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1 Berne Convention: Report (to Accompany Treaty Doc. 99-27) 1 (1988)

handle is hein.blasports/brncv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 100TH CONGRESS SEAEEXEC. REPT. 2d Session SENATE 100-17 BERNE CONVENTION JULY 14, (legislative day, JULY 8), 1988.-Ordered to be printed Mr. PELL, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany Treaty Doc. 99-27] The Committee on Foreign Relations, to which was referred the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works of September 9, 1886, completed at Paris on May 4, 1896, revised at Berlin on November 13, 1908, completed at Berne on March 20, 1914, and revised at Rome on June 2, 1928, at Brussels on June 26, 1948, at Stockholm on July 14, 1967, and at Paris on July 24, 1971 and amended in 1979, having considered the same, reports favor- ably thereon without amendment and recommends that the Senate give its advice and consent to ratification thereof. PURPOSE The purpose of the Berne Convention is to provide protection for the rights of authors in their literary and artistic works. The extent of protected works is broad, ranging from conventional works-such as books, motion pictures, and music-to new techno- logical works, including video cassettes and computer-related soft- ware. The convention contains detailed provisions that specify min- imum levels of protection to be provided by member nations. BACKGROUND Twelve years ago, Congress passed the Copyright Act of 1976, the first general revision of U.S. copyright law since 1909. The passage of this act was the culmination of years of legislative efforts. While a relatively obscure discipline, copyright law touches every American in their homes, schools, libraries, and workplaces. Deter- mining the scope of a law which deeply affects how all of us may enjoy books, films, television, programming, computer software, in- formation products and services, music, and visual arts requires 19-119