The International Copyright Act, 1875 — 38 Vict. C. 12
An Act to amend the Law relating to International Copyright.
[13th May 1875.]
15 Vict. c. 12.
Whereas by an Act passed in the fifteenth year of the reign of Her present Majesty, chapter twelve, intituled “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” it is enacted, that “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 thereinafter 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 are first published and publicly represented:”
And whereas by the same Act it is further enacted, “that, subject to any provisions or qualifications contained in such order, and to the provisions in the said Act 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 order extends, which are not sanctioned by the authors thereof:”
And whereas by the sixth section of the said Act it is provided, that “nothing in the said Act 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:”
And whereas it is expedient to alter or amend the last-mentioned provision under certain circumstances.1764 Be it therefore enacted as follows, viz.:—
Section 6 of recited Act not to apply to dramatic pieces in certain cases.
I. In any case in which, by virtue of the enactments hereinbefore recited, any Order in Council has been or may hereafter be made for the purpose of extending protection to the translations of dramatic pieces first publicly represented in any foreign country, it shall be lawful for Her Majesty by Order in Council to direct that the sixth section of the said Act shall not apply to the dramatic pieces to which protection is so extended; and thereupon the said recited Act shall take effect with respect to such dramatic pieces and to the translations thereof as if the said sixth section of the said Act were hereby repealed.