Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
1886-09-09
1989-03-01
Summary
The Berne Convention establishes minimum standards for copyright protection, including automatic protection without registration, minimum terms of protection (life plus 50 years), and the principle of national treatment. The U.S. was a late adherent, joining in 1989 after decades of relying on the Universal Copyright Convention, partly because Berne's prohibition of registration formalities conflicted with U.S. copyright registration requirements.
Parties
U.S. Implementing Legislation
Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988
Pub. L. 100-568, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq.
Amended U.S. copyright law to comply with Berne Convention requirements, including eliminating mandatory copyright notice and clarifying the role of registration.
Key Cases
Golan v. Holder, 565 U.S. 302 (2012) — Congress may extend copyright protection to foreign works previously in the public domain to comply with Berne obligations