of Agric. (6*)	(res. trans.)
	Salvador 1886, 1900	Mexico Sp., Fr., Costa R.	Life + 25*	D Min. of Agric. (1 before pub.)	None	Publication within country
	Panama 1904	None	Life + 80			As in Colombia
West Indies	Cuba 1879–1909	Mexico? U. S., It.	Life + 80*	Dept. of State (3)	None
	Haiti 1885	Berlin	Life + "	D Dept of Int., (5 within yr.)	None
	Dominican Rep. 1896	Mexico? Mex.	Uncertain
South America	Brazil 1891–1901	Portugal	50* from the 1st Jan. of yr. of pub.	Nat. Lib. (1 within 2 yrs.)	None* (res. playr.)
	Argentina 1910	Montevideo Belg., Sp., Fr., It.	Life + 10*	Nat. Lib. (2 within 15 or 30 days)	None*
	Uruguay 1868	Montevideo	Indefinite			No specific law
	Paraguay 1870, 1881, 1910	Montevideo Belg., Sp., Fr., It., U. S.		Public registries		Under penal code
	Chile 1833–1874	U. S.	Life + 5*	D Nat. Pub. Lib. (3)*	None
	Peru 1849, 1860	Montevideo	Life + 20*	D Pub. Lib. (1) + Dept. Pref. (1)	None
	Bolivia 1834, 1909	Montevideo Fr.	Life + 30*	R  Min. of Pub. Instruc. D Pub. Lib. (1 within yr.)
	Ecuador 1884, 1887	Sp., Fr., Mex.	Life + 50*	Min. of Pub. Educ. (3 within 6 mos.)*	None* (res. playr.)
	Colombia 1886, 1890	Sp., It.	Life + 80*	Min. of Pub. Educ. (3 within yr.)*	None
	Venezuela 1894, 1897	None.	Perpetuity	Registry (6)	Notice of patent
Australasia	Australasia
	Australia (Br.) 1905	See Gt. Brit.* Aus.-Hung. excepted	Life + 7 or 42*	Commonwealth Copyr. Office D (2)	Reserv. performing right
	New Zealand (Br.) 1842–1903	See Gt. Brit.	28 or life*	R Registrar of Coprs.* D libr. of Gen. Assem. (for plays only)
	Hawaii (U. S.)	See U. S.