About Copyrights

All articles, stories, texts, and MIDI files that are found in this Web Hierarchy are © their respective authors, and subject to the appropriate © laws of the authors home country, as well as

The Berne Convention on Copyrights
signed in Berne, the 9th of September, 1886
changed Paris 1896, Berlin 1908, Berne 1914, Rome 1928, Brussel 1948, Stockholm 1967 and Paris 1971.

which does not include, amongst others, China, USSR, and the USA.
The United States signed in 1989. The USSR, now Russia, have since signed.

The World Convention on Copyrights
signed in Geneva, the 6th of September, 1952
changed Paris, 1971

The Berne Convention does not allow any country who has signed it to put additional demands on the material, eg. special marking, registry, etc. for the copyright to be valid. Throughout these countries, the copyright is automatic.

The World Convention allows this, and each country has their own rules. At the same time it states that, for a time, it is sufficient if the material is marked with the "©" symbol, and that the copyright owner's name, as well as the year of publication is placed on some visible place - the front page or similar.

Note that a "©" mark and name/year is needed for the material to be copyrighted in the USA, but not in the USSR. Comments on revised rules for the new Russia is welcomed ! Advice: place a © sign on Your material, and put Your name and the publication year on it, and it it will be protected under the jurisdiction of both the Bern and World Convention.

According to new information, a © mark is not needed in the US, see also 17 USC 102 for further reference.

See also

1. The World Intellectual Property Organization Diplomatic Conference
2. United States Copyright Office
3. The US Copyright Act Of 1976, As Amended (1994)
4. Copyright and Intellectual Property