c. 53 was passed giving them a perpetual copyright in all books which

might be bequeathed to them. This right they still retain.

[Sidenote: 5 & 6 Vict. c. 45.]

In 1842 the present literary Copyright Act was passed and the statute of Anne and the two amending statutes of Geo. III. repealed. The principal reform is the extension of the term of protection to a period of forty-two years certain, or for the author's life and seven years if that should prove longer. Perhaps the other most important change (it cannot decently be called a reform) is the reduction of registration at Stationers' Hall to a mere useless and troublesome technicality. Instead of being as formerly a condition precedent to protection, and therefore a useful index from which one could ascertain whether a book was copyright or not, it is now made merely a condition precedent to action, and registration can be effected the same day as that on which a writ is issued.

[Sidenote: Engravings.]

Meanwhile the engravers as well as the authors had been working for the proper protection of their art. In 1734 they first obtained a statute which, together with the amending statutes passed in 1766, 1776, and 1836 respectively, still contains the law of copyright in engravings, prints, etchings, and similar productions.

[Sidenote: Sculpture.]

In 1798 the sculptors obtained an Act. This was repealed by another Act obtained in 1813. This latter Act still contains the whole law as to copyright in sculpture.

[Sidenote: Dramatic Work.]

[Sidenote: Musical Work.]

In 1833 authors of dramatic work obtained from Parliament an exclusive right to perform their plays whether published or unpublished. By the Literary Copyright Act, 1842, the provisions of that Act are made applicable to performing rights in dramatic work, and performing rights are still regulated by both these Acts, which together contain the law on this subject. The Literary Copyright Act, 1842, also applied the provisions of both these Acts to performing rights in musical compositions hitherto unprotected in this respect. As regards musical composition, the law is amended by two subsequent Acts which must be read with the two older Acts.

[Sidenote: Lectures.]

In 1835 an Act was passed for the protection of copyright in lectures. This Act, although still in force, has become a dead letter since the requisite notice to two Justices of the Peace is troublesome, and lectures receive full protection from copying by common law and under the Literary Copyright Act, 1842. The Lectures Act never purported to give anything in the nature of a performing or lecturing right, but merely a protection from unauthorised reproduction in print.

[Sidenote: Paintings, Drawings, and Photographs.]

The artists were the last to obtain protection for their work. It was not until 1862 that an Act was passed giving statutory protection to paintings, drawings, and photographs. This Act contains the present law on the "Fine Arts."

[Sidenote: International Acts.]

[Sidenote: The Berne Convention.]

[Sidenote: The Paris Convention.]

From 1844 onwards there is a series of Acts known as the International Copyright Acts which extend the protection of the copyright law to works published in certain foreign countries. The last and principal international copyright Act is the International Copyright Act, 1886. That Act was passed in view of the Berne Convention of 1887 which was then in contemplation. The Berne Convention is an international copyright agreement whereby those states which are signatory to it agree that, subject to its terms, a work first published in any one of those states shall have copyright in all the others. The Berne Convention is now amended by the Paris Convention, 1898, and read together they form the present international agreement.

[Sidenote: Colonial Acts.]

There are several statutes dealing with the colonies dating from 1847.