Protocol 2 annexed to the Universal Copyright Convention concerning the application of that Convention to the works of certain international organizations

Geneva, Switzerland
06 September 1952
Theme: 
Culture

 

The State parties hereto, being also parties to the Universal Copyright Convention (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention"),

Have accepted the following provisions:

1. (a) The protection provided for in Article II (1) of the Convention shall apply to works published for the first time by the United Nations, by the Specialized Agencies in relationship therewith, or by the Organization of American States;
(b) Similarly, Article II (2) of the Convention shall apply to the said orga-nization or agencies.

2. (a) This Protocol shall be signed and shall be subject to ratification or acceptance, or may be acceded to, as if the provisions of Article VIII of the Convention applied hereto.
(b) This Protocol shall enter into force for each State on the date of deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession of the State concerned or on the date of entry into force of the Convention with respect to such State, whichever is the later.

 

IN FAITH WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized thereto, have signed this Protocol.

Done at Geneva, this sixth day of September 1952, in the English, French and Spanish languages, the three texts being equally authoritative, in a single copy which shall be deposited with the Director-General of UNESCO.

The Director-General shall send certified copies to the signatory States, to the Swiss Federal Council, and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for registration.

Depositary: 
UNESCO
Opened for Signature: 
6 September 1952 for a period of 120 days. Protocol Annex 2 has been signed by the following States:
Country Notes Date
Andorra 06 September 1952
Argentina 06 September 1952
Australia 06 September 1952
Austria 06 September 1952
Belgium 30 December 1952
Brazil 06 September 1952
Canada 06 September 1952
Chile 06 September 1952
Cuba 06 September 1952
Denmark 06 September 1952
El Salvador 06 September 1952
Finland 06 September 1952
France 06 September 1952
Federal Republic of Germany 06 September 1952
Guatemala 06 September 1952
Haiti 06 September 1952
Holy See 06 September 1952
Honduras 06 September 1952
India 06 September 1952
Ireland 06 September 1952
Israel 16 December 1952
Italy 06 September 1952
Japan 03 January 1953
Liberia 06 September 1952
Luxembourg 06 September 1952
Mexico 06 September 1952
Monaco 06 September 1952
Netherlands 06 September 1952
Nicaragua 06 September 1952
Norway 06 September 1952
Peru 02 December 1952
Portugal 06 September 1952
San Marino 06 September 1952
Spain 06 September 1952
Sweden 06 September 1952
Switzerland 06 September 1952
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 06 September 1952
United States of America 06 September 1952
Uruguay 06 September 1952
Yugoslavia 06 September 1952
Entry into force: 
16 September 1955, in accordance with paragraph 2(b)
State Parties:
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Country Group Date
Andorra Group I 31 December 1952
Cambodia Group IV 03 August 1953
Pakistan Group IV 28 April 1954
Lao People's Democratic Republic Group IV 19 August 1954
Haiti Group III 01 September 1954
Spain Group I 27 October 1954
United States of America Group I 06 December 1954
Costa Rica Group III 07 December 1954
Chile Group III 18 January 1955
Israel Group I 06 April 1955
Germany Group I 03 June 1955
Monaco Group I 16 June 1955
Holy See 05 July 1955
Luxembourg Group I 15 July 1955
France Group I 14 October 1955
Switzerland Group I 30 December 1955
Japan Group IV 28 January 1956
Liberia Group V (a) 27 April 1956
Portugal Group I 25 September 1956
Italy Group I 24 October 1956
Mexico Group III 12 February 1957
Ecuador Group III 05 March 1957
Cuba Group III 18 March 1957
Austria Group I 02 April 1957
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Group I 27 June 1957
India Group IV 21 October 1957
Argentina Group III 13 November 1957
Ireland Group I 20 October 1958
Liechtenstein 22 October 1958
Lebanon Group V (b) 17 July 1959
Brazil Group III 13 October 1959
Belgium Group I 31 May 1960
Sweden Group I 01 April 1961
Nicaragua Group III 16 May 1961
Denmark Group I 09 November 1961
Paraguay Group III 11 December 1961
Ghana Group V (a) 22 May 1962
Panama Group III 17 July 1962
Norway Group I 23 October 1962
Finland Group I 16 January 1963
Greece Group I 24 May 1963
New Zealand Group IV 11 June 1964
Guatemala Group III 28 July 1964
Kenya Group V (a) 07 June 1966
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Group III 30 June 1966
Netherlands Group I 22 March 1967
Tunisia Group V (b) 19 March 1969
Australia Group IV 24 July 1969
Mauritius Group V (a) 20 August 1970
Hungary Group II 23 October 1970
Morocco Group V (b) 08 February 1972
Sri Lanka Group IV 27 July 1988
Rwanda Group V (a) 10 August 1989
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Group III 22 December 1989
Slovenia Group II 05 November 1992
Uruguay Group III 12 January 1993
Czechia Group II 26 March 1993
Slovakia Group II 31 March 1993
Bosnia and Herzegovina Group II 12 July 1993
North Macedonia 30 April 1997
Serbia Group II 11 September 2001
Montenegro Group II 26 April 2007
Declarations and Reservations: 

Hungary

(Translation) "(…) the Hungarian Permanent Delegation declares on behalf of the Presidential Council of the Hungarian People’s Republic that the provisions of Article XIII of the said Convention are contrary to the fundamental principle of international law concerning the self-determination of peoples, which the United Nations General Assembly also wrote into its resolution 1514(XV) on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples (…)".

(See Letter CL/2117 of 7 December 1970)

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

(Translation) "In acceding to the Universal (Geneva) Copyright Convention of 1952, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics declares that the provisions of Article XIII of the Convention are outdated and are contrary to the Declaration of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples (Resolution 1514(XV), 14 December 1960), which proclaims the necessity of bringing to a speedy and unconditional end colonialism in all its form and manifestations".

(See Letter CL/2275 of 20 April 1973)

Territorial Applications: 
Notification by Date of receipt of notification Extension to
Belgium 24 January 1961 Rwanda, Burundi (see Letter CL/1478 of 15 March 1961)
China 09 June 1997 Hong Kong (see Note 1) (see Letter LA/DEP/1997/14)
China 02 December 1999 Macao (see Letter LA/DEP/1999/22)
France 16 November 1955 Departments of Algeria, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guiana, Reunion (see Letter CL/1078 of 23 November 1955)
New Zealand 11 June 1964 Cook Islands (including Niue), Tokelau Islands (see Letter CL/1736 of 6 August 1964)
Portugal 23 July 1999 Macao (see Letter LA/DEP/1999/11)
United Kingdom 29 November 1961 Isle of Man, Fiji, Gibraltar, Sarawak
United Kingdom 04 February 1963 Zanzibar, Bermuda, North Borneo (see Note 2)
United Kingdom 26 April 1963 Bahamas,Virgin Islands
United Kingdom 29 October 1963 Falkland Islands (see note 3), Kenya, St Helena, Seychelles
United Kingdom 06 October 1964 Mauritius
United Kingdom 08 February 1966 Bechuanaland, Montserrat, St Lucia
United Kingdom 15 February 1966 Grenada
United Kingdom 11 March 1966 Caiman Islands
United Kingdom 15 March 1966 British Guiana
United Kingdom 19 July 1966 British Honduras (see Note 4)
United Kingdom 10 August 1967 St Vincent
United Kingdom 02 May 1973 Hong Kong (see Letter CL/2298 of 14 August 1973) (see Note 5)
United States 06 December 1954 Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal Zone (see Note 6), Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands (see Letter CL/1013 of 4 January 1955)
United States 17 May 1957 Guam (see Letter CL/1213 of 18 June 1957)
Notes: 

Note 1

On 9 June 1997, the Director-General of UNESCO received from the Government of the People’s Republic of China a notification informing him that "The Universal Copyright Convention (adopted on 6 September 1952, and as revised in 1971), to which the instrument of accession was deposited by the Government of People’s Republic of China on 30 July 1992 (hereinafter referred to as the Convention), which applies to Hong Kong at present, will continue to apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with effect from 1 July 1997, and meanwhile the Government of the People’s Republic of China states that the statement* made by the Government of the People’s Republic of China at the time when its instrument of accession was deposited in accordance with the provision of Para. 2, Article V of the Convention, applies also to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. [*Depositary’s note: the statement referred to indicated that the Government of the People’s Republic of China will avail itself of the exceptions for which provision is made in Article Vter and Vquater of the Convention]. Within the above ambit, responsibility for the international rights and obligations of a party to the above mentioned Convention will be assumed by the Government of the People’s Republic of China."

Note 2

On 3 May 1963, the Director-General of UNESCO received from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines a communication dated 16 April 1963 informing him that the Philippines Government does not recognize the declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom concerning the application of the provisions of the Universal Copyright Convention to North Borneo.

The Government of the United Kingdom informed the Director-General of UNESCO by a communication dated 29 August 1963 that "… Her Majesty's Government have no doubt of the validity of the declaration made by the United Kingdom whereby the Convention applies to North Borneo, a territory over which the United Kingdom has full sovereignty".

(See Letter CL/1652 of 27 May 1963 and letter CL/1678 of 25 September 1963)

Note 3

The Director-General of UNESCO received from the Government of Argentina a communication dated 28 January 1964 informing him that the Government of Argentina does not recognize the declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom concerning the application of the Convention to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The Government of the United Kingdom informed The Director-General of UNESCO by a communication dated 12 March 1964 that "… Her Majesty's Government … have no doubts as to their sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and they reserve their rights in this matter…"

(See letter CL/1704 of 2 March 1964 and letter CL/1718 of 20 April 1964)

Note 4

On 27 September 1966 the Director-General of UNESCO received from the Government of Guatemala a communication dated 19 September 1966 informing him that this Government contests the inclusion of the territory of Belize within the English colonies and they reserve their rights on this Guatemalan territory.

The Government of the United Kingdom informed The Director-General of UNESCO by a communication dated 17 February 1967 that "… Her Majesty's Government … have no doubts as to their sovereignty over the territory of British Honduras and they reserve their rights in this matter…"

(See Letter CL/1855 of 22 November 1966 and letter CL/1872 of 11 April 1967)

Note 5

On 30 June 1997 the Director-General received from the Government of United Kingdom the following notification: "... in accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong signed on 19 December 1984, the Government of the United Kingdom will restore Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China with effect from 1 July 1997. The Government of the United Kingdom will continue to have international responsibility for Hong Kong until that date. Therefore, from that date the Government of the United Kingdom will cease to be responsible for the international rights and obligations arising from the application of the Convention to Hong Kong."

Note 6

Panama sent a communication dated 21 November 1957 contesting the right of the Government of the United States of America to extend the application of the Convention to the Panama Canal Zone. The Government of the United States of America informed the Director-General of UNESCO by a communication dated 28 February 1958, that such extension was proper under Article 3 of its 1903 Treaty with Panama.

(See Letter CL/1963 of 13 February 1958 and letter CL/1284 of 22 April 1958)