Copyright (International Conventions) Order 1979 (S.I. 1979/1715)

Summary

This is a 1979 UK Order in Council made under the Copyright Act 1956, extending reciprocal copyright protection between the United Kingdom and various foreign countries and British overseas territories, including the British Virgin Islands. It applies the Act's protections for literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, sound recordings, cinematograph films, published editions and broadcasts to works and persons connected with the listed countries, treating them as if they originated in the UK.

• Reciprocal protection: Works, recordings, films and editions first published in, or persons and bodies connected with, countries listed in Schedules 1 and 2 (Berne Convention and Universal Copyright Convention members) receive the same copyright protection under the Act as UK works and UK persons.
• Sound recording performing rights: Countries listed in Schedule 3 additionally get exclusive rights to have their sound recordings performed in public and broadcast.
• Broadcast protection: Organisations from countries in Schedules 4 and 5 receive protection for their sound and television broadcasts equivalent to that given to UK broadcasters.
• Territorial extension: Parts I and II of the Order (and Part III for Gibraltar and Bermuda) are extended to the territories in Schedule 6, including the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, with modifications set out in Schedules 6 and 7.
• Revocations: A series of prior Copyright (International Conventions) Orders and amendments listed in Schedule 8 are revoked and superseded by this Order.
• Savings: Rights or expenditure lawfully incurred before the Order's commencement are protected, and no revived translation rights arise if such rights had already lapsed.

The Order is a piece of applied copyright law rather than a financial-sector compliance instrument; it does not impose reporting, licensing or filing duties on financial services businesses. It establishes which foreign works, persons and broadcasting organisations qualify for copyright protection under the Copyright Act 1956 as extended to the British Virgin Islands.

Applies to

authors and copyright owners of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, producers of sound recordings and cinematograph films, publishers of published editions, broadcasting organisations

Deadlines

• 24th January 1980: Date the Order came into operation, extending copyright protections (including to the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands)