New Order to extend scope of protection for foreign works in the UK

There's a little bit of news from the United Kingdom which will excite everyone who enjoys reading secondary legislation: the Copyright and Performances (Application to Other Countries) Order 2012 (SI 2012/799) has been laid before Parliament and will enter into force on 6 April 2012 unless anything spectacular happens to it in the meantime.

What does this Order do? It provides a revised consolidated list of the protection accorded in the UK to works emanating from countries with which the UK now has a copyright relationship following the accession of those countries to conventions or treaties to which the UK is already committed:

* Yemen (Berne Convention); 

* Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liberia, the Republic of Korea and Tajikistan (Rome Convention); 

* Trinidad and Tobago, Morocco and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty); 

* Saudi Arabia (TRIPS).

The protection accorded under the UK's Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as endlessly amended, corresponds to the works that are the subject of the respective conventions and treaties.

When this Order comes into effect, it will revoke the Copyright and Performances (Application to Other Countries) Order 2008 and Article 1(3) of  the Copyright and Performances (Application to Other Countries) (Amendment) Order 2009.