Page:Copyright, Its History And Its Law (1912).djvu/407

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BRITISH EMPIRE 375

the American code. The act covers as Part I, Im- perial copyright, Part II, International copyright, Part III, Supplemental provisions. The act extends throughout His Majesty's dominions, but is not to be in force in a self-governing dominion (Canada and Newfoundland, Australia and New Zealand, and South Africa) unless enacted by the legislature there- of, either in full or with modifications relating ex- clusively to procedure and remedies or necessary to adapt the act to the circumstances of the domin- ion, in case of which adoption the legislature may repeal the act or enact supplementary legislation with reference to works first published or whose authors are resident within the dominion. Thus the bill practically permits the self-governing colonies to legislate independently, each for itself within its do- main. The act may also be extended by Orders in Council to English protectorates "and Cyprus." Its provisions are also made applicable (by Part II on international copyright) through Orders in Council to subjects or citizens of foreign countries, directly or through separate action by self-governing dominions, under conditions which practically cover countries within the International Copyright Union under the Berne-Berlin conventions, though these are not named in the act; and to countries having reciprocal relations, — with authority to the Crown to with- draw any benefits of the act from citizens of countries not giving reciprocal protection. This code is based largely upon previous British practice, though with considerable extension and improvement.

Copyright under this code covers "every original Scope and literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic work," first ^^^"^ published within the included parts of His Majesty's dominions, and in the case of an unpublished work, the author of which was "at the date of the making