Author Description

This commentary deals with the history and development of the major international agreements affecting copyright and related rights, including the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works 1886-1970, the Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Phonogram Producers and Broadcasting Organisations 1961, the WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties 1996 and the TRIPS Agreement (so far as it affects copyright and related rights). Doctrinal analysis exposes gaps and ambiguities in the current text and considers the extent to which subsequent international instruments have resolved those questions. The authors analyze questions of subject matter coverage, copyright ownership, duration, nature and scope of rights, and exceptions and limitations to copyright protection. Extensive analysis of private international law matters also figures prominently, with two chapters devoted to problems of international jurisdiction and choice of law.