Unification trends of European countries in the field of copyright in the second half of the 19th century

Abstract

Unification trends in European copyright law have progressed gradually. The beginnings of this process date back to the first half of the 19th century. The first step was bilateral agreements between individual countries. Then came the conclusion of the Convention in Bern, which was re-peatedly amended (1896, 1908, 1914, 1928, 1948, 1967, 1971). The greatest contribution to the uni-fication of European copyright law should be attributed to France and Belgium, which were among the seven European states signatory to the Bern Convention. Over time, more countries joined the Convention, which applies to this day.