984
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 30TH OCTOBER, 1896.
On that occasion the Council gave expression to the idea that it would be a real gain to establish between the Governments of all civilized countries a general understanding on the grand principle which is the basis of the Association, and which consists in assuring a protection as efficacious as possible, without regard to political frontiers, to the productions of the human brain in the higher walks of literature and of art. It also thought it expedient to point out that a Diplomatic Conference appeared to be the best manner for ascertaining if and how a common agreement could be arrived at for an international protection to be accorded to authors of literary and artistic works; and it added that if the proposition should find favour with the Powers, it would give itself the honour of inviting I them to send Representatives to a Conference to assemble in the course of the year 1884.
The Swiss Federal Council has now the satisfaction to state that its initiative has been crowned with success, and it considers it a duty to express to the Powers its gratitude for the favourable recep tion which they have been good enough to give to its proposal, and it does not despair of arriving, with their valuable assistance, at the high aim which it proposed to itself.
It appears, from the notes received, that the fundamental idea of the project of the International Literary Association is in principle generally admitted, by which all civilized States ought to extend to literary and artistic creations which first see light in another State the protection which they grant to the product of native talent; this general agreement creates thus a broad basis on which to found further steps of progress. The first thing is to study in what way this can be done without inter- fering too forcibly with the internal legislation of particular States, or with existing International Con- ventions.. The Federal Council imagines that the prospective Conference ought not to pass Resolutions of a nature to bind the different States, but that it ought to be of a preliminary nature, and give itself no other duty than that of determining the general principles which have the greatest chance of being realized in the present state of affairs. The provisional results thus obtained would then be submitted to the examination of the Powers, and it would then be seen if it were possible to constitute the pro- jected general Union. Encouraged by the most satisfactory reception it has received from the Powers, the Swiss Federal Council has resolved to convoke a Diplomatic Conference for the 8th September at Berne, where it will meet at 10 in the morning in the State Council Hall, and it has the honour to invite your Lordship to send a Representative.
The Federal Council hopes that the united efforts of the eminent Delegates who will meet at Berne will succeed in making some progress in this great work now begun.
The Federal Council reserves the right of sending later to the Powers a draft and documents to serve as a basis for the deliberations of the Conference.
The Swiss Federal Council begs your Lordship to be so good as to let them know if they may count upon the participation of the English Government in the International Conference, the date of which is named above, and avails, &c.
In the name of the Swiss Federal Council :
ነ
The President of the Confederation,
The Chancellor of the Confederation,
(Signed) WELTI. 32000
(Signed)
RINGIER.al
apture
No. 12.
Earl Granville to M. Vernet.
Sir,
Foreign Office, July 8, 1884.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 3rd instant, inclosing a Circular note inviting the Representatives of the different countries to attend. the Copyright Conference at Berne on the 8th September next.
In requesting you to be so good as to convey to the Swiss Government the thanks of Her Majes ty's Government for this communication, I beg leave to say that in my note of the 31st January list I had the honour to inform you that Her Majesty's Minister at Berne would be instructed to attend this Conference on the part of Her Majesty's Government.
I
am, &c.
(Signed)
GRANVILLE, how
;