Copyright: Its History and Its Law Part 38

Germany has treaties outside the Union with Austria-Hungary (1899), has special treaties beyond the provisions of the Union on the "most favored nation" basis, made in 1907 with Belgium, France, and Italy, and has been a "proclaimed" country in reciprocal relations with the United States since January 15, 1892. By proclamation of December 8, 1910, reciprocal relations as to mechanical music reproductions were also proclaimed between Germany and the United States.

{Sidenote: Austria-Hungary}

In Austria-Hungary, the dual states of that empire have separate copyright as well as other legislative relations. Austrian domestic copyright is based on the law of 1895, as amended by that of 1907, and Hungarian on the law of 1884. Copyright in Austria is dependent on publication within the country and citizenship or reciprocal relations; in Hungary on publication by a Hungarian publisher and two years'

residence in the case of foreign authors whose country is not in reciprocal relations. In Austria the general term is for life and thirty years, in Hungary life and fifty years, or for corporate, anonymous and like works, thirty or fifty years respectively, unless the anonymous author discloses his ident.i.ty. Registration, in Austria at the Ministry of Commerce, and in Hungary at the Ministry of Agriculture, is required only for anonymous and pseudonymous works, and in Hungary in other special cases, as plays. The right of translation must be reserved on the work, for specified languages or in general, and must be exercised within stated periods; notice is also required on photographs, and in Austria on musical works to protect performing right. Posthumous works, if published in the last five years of the thirty or fifty year term, are protected for five years from publication. Photographs are protected only for ten years in Austria and five years in Hungary. Collections of telegraph news, as printed in a newspaper, are protected in Hungary.

Austria and Hungary have a treaty with each other (1907), and jointly with Great Britain (1893), Germany (1899), France (1866-1884) and Italy (1890), involving in the case of Hungary registration in Hungary as well as in the country of origin. Austria has also treaties with Belgium (1910), Denmark (1907), Roumania (1908), and Sweden (1908), and has been in reciprocal relations with the United States as a "proclaimed" country since December 9, 1907; Hungary is negotiating reciprocal relations with the United States, but has otherwise no separate treaties. Neither Austria nor Hungary is a unionist country.

{Sidenote: Switzerland}

Switzerland, under its federal const.i.tution of 1874 and the law of 1883, provided copyright for life and thirty years or for corporate and like works thirty years, giving protection for the full term to translations if the right to translate is exercised within five years from publication. Photographs were protected for five years only. No formalities are required, though an author has the option of registering his work, with the exception that registration in the Office of Intellectual Property is required within three months from publication for the protection of posthumous and official publications and photographs. Notice of reservation of playright is required on printed copies. Switzerland was an original party to the Berne convention, accepted the Paris acts and ratified the Berlin convention without reservation in 1910. It has had reciprocal relations with the United States as a "proclaimed" country since July 1, 1891, and included copyright in a treaty with Colombia (1908).

{Sidenote: Scandinavian countries}

The Scandinavian countries, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, in which last copyright was formerly perpetual, now grant protection for life and fifty years as the general term, or fifty years for corporate and like works, an anonymous author having the right to the full term on printing his name in a new edition or declaring it by registration. Photographs are protected for five years--in Norway for fifteen years. The right to translate into a Scandinavian language is protected for the full term; into other languages for the full term in Norway, but in Denmark and Sweden only for ten years from the end of the year of publication of the original work, with an addition in Denmark that a translation published within these ten years protects the author for the full term against unauthorized translation into that language. No formalities are requisite, but in Norway the printer is required, though default does not affect copyright, to deposit a copy with the university library in Christiania within a year of publication. Notice is required, however, on photographs, and except in Sweden, to reserve right of musical performance. Denmark, by two laws of 1911, requires deposit and registration of photographs. Sweden makes the exceptions that works of art are protected for life and ten years and that playright is for life and thirty years, or for anonymous plays, only for five years, unless the author meantime discloses his ident.i.ty. In Denmark and Norway right of recitation and in Sweden playright must be specifically reserved.

{Sidenote: Scandinavian foreign relations}

Denmark's domestic copyright is covered by laws of 1865, 1902, 1904, 1908 and 1911, Norway's by those of 1877, 1882, 1893, 1909 and 1910, Sweden's by the general laws of 1897, codifying those of 1877, etc., respectively for literary, art and photographic works, and amendatory acts of 1904 and 1908. All three are unionist countries. Denmark remains under the Berne-Paris agreement, not having accepted the Berlin convention. Norway became party to the Berlin convention by ratification September 4, 1910, with reservations as to architectural works, in which it adheres to article IV of the Berne convention; as to newspaper and review articles, in which it adheres to article VII of the Berne convention; and as to the retroactive provision, in which it adheres to article XIV of the Berne convention. Sweden remains under the Berne convention and the interpretative declaration of Paris, not having accepted either the Paris additional act or the Berlin convention. Each Scandinavian country has a special copyright treaty with the other two (1877, 1879, 1881). Denmark has also a treaty with Austria (1907) and Sweden with Austria (1908). Denmark has had reciprocal relations with the United States as a "proclaimed" country since May 8, 1893, Norway since May 25, 1905, and as to mechanical music since June 14, 1911, and Sweden since June 1, 1911. A special law for Iceland, embodying in general the Danish provisions, was pa.s.sed in 1905, and the Danish law may be taken as covering the other Danish colonies, as the Danish West Indies, in lack of special legislation.

{Sidenote: Russia}

Russia early gave, in 1828-30, enlightened protection to authors, providing for a term of life and twenty-five years, with an added ten years under specified circ.u.mstances, and protecting an author's copyright from seizure by his creditors and from pa.s.sing from a bankrupt publisher except on fulfillment of the author's contract. Under the civil code of 1887, copyright was extended to life and fifty years, but playright was only nominally protected and the protection of translations was negatived by a decision that translations must be word for word. The new law sanctioned March 20, 1911, is a comprehensive and detailed code providing copyright for life and fifty years, except that certain collections are only protected for life and twenty-five years and periodicals for twenty-five years, photographs for ten years and translations on notice of reservation for ten years, the right to translate being exercised within five years from publication. Playright is protected, but on a musical work notice of protection must be printed. A photograph must bear notice of its purpose, date and author's name and domicile. Protection is accorded to all works published in Russia and works published by Russian subjects domiciled elsewhere; and provision is made for treaties on reciprocal conditions. The law treats also of relations between authors and publishers. Russia, though represented at Berlin, has as yet no international relations.

{Sidenote: Finland}

Finland, formerly an independent grand duchy, protects copyright under its law of 1880 for a general term of life and fifty years, with exceptions as to photographs, etc., and with provisions as to translation into the Finnish and Scandinavian languages similar to those of Scandinavian countries. Other provisions are similar to those of Russia. It has no exterior copyright relations.

{Sidenote: Spain}

Spain pa.s.sed a general copyright code in 1879, which applied not only to the Peninsula, but _ultramar_ to Cuba and the other colonies, and became a model for later legislation in several Spanish-American countries, under which code detailed regulations were promulgated in 1880. This code is enforced through the penal code of 1870 and the civil code of 1889. Ordinances from 1893 to 1910 deal with the regulations as to details. Spain grants copyright for life and eighty years on condition of registration by deposit of three signed copies with the Register of Intellectual Property in the Ministry of Agriculture, or in the provincial centres for registration, within one year from publication.

In default of registry within the year, any one may publish the work for ten years; and if after the ten years the author fails to register within the ensuing (twelfth) year, the work falls into the public domain. Protection is given for an indefinite term to works issued by the state and, to the extent of their legal existence, those from corporate bodies. A work a.s.signed within the life of the author, remains in the possession of the a.s.signee during the full term unless there are natural heirs (_herederos forzosos_--"forced" or inalienable heirs), in which case the right reverts to such heirs twenty-five years after the death of the author, on registry of such right and proof of succession under the regulations accompanying the act. This, according to the official Spanish print, is for the remaining fifty-five years--not, as in a French version, for twenty-five years only. A musical work is protected with reference to other instruments and to other forms in a provision so broad that it is possibly applicable to mechanical music reproductions. Writings and telegrams inserted in periodicals may be reproduced unless this is expressly forbidden by notice at the t.i.tle or at the end of the article--a provision which implies the protection of articles and telegrams in case of such notice of reservation. Works not republished for twenty years fall into the public domain, except in the case of unprinted dramatic or musical works,--unless the proprietor shows that during such period he has kept copies on sale. The protection of domestic law is extended by the terms of the law to citizens of countries having reciprocal relations, without additional formalities.

{Sidenote: Spanish foreign relations}

Spain was one of the original parties to the Berne convention, accepted the Paris acts and adopted the Berlin convention without reservation, through ratification by the King September 5, 1910. Spain has treaties with Portugal as well as with Belgium, France and Italy, all four made in 1880 on the "most favored nation" basis; it has relations with the United States under treaties of 1895, 1898 (the peace treaty), and 1902, and as a "proclaimed" country since July 10, 1895; and has treaties also with Colombia (1885), Costa Rica (1893), Ecuador (1900), Guatemala (1893), Mexico (1903) and Salvador (1884), mostly on the "most favored nation" basis, and relations under the Montevideo convention with Argentina and Paraguay (1900).

{Sidenote: Portugal}

Portugal, under its civil code of 1867 and penal code of 1886, grants copyright for life and fifty years to its citizens and to foreigners whose countries grant reciprocal relations. The foreign author, to protect a translation of his work, which protection is for ten years only, must provide such translation within three years. Translations of non-copyright works by a native translator are protected for thirty years. Two copies must be deposited before publication at the Public Library, or in the case of dramatic and musical publication in the Royal Conservatory in Lisbon. Portugal as a republic acceded to the Berlin convention from March 29, 1911. It has additional relations with Italy (1906) and Spain on the "most favored nation" basis (1880); and reciprocal relations with the United States as a "proclaimed" country since July 20, 1893, and with Brazil (1889).

{Sidenote: Italy}

Italy grants copyright under its law of 1882,--codifying its original law of 1865 and the dramatic law of 1875,--as promulgated by royal decree September 19, 1882, to become effective in 1885, and its civil code of 1889. It a.s.sures full copyright for life or forty years, whichever the longer. After forty years from first publication or, if the author live beyond that date, after his death, a second term of forty years begins, in which any person, on duly declaring his intention, may republish a work, on condition of paying five per cent royalty to the copyright proprietor. The state may expropriate any work after the death of an author on paying to the proprietor a compensation named by three experts. Government and society publications are copyright only for twenty years. An author may reserve rights of translation for ten years. Playright is for eighty years. Three copies of the printed work should be deposited at the prefecture of the province within three months, in default of which, infringement previous to deposit cannot be punished; and if deposit is not made within ten years, the author is understood to waive his rights. With the deposit copy a declaration of reservation of rights should be filed, for publication in a semi-annual list in the official gazette. Notice is required to reserve rights in periodical contributions. A ma.n.u.script copy of an unpublished play should be submitted within three months from first performance for _vise_, which ma.n.u.script is then returned. By the law of 1910, as to legal deposit, three copies must be delivered to the _Procureur du Roi_ in the district of the printing establishment for transmission to the official libraries in Florence, Rome and the respective province; failure to make such deposit does not affect the copyright, but involves a fine. The laws, both of 1865 and 1882, extended copyright to foreign works, on relations of reciprocity, without treaty arrangements and without additional formalities.

{Sidenote: Italian foreign relations}

Italy was an original party to the Berne convention and accepted the Paris acts, but has yet to ratify the Berlin convention. It has treaties with Austria-Hungary (1890), Montenegro (1900), Portugal (1906), Roumania (1906), San Marino (1897); also special treaties with Spain (1880), France (1884), and Germany (1907), all on the "most favored nation" basis. It has had reciprocal relations with the United States as a "proclaimed" country since October 28, 1892, and has also treaties with Colombia (1892), with Cuba (1903) and Mexico (1890) on the "most favored nation" basis, and with Nicaragua (1906); and also under the Montevideo convention, relations with Argentina and Paraguay (1900).

{Sidenote: San Marino}

San Marino, the tiny state enclosed within Italy, has pledged itself by the copyright provisions in its treaty with Italy (1897) to protect all works protected in Italy, by application of the Italian law.

{Sidenote: Monaco}

Monaco, under laws of 1889 and 1896, provides copyright for life and fifty years with the peculiar provision that copyright on anonymous and pseudonymous works extends fifty years beyond the death of the publisher, who is reputed author. No formalities are required except notice of reservation in respect to articles in periodicals. Monaco acceded to the Berne convention, in 1889, accepted the Paris acts and ratified the Berlin convention without reservation, December 19, 1910.

{Sidenote: Greece}

Greece originally provided for copyright protection under its penal code of 1833, with a term of fifteen years subject to royal extension. By the law of 1867 the printer of a work was required to deposit with the National Library two copies within ten days of publication, failure involving a fine of at least ten drachmas, but not forfeiture of copyright; and to this requirement was added by the law of 1910 a third copy for the Library of Parliament and a fourth for the local public library, with authority to transmit through the post. A dramatic copyright law of 1909 specifically covers playright, making the term life and forty years and preventing modification of a play by an a.s.signee. Greece has no international relations.

{Sidenote: Montenegro}

Montenegro, though it has no specific domestic copyright law, and only gives uncertain protection under its customary law and civil code of 1888, has treaties with France (1902) and Italy (1900). It had acceded to the Berne convention July 1, 1893, and accepted the Paris acts, but withdrew from the International Copyright Union April 1, 1900, "from motives of economy."

{Sidenote: Roumania and other Balkan states}

The Balkan states are led in copyright protection by Roumania, possibly owing to the influence of the literary queen "Carmen Sylva," which country, under the press law of 1862 and penal code of 1864, has protected copyright and playright, including probably translation, for life and ten years. Written registration is required at the Ministry of Instruction, and deposit of four copies was also required, though not on penalty of forfeiture of copyright. A later law, of 1904, repeals the deposit requirement. Roumania has copyright treaties with Belgium (1910), France (1907), these on the "most favored nation" basis, Austria (1908) and Italy (1906). Bulgaria and Servia seem to give no protection, except that accorded in Bulgaria by its penal code of 1896, and have no international relations.

{Sidenote: Turkey}

Turkey, which gave some protection to authors so far back as its penal code of 1857, pa.s.sed in 1910 a new copyright code providing for books, drama and music a term of life and thirty years, in which last the children, widow or widower, the parents and the grandchildren or their descendants should benefit in equal shares; and for works of art, including architecture, a term of life and eighteen years. Posthumous works are protected from publication for the years above stated.

Copyright includes right of translation, representation and adaptation; translations are protected, but the term extends only fifteen years after the death of the translator. The a.s.signment of publishing right does not include playright unless specifically stated. Reprint of periodical articles, unless forbidden, and extracts from books "in case of urgency or to the end of public utility," may be made on acknowledgment of the source. Reprint of works out of print may be licensed by the Ministry of Public Instruction. Registration is requisite with deposit of three copies, in the case of reproduced works, with the Ministry of Public Instruction, at Constantinople, or in its provincial offices on written application and a fee of a quarter of a Turkish pound, for which a certificate is issued. An annual publication of the copyright entries is provided for. The law is not in terms confined to Turkish subjects, but it may by the nature of Turkish legislation apply only within the Turkish Empire, though there seems to be hope that Turkey may adhere to the Berlin convention. Turkey is otherwise without international relations.

{Sidenote: j.a.pan}

j.a.pan, the only oriental power which is a unionist country, adopted a general copyright code in 1899 (March 3, as applied by ordinances of June 27 and 28), modifying a law of 1877, and in the same year (July 15) ratified the Berne-Paris agreements and became a member of the International Copyright Union. Amendatory acts were adopted in 1910, on June 14-15, broadening the scope to include architecture and providing as to details of registration. Under domestic legislation first publication in j.a.pan is the only requisite for copyright, but registration must be made in the Ministry of the Interior before action for infringement can be brought, and by disclosure of name to obtain the full term for anonymous and pseudonymous works. Registrations are printed in the official gazette. Protection is for life and thirty years, or thirty years for anonymous, posthumous and corporate works.

The right of translation is protected for ten years, and translations are protected for the full term; photographs for ten years only. t.i.tles are protected in copyrighted works, but not general t.i.tles. Periodical contributions must be protected by notice. j.a.pan accepted the convention of Berlin with reservations as to the exclusive right of translation, in which it adheres to Article V of the Berne convention as revised at Paris, and as to the public performance of musical works, in which it adheres to Article IX of the Berne convention. j.a.pan has treaties with China (1903) and with the United States (November 10, 1905, "proclaimed"

May 17, 1906), which, however, excepts translations, and also special treaties of August 11, 1908, covering j.a.panese protectorates in Korea and China.

{Sidenote: Korea}

Korea was formerly without copyright provisions, except as given by the above-named treaty and similar British provisions as to the consular court at Seoul, but since it has become practically a j.a.panese possession, it has been included by j.a.panese ordinance of 1908 under j.a.panese copyright law.

{Sidenote: China}

China promulgated, December 18, 1910, its first domestic copyright provisions, establishing a term of life and thirty years, on condition of registration by deposit of two copies at the Ministry of the Interior or corresponding provincial office, with a fee of five dollars. The protection does not include the exclusive right to translate foreign works into the Chinese language, although individual translations may be protected. Photographs, unless included in writings, are protected only for ten years from date of registration. These provisions require approval to be made effective. China has a treaty with j.a.pan (1903) and one of like date (October 8, 1903) with the United States, effective from January 13, 1904, protecting for ten years books, maps, prints, or engravings, "especially prepared for the use and education of the Chinese people" or "translation into Chinese of any book," but Chinese subjects are to have liberty to make "original translations into Chinese," so that the treaty affords little protection. By treaty with j.a.pan (August 11, 1908) j.a.pan's copyright protection is extended where it has extraterritorial jurisdiction, as in Canton and other places in China. By British Orders in Council of 1899, 1907, copyright protection against infringement by a British subject may be afforded by the consular court at Shanghai to foreign as well as British suitors under specified conditions.

{Sidenote: Siam}

Siam pa.s.sed a literary copyright law in 1901, giving identical rights with those in any other property for life and seven years, or for forty-two years, whichever the longer, on the conditions of printing and publication within the country, registration within a year and deposit of four copies. Siam has no treaty relations, but works printed and first published there possibly would have the benefit of the law.

British copyright protection is also extended through British consulates.

{Sidenote: Asia otherwise}

Persia and other native-governed countries seem to have no copyright protection, although Persia was represented at the Berlin conference.

Copyright provisions in British India, Ceylon and the other Asian colonies is covered in the preceding chapter on the British dominions.

The Dutch East Indies have copyright protection under Dutch law, and Indo-China under French law. The Philippine Islands, like the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), have copyright protection under United States law.