Copyright Law.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 938, 7 December 1933, Page 10

Copyright Law.

Dear Sir,—Harold Herd, in “ The Writer’s Guide ”, says, in connection with the English Copyright Act: “A provision of much importance to the free-lance journalist is that which lays down that, unless there is an agreement to the contrary, the right to further publication of any article or other contribution to a newspaper or periodical shall be reserved to the author. . . This provision does not cover any contribution written by a professional journalist in the ordinary course of his work, the employer being, in this case, the owner of the copyright.” Does the foregoing hold good in New Zealand? Also, in the case of, for instance, your Christmas story competition, would a prize-winner be at liberty, without jour permission, to republish his winning effort in book form or in any other newspaper or periodical—always presuming, of course, that the author’s full copyright therein has not specifically been assigned to the “ Star ” in this case. Further, can you say what is the term of copyright in New Zealand? American is twenty-eight years, with right of renewal for a further twenty-eight years; British is for the life of the author and a period of fifty years after his death.—l am, etc., FREE-LANCE.

In New Zealand, unless the author specially retains the right of republication, the copyright passes to the newspaper, and first publication is evidence of copyright. The prize-winners in the 44 Star’s ” Christmas story competition could not republish without permission of the “ Star ”, Copyright in New Zealand extends for forty-four years beyond the death of the author.—Ed. 44 Star