PRIMARY SOURCES

ON COPYRIGHT

(1450-1900)

Directive for reciprocal copyright protection within the German Confederation, Berlin (1837)

Source: Max-Planck-Institut für Europäische Rechtsgeschichte, Frankfurt

Citation:
Directive for reciprocal copyright protection within the German Confederation, Berlin (1837), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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            Chapter 1 Page 1 of 3 total




- 161 -

(No. 1839) Patent of publication for the Resolution passed by the
Federal Convention of the German Confederation, on 9 November
of this year, in order to establish uniform principles for the protection
of literary and artistic property against reprinting and unauthorized
reproduction. Issued on 29 November, 1837.

We, Frederick William, by the Grace of God, King of
                  Prussia etc. etc.

Make known and announce:

      After the Federal Convention of the German Confederation has
assembled to deliberate how, in execution of the relevant provision
of Article 18 of the German Federal Act, as well as the Federal Resolution
of 2 April, 1835, whereby reprinting is prohibited throughout the whole
territory of the Confederation, uniform principles are to be established
for the protection of authors and also artists against the reprinting and
unauthorized reproduction of their works across the whole territory of
the Confederation, and after, in consequence of this, the German
Federal Governments, at the 31st Session of the Federal Convention
on 9 November of this year, have agreed on what follows:

            The Governments united in the German Confederation
            agree to apply the following principles for the benefit of
            literary and artistic works which appear within the
            territory of the German Confederation.

                        Art. 1. Literary products of all kinds, as well as
                  works of art, regardless of whether they have already
                  been published or not, may not be reproduced by
                  mechanical means without the consent of their
                  author or the person to whom the
                  latter has transferred his rights to the original.

                        Art. 2. The right, described in Article 1, of the
                  author, or of the person who has acquired the property
                  in the literary or artistic work, passes on to his heirs
                  and legal successors, and, insofar as the publisher is
                  named on the work, this right is to be recognized and
                  protected in all Confederate States for a period of at
                  least ten years.
                        This term of ten years is to be reckoned as starting


    



- 161 -

(No. 1839) Publikations=Patent über den, von der Deutschen Bundesversammlung unter
dem 9. November dieses Jahres gefassten Beschluß wegen gleichförmiger Grundsätze
zum Schutze des schriftstellerischen und künstlerischen Eigenthums gegen
Nachdruck und unbefugte Nachbildung. Vom 29. November 1837.

Wir, Friedrich Wilhelm, von Gottes Gnaden, König von
                  Preußen etc. etc.

Thun kund und fügen hiemit zu wissen:

      Nachdem die Deutsche Bundesversammlung darüber in Berathung ge-
treten ist, in Ausführung der betreffenden Bestimmung des Artikels 18. der
Deutschen Bundes=Akte, imgleichen des Bundesbeschlusses vom 2. April 1835,
wodurch der Nachdruck im Umfange des ganzen Bundesgebietes verboten wor=
den ist, gleichförmige Grundsätze zum Schutze der Schriftsteller und auch der
Künstler gegen Nachdruck und unbefugte Nachbildung ihrer Werke für den
ganzen Umfang des Bundesgebietes festzustellen, und nachdem in Folge dessen
die Deutschen Bundes=Regierungen in der 31sten Sitzung der Bundesversamm=
lung vom 9. November dieses Jahres sich dahin vereinigt haben:

            Die im Deutschen Bunde vereinigten Regierungen kommen überein,
            zu Gunsten der im Umfange des Bundesgebietes erscheinenden litera=
            rischen und artistischen Erzeugnisse folgende Grundsätze in Anwendung
            zu bringen.

                        Art. 1. Literarische Erzeugnisse alle Art, so wie Werke
                  der Kunst, sie mögen bereits veröffentlicht worden seyn oder nicht,
                  dürfen ohne Einwilligung des Urhebers oder Desjenigen, wel=
                  chem derselbe seine Rechte an dem Original übertragen hat,
                  auf mechanischem Wege nicht vervielfältigt werden.

                        Art. 2. Das im Artikel 1. Bezeichnete Recht des Urhe=
                  bers oder Dessen, der das Eigenthum des literarischen oder
                  artistischen Werkes erworben hat, geht auf dessen Erben und
                  Rechtsnachfolger über, und soll, in sofern auf dem Werke
                  der Herausgeber oder Verleger genannt ist, in sämmtlichen
                  Bundesstaaten mindestens während eines Zeitraums von zehn
                  Jahren anerkannt und geschützt werden.
                        Diese Frist von zehn Jahren ist für die in den letzt verflos-

    


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