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IP Treaties Collection
Contracting Parties Universal Copyright Convention 1952 United Kingdom

Dates Signature: September 6, 1952 Ratification: June 27, 1957 Entry into force: September 27, 1957

Territorial Information

Territorial application to Hong Kong notified on May 2, 1973. 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."

Territorial application to St. Vincent notified on August 10, 1967.

Territorial application to British Honduras notified on July 19, 1966. 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 …".

Territorial application to British Guiana notified on March 15, 1966.

Territorial application to Caiman Islands notified on March 11, 1966.

Territorial application to Grenada notified on February 15, 1966.

Territorial application to Bechuanaland, Montserrat, St. Lucia notified on February 8, 1966.

Territorial application to Mauritius notified on October 6, 1964.

Territorial application to Falkland Islands, Kenya, St. Helena, Seychelles notified on October 29, 1963. 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 …".

Territorial application to Virgin Islands notified on April 26, 1963.

Territorial application to Zanzibar, Bermuda, North Borneo, Bahamas notified on February 4, 1963.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".

Territorial application to Isle of Man, Fiji, Gibraltar, Sarawak notified on November 29, 1961.