Commons:Copyright rules by territory/Liberia
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Copyright rules: Liberia Shortcut: COM:LIBERIA | |
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.svg) | |
| Durations | |
|---|---|
| Standard | Life + 50 years |
| Photograph | Create + 50 years |
| Anonymous | Create/publish + 50 years |
| Audiovisual | Create/publish + 50 years |
| Government | Publish + 70 years |
| Applied art | Create + 50 years |
| Other | |
| Freedom of panorama | No |
| Terms run to year end | Yes |
| Common licence tags | {{PD-Liberia}} |
| ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 | LBR |
| Treaties | |
| Berne convention | 8 March 1989 |
| WTO member | 14 July 2016 |
This page provides an overview of copyright rules of Liberia relevant to uploading works into Wikimedia Commons. Note that any work originating in Liberia must be in the public domain, or available under a free license, in both Liberia and the United States before it can be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. If there is any doubt about the copyright status of a work from Liberia, refer to the relevant laws for clarification.
Background
Liberia began as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS) and declared its independence on 26 July 1847.
Liberia has been a member of the Berne Convention since 8 March 1989 and the World Trade Organization since 14 July 2016.[1]
As of 2018 the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an agency of the United Nations, listed An Act to Repeal an Act Adopting a New Copyright Law of the Republic of Liberia approved July 23, 1997; and the Industrial Property Act of Liberia approved March 20, 2003, constituting Title 24 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised, and to enact in their stead a New Title 24 to be known as the "Liberia Intellectual Property Act, 2016" as the main IP law enacted by the legislature of Liberia.[1] WIPO holds the text of this law in their WIPO Lex database.[2] The Act Adopting a New Copyright Law of the Republic of Liberia, July 23, 1997 is repealed in its entirety.[2016 §2.1]
General rules
Under the Liberia Intellectual Property Act, 2016,
- A literary, musical and artistic work, other than photographic work, is protected during the life of the author and for 50 years after the end of the year in which the author dies.[2016 §9.20(a)]
- A work of joint authorship is protected during the life of the last surviving author and for 50 years after the end of the year in which that author dies.[2016 §9.20(b)]
- An audiovisual work or sound recording is protected for 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made or first made available to the public by authorized publication or by any other means, whichever date is the latest.[2016 §9.20(c)]
- A broadcast is protected for 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the broadcast took place.[2016 §9.20(d)]
- A work published anonymously or under a pseudonym is protected for 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made or first made available to the public, by authorized publication, whichever date is the latest.[2016 §9.20(e)]
- A work of applied art is protected for 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made.[2016 §9.20(f)]
- A photograph is protected for 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made or first made available to the public by publication, whichever date is the latest.[2016 §9.20(g)]
These terms are similar to the terms under the repealed 1996 act.
Freedom of panorama
See also: Commons:Freedom of panorama
Not OK. The Liberia Intellectual Property Act, 2016 does not provide a provision permitting free uses, including commercial uses, of copyrighted public art and architecture located in public places. A close provision only allows use of "short excerpts" of public space works for reporting of current events purpose only.
- The following acts shall be permitted ... for the purpose of reporting current events, the reproduction and the broadcasting or other communication to the public by means of photography, audiovisual, broadcasting or other communication of short excerpts of a work seen or heard in the course of such events, to the extent justified by the purpose.[2016 §9.14(c)]]
See also
Citations
- ↑ a b Liberia Copyright and Related Rights (Neighboring Rights). WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization (2018). Retrieved on 2018-11-05.
- ↑ Liberia Intellectual Property Act, 2016. Liberia (2016). Retrieved on 2018-11-05.