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South Africa.
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
No. 15.
Governor Sir H. Barkly, K.C.B., to the Earl of Kimberley.—(Received December 3.)
Government House, Cape Town, November 4, 1873.
My Lord,
HAVING consulted my Responsible Advisers on the subject of the amendment of the Law of Copyright, as embodied in the draft of a Bill forming one of the inclosures to your Lordship's circular despatch of the 29th July last. I have the honour to inform your Lordship that they see no objection to the proposed Bill as regards this Colony.
2. It is in compliance with the request of my Advisers that I beg to transmit, for your Lordship's information, the inclosed copy of an Act, entitled the "Copyright Act of 1873," passed during the last Session of the Colonial Legislature, which appears to provide sufficiently for the protection of copyright, within the limits of the Colony, in respect of works published at the Cape.
I have, &c
(Signed) HENRY BARKLY.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
C.O.885
3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Inclosure in No. 15.
[No. 2 of 1873.]
Act to Protect and Regulate the Rights of Authors in respect of their Works.
[Assented to 26th June, 1873.]
WHEREAS it is expedient to protect the rights of authors in this Colony in respect Preamble. of their works and to afford encouragement to the production of literary works of lasting benefit to the Colony: Be it enacted by the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and House of Assembly thereof, as follows:-
during the author's
1. The copyright in every book which shall, after the passing of this Act, be Duration of copyright published in the lifetime of its author shall endure for the natural life of such author, and of books published for the further term of five years, commencing at the time of his death, and shall be the lifetime. property of such author and his assigns: Provided always, that if the said term of five years shall expire before the end of thirty years from the first publication of such book, the copyright shall in that case endure for such period of thirty years.
2. The copyright in every book which shall be published after the death of its of posthumans works. author shall endure for the term of thirty years from the first publication thereof, and shall
be the property of the proprietor of the author's manuscript from which such book shall
be first published and his assigns.
3. A registry book wherein may be registered, as hereinafter enacted, the proprietor- Regulations for ship in the copyright of books and assignments thereof, shall be kept by the Registrar of registry. Deeds, in his office in Cape Town, and shall at all convenient times be open to the inspection of any person on payment of one shilling for every entry which shall be searched for or inspected in the said book of registry; and the Registrar of Deeds shall, whenever thereunto reasonably required, give a copy of any entry in such book, certified under his hand, to any person requiring the same, on payment to him of the sum of five shillings; and such copies so certified shall be received in evidence in all courts, and
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