Page:Copyright, Its History And Its Law (1912).djvu/453

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OTHER COUNTRIES
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tion within Mexico. Private letters may not be published without consent of both correspondents or their heirs, except for proof of right or in the pubUc interest, or for the progress of science. Mexico does not seem to be a party to any convention, not even that of Mexico City, but has had reciprocal relations with the United States as a "proclaimed" country since February 27, 1896, and has treaties with the Dominican Republic (1890) and Ecuador (1888), and with Belgium (1895), France (1886), Italy (1890), and Spain (1903), all on the "most favored nation" basis. To obtain Mexican copyright, it seems necessary to execute a power of attorney, validated by a Mexican consul, to a representative in Mexico City for the registration and deposit at the Ministry.

Central American states: Costa Rica Of the five nations of Central America, Costa Rica, under penal and civil codes of 1880 and 1888 and a copyright law of 1896, grants copyright, including playright, for life and fifty years, with provisions for return to heirs after twenty years and other variations after the Spanish model, on registration and deposit within a year of three copies of a printed work at the office of Public Libraries, on condition of residence or reciprocity. GuatemalaGuatemala, under a decree of 1879, Guatemala grants copyright for literary works in perpetuity on registration and deposit of four copies at the Ministry of Public Education to "inhabitants of the Republic," —with the curious provision that an assignee cannot prevent republication with "essential modifications" by the author. Right of translation must be reserved by notice. A sealed envelope with name of

author must accompany an anonymous book. HondurasHonduras, under its constitution of 1894, has provisions in its civil and penal codes of 1898 guaranteeing to an author of a literary, scientific or artistic work the general property rights, pending passage of a copy-