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IP Treaties Collection

Contracting Parties Berne Convention United Kingdom

Dates Signature: September 9, 1886 Ratification: September 5, 1887 Entry into force: December 5, 1887

Declarations, Reservations

Stockholm Act (1967): The instrument of accession contained a declaration provided for in Article 28(1)(b)(i) of the said Act to the effect that the accession does not apply to Articles 1 to 21 and to the Protocol Regarding Developing Countries. (see Berne Notification No. 7)

Accession to the Brussels Act (1948) subject to the specific declaration that the Government of this country accepts the provisions of Article 11 of the Act on the understanding that it remains free to enact such legislation as it considers necessary in the public interest to prevent or deal with any abuse of the monopoly rights conferred upon owners of copyright by the law of the United Kingdom. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1957, No.12, p.225-6)

Paris Act (1971): This State has declared that it admits the application of the Appendix of the Paris Act to works of which it is the State of origin by States which have made a declaration under Article VI(1)(i) of the Appendix or a notification under Article I of the Appendix. The declarations took effect on October 18, 1973, for Germany, on March 8, 1974, for Norway and on September 27, 1971, for the United Kingdom. (see Berne Notification No. 32)

Ratification of the Berlin Act (1908) subject to the following reservation: Article 18 of the Act is replaced by Article 14 of the Berne Convention, 1886, and Number 4 of the Final Protocol of the same date accompanying the latter Convention, in its version of Article 2, Number II, of the Paris Additional Act, 1896, in respect of the application of the Berlin Act, 1908, to works which have not yet fallen into the public domain in the country of origin at the time the Convention entered into force. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1912, No.7, p.90)

Additional Information

Stockholm Act (1967): Alternative entry into force date: February 26, 1970. (see Berne Notification No. 14)

Territorial Information

Application of the Brussels Act (1948) to Hong Kong: February 5, 1973; Entry into force: May 5, 1973. (see Berne Notification No. 43)

Application of the Brussels Act (1948) to St. Vincent: August 10, 1967; Entry into force: November 1, 1967. (see Copyright 1967, No.9, p.208)

Application of the Brussels Act (1948) to British Honduras: July 28, 1966; Entry into force: October 16, 1966. (see Copyright 1966, No.10, p.242)

Application of the Brussels Act (1948) to British Guyana: March 16, 1966; Entry into force: June 5, 1966. (see Copyright 1966, No.4, p.92)

Application of the Brussels Act (1948) to the Cayman Islands: March 10, 1966; Entry into force: June 4, 1966. (see Copyright 1966, No.4, p.91)

Application of the Brussels Act (1948) to Grenada: February 17, 1966; Entry into force: May 1, 1966. (see Copyright 1966, No.4, p.90-91)

Application of the Brussels Act (1948) to Montserrat and Saint Lucia: February 9, 1966; Entry into force: March 21, 1966. (see Copyright 1966, No.3, p.67)

Application of the Brussels Act (1948) to Bechuanaland: February 8, 1966; Entry into force: April 4, 1966. (see Copyright 1966, No.3, p.67)

Application of the Rome Act (1928) to Sarawak and Borneo: October 20, 1938; Entry into force: January 1, 1939. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1938, No.11, p.125)

Application of the Rome Act (1928) to Burma and Aden: September 12, 1938; Entry into force: April 1, 1937 (date of separation of Burma and Aden from British India). (see Le Droit d'auteur 1938, No.10, p.113)

Application of the Rome Act (1928) to Newfoundland: November 11, 1933; Entry into force: December 11, 1933. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1933, No.12, p.134)

Application of the Rome Act (1928) to the Federated Malay States: December 10, 1932; Entry into force: January 10, 1933. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1933, No.1, p.3)

Signature of the Rome Act (1928) applied also to Australia, Canada, India and New Zealand. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1932, No.1, p.2 and Le Droit d'auteur 1928, No.6, p.74)

Paris Act (1971): The United Kingdom extended the application of the Paris Act to the territory of the Bailiwick of Guernsey with effect from November 21, 2014. (see Berne Notification No. 267)

Paris Act (1971): The United Kingdom extended the application of the Paris Act to the territory of the Bailiwick of Jersey with effect from January 31, 2014. (see Berne Notification No. 260)

Paris Act (1971): The United Kingdom extended the application of the Paris Act to the Isle of Man with effect from March 18, 1996. (see Berne Notification No. 173)

Accession to the Berlin Act (1908) for Palestine: March 17, 1924; Entry into force: March 21, 1924. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1924, No.9, p.97)

Application of the Berlin Act (1908) to Jersey: February 4, 1914; Entry into force: March 8, 1913. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1914, No.3, p.33)

Application of the Berlin Act (1908) to Guernsey, Alderney and Sark: February 4, 1914; Entry into force: July 1, 1912. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1914, No.3, p.33)

Ratification of the Paris Additional Act (1896) extended also to Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1897, No.10, p.110)

Accession to the Berne Additional Protocol (1914) for Palestine: March 17, 1924; Entry into force: March 21, 1924. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1924, No.9, p.97)

The cessation of responsibility of the United Kingdom concerning the application of the Berne Convention to Hong Kong was notified on June 16, 1997, with effect from July 1, 1997. (see Berne Notification No. 185)

Ratification of the Berne Convention (1886) extended also to Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa. (see Le Droit d'auteur 1888, No.1, p.8)

The United Kingdom extended the application of the Convention to the territory of Gibraltar with effect from January 1, 2021. (see Berne Notification No. 286)