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Berne Notification No. 185
Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works

Cessation of Responsibility of the United Kingdom, from July 1, 1997, for International Rights and Obligations Arising from the Application of the Berne Convention to Hong Kong

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and has the honor to enclose a copy of a letter dated June 16, 1997, from His Excellency Mr. R.M.J. Lyne, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations at Geneva.

June 23, 1997

16 June 1997

United Kingdom Mission To the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organisations at Geneva

To: Dr. A. Bogsch, Director-General, World Intellectual Property Organisation

Sir,

I am instructed by Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to refer to the Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works done at Berne on 9 September 1886 as amended on 2 October 1979 at Paris; together with the Additional Act done at Paris 1896; the Revising Convention done at Berlin on 13 November 1908 and its Protocol done at Berne on 20 March 1914; and the Revising conventions done at Rome on 2 June 1928 and at Brussels on 26 June 1948 (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention") which applies to Hong Kong at present.

I am also instructed to state that, 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.

I should be grateful if the contents of this Note could be placed formally on record and brought to the attention of the other Parties to the Convention.

Please accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

R M J Lyne
Ambassador and Permanent Representative