The International Copyright Act, 1852 — 15 & 16 Vict. C. 12
An Act to enable Her Majesty to carry into effect a Convention with France on the subject of Copyright; to extend and explain the International Copyright Acts: and to explain the Acts relating to Copyright in Engravings.
[28th May 1852.]
Whereas an Act was passed in the Seventh Year of the Reign of Her present Majesty, intituled An Act to amend the Law relating to International Copyright, hereinafter called “The International Copyright Act”: And whereas a Convention has lately been concluded between Her Majesty and the French Republic, for extending in each Country the Enjoyment of Copyright in Works of Literature and the Fine Arts first published in the other, and for certain Reductions of Duties now levied on Books, Prints, and Musical Works published in France: And whereas certain of the Stipulations on the Part of Her Majesty contained in the said Treaty require the Authority of Parliament: And whereas it is expedient that such Authority should be given, and that Her Majesty should be enabled to make similar Stipulations in any Treaty on the Subject of Copyright which may hereafter be concluded with any Foreign Power: Be it enacted as follows:
I. The 18th Section of 7 Vict. c. 12 shall be repealed so far as the same is inconsistent with the provisions hereinafter contained.
II. Her Majesty may by Order in Council1749 direct that the Authors of Books which are after a future Time to be specified in such Order, published in any foreign Country to be named in such Order, their Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, shall, subject to the Provisions hereinafter contained or referred to, be empowered to prevent the Publication in the British Dominions of any Translations of such Books not authorised by them, for such Time as may be specified in such Order, not extending beyond the Expiration of five Years from the Time at which the authorised Translations of such Books hereinafter mentioned are respectively first published, and in the case of Books published in Parts not extending as to each Part beyond the Expiration of Five Years from the Time at which the authorised Translation of such Part is first published.
III. Subject to any Provisions or Qualifications contained in such Order and to the provisions herein contained or referred to, the Laws and Enactments for the Time being in force for the purpose of preventing the Infringement of Copyright in Books published in the British Dominions, shall be applied for the Purpose of preventing the publication of Translations of the Books to which such Order extends which are not sanctioned by the Authors of such Books, except only such Parts of the said Enactments as relate to the Delivery of Copies of Books for the Use of the British Museum and for the Use of the other Libraries therein referred to.
IV. Her Majesty may by Order in Council direct that Authors of Dramatic Pieces which are after a future Time to be specified in such Order, first publicly represented in any Foreign Country, to be named in such Order, their Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, shall, subject to the Provisions hereinafter mentioned or referred to, be empowered to prevent the Representation in the British Dominions of any Translation of such Dramatic Pieces not authorised by them, for such Time as may be specified in such Order, not extending beyond the Expiration of Five Years from the Time at which the Authorised Translations of such Dramatic Pieces hereinafter mentioned are first published or publicly represented.
V. Subject to any Provisions or Qualifications contained in such last-mentioned Order and to the Provisions hereinafter contained or referred to, the Laws and Enactments for the Time being in force for ensuring to the Author of any Dramatic Piece first publicly represented in the British Dominions, the sole Liberty of representing the same shall be applied for the Purpose of preventing the Representation of any Translations of the Dramatic Pieces to which such last-mentioned Order extends, which are not sanctioned by the Authors thereof.1750
VI. Nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to prevent fair Imitations or Adaptations to the English Stage of any Dramatic Piece or Musical Composition published in any Foreign Country.
VII. Notwithstanding any thing in the said International Copyright Act or in this Act contained any Article of Political Discussion which has been published in any Newspaper or Periodical in a Foreign Country may, if the source from which the same is taken be acknowledged, be republished or translated in any Newspaper or Periodical in this Country: and any Article relating to any other Subject which has been so published as aforesaid may, if the source from which the same is taken be acknowledged, be republished or translated in like Manner, unless the Author has signified his Intention of preserving the Copyright therein and the Right of Translating the same in some conspicuous Part of the Newspaper or Periodical in which the same was first published, in which case the same shall without the Formalities required by the next following Section, receive the same Protection as is by virtue of the International Copyright Act or this Act extended to Books.
VIII. No Author, or his Executors, Administrators, or Assigns shall be entitled to the Benefit of this Act, or of any Order in Council issued in pursuance thereof, in respect of the Translation of any Book or Dramatic Piece, if the following Requisitions are not complied with; (that is to say)
1. The original Work from which the Translation is to be made must be registered and a Copy thereof deposited in the United Kingdom in the manner required for Original Works by the said International Copyright Act within Three Calendar Months of its First Publication in the Foreign Country:
2. The Author must notify on the Title Page of the original Work, or if it is published in Parts on the Title Page of the first Part, or if there is no Title Page on some conspicuous Part of the Work, that it is his Intention to reserve the Right of Translating it:
3. The Translation sanctioned by the Author, or a Part thereof, must be published either in the country mentioned in the Order in Council, by virtue of which it is to be protected, or in the British Dominions, not later than One Year after the Registration and Deposit in the United Kingdom of the original Work, and the whole of such Translation must be published within Three Years of such Registration and Deposit:
4. Such Translation must be registered, and a Copy thereof deposited in the United Kingdom within a Time to be mentioned in that Behalf in the Order by which it is protected, and in the Manner provided by the said International Copyright Act for the Registration and Deposit of Original Works:
5. In the Case of Books published in Parts each Part of the original Work must be registered and deposited in this Country in the Manner required by the said International Copyright Act within Three Months after the first Publication thereof in the Foreign Country:
6. In the Case of Dramatic Pieces the Translation sanctioned by the Author must be published within Three Calendar Months of the Registration of the Original Work:
7. The above Requisitions shall apply to Articles originally published in Newspapers or Periodicals, if the same be afterwards published in separate form, but shall not apply to such Articles as originally published.1751
IX. All Copies of any Works of Literature or Art wherein there is any subsisting Copyright by virtue of the International Copyright Act and this Act, or of any Order in Council made in pursuance of such Acts or either of them, and which are printed, reprinted, or made in any Foreign Country, except that in which such Work shall be first published, and all unauthorised Translations of any Book or Dramatic Piece, the Publication or public Representation in the British Dominions of Translations whereof not authorised as in this Act mentioned shall for the Time being be prevented under any Order in Council made in pursuance of this Act, are hereby absolutely prohibited to be imported into any Part of the British Dominions, except by, or with the Consent of the registered Proprietor of the Copyright 6f such Work or of such Book or Piece, or his Agent authorised in Writing; and the Provision of 5 & 6 Vict. c. 45, for the Forfeiture, Seizure, and Destruction of any printed Book first published in the United Kingdom wherein there shall be Copyright, and reprinted in any Country out of the British Dominions, and imported into any Part of the British Dominions by any Person not being the Proprietor of the Copyright, or a Person authorised by such Proprietor, shall extend and be applicable to all Copies of any Works of Literature and Art, and to all Translations, the Importation whereof into any Part of the British Dominions is prohibited under this Act.
X. The Provisions hereinbefore contained shall be incorporated with the International Copyright Act, and shall be read and construed therewith as One Act.
XI. [Clause dispensing with a further Order in Council in respect of the Convention with France, Rep. Int. Cop. Act, 1886, sec. 12].
XII., XIII. [Clauses dealing with Duties on imported Works, Rep. Stat. Law Rev. Act, 1875].
XIV. And Whereas by the Four several Acts of Parliament following; (that is to say) 8 Geo. II. c. 13; 7 Geo. III. c. 38; 17 Geo. III. c. 57; 6 & 7 Will. IV. c. 59, Provision is made for securing to every Person who invents or designs, engraves, etches, or works in Mezzotinto or Chiaro oscuro, or, from his own Work, Design, or Invention, causes or procures to be designed, engraved, etched, or worked in Mezzotinto or Chiaro oscuro any Historical Print or Prints, or any Print or Prints of any Portrait, Conversation, Landscape, or Architecture, Map, Chart or Plan, or any other Print or Prints whatsoever, and to every Person who engraves, etches, or works in Mezzotinto or Chiaro oscuro, or causes to be engraved, etched, or worked, any Print taken from any Picture, Drawing, Model, or Sculpture, notwithstanding such Print has not been graven or drawn from his own original Design, certain Copyrights therein defined: And whereas doubts are entertained whether the Provisions of the said Acts extend to Lithographs and certain other Impressions, and it is expedient to remove such Doubts:
It is hereby declared, That the Provisions of the said Acts are intended to include Prints taken by Lithography, or any other Mechanical Process by which Prints or Impressions of Drawings or Designs are capable of being multiplied indefinitely, and the said Acts shall be construed accordingly.