Copyright arises at the moment of creation of a creative work of science, literature and art. In most countries, copyright refers to the exclusive right and other personal non-property rights, such as the right of authorship and the right to the name of the author. Copyright applies worldwide.
The first significant international agreement in this area of law is the Berne Convention, signed back in 1886.
The Convention is governed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). According to the provisions of the Berne Convention, a basic legal minimum for copyright protection must be adopted in the legislation of each member state.
The countries that are parties to the convention provide each other with mutual assistance in copyright infringement. The Berne Agreement has united more than 160 countries, each of which is distinguished by its unique manifestation of copyright.
In most parts of the world, copyright registration is not compulsory; however, in the United States, for example, the Copyright Act provides for the compulsory deposit of works published in the United States.
Citizens of countries that are members of the WTO or are members of the Berne Convention have the opportunity to deposit works of authorship in the "Copyright Office" depository at the US Library of Congress, which has earned a worldwide reputation. Creative works deposited in the Copyright Office are recognized by any court in the world.
