display of images of the work if the building is located in or ordinarily visible from a
public place. However, different laws and local customs affect rights to make images of
buildings in other countries and it is important that you familiarize yourself appropriately
when working abroad.
3.7. in tE r n a t i o n a l co p y r iG h t
There is no general “international” law of copyright; works of intellectual property are
treated differently around the world. If you will be working in a foreign country and using
images of art or other works protected as intellectual property, it is important to work with
a knowledgeable attorney or other expert to gain basic insight into the legal landscape and
cultural conventions surrounding copyright and the photography of cultural, religious, or
iconic objects.
Despite the great diversity of national regulation of copyright around the world, as the
U.S. Copyright Office points out in its Circular 38a - International Copyright Relations
of the United States, “most countries offer protection to foreign works under certain
conditions that have been greatly simplified by international copyright treaties and
conventions.”^10 There are two principal international copyright conventions, the Berne
Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property (Berne Convention) and the
Universal Copyright Convention (UCC).
The Berne Convention guarantees that: “Authors shall enjoy, in respect of works for
which they are protected under this Convention, in countries of the Union other than the
country of origin, the rights which their respective laws do now or may hereafter grant to
their nationals, as well as the rights specially granted by this Convention. “(Article 5.1)
Berne signatory nations will enforce their own copyright laws to protect works that were
created in other signatory nations and have the right to expect reciprocal treatment of
their own works in foreign countries.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which was founded in 1967 to
provide international protection of intellectual property, is a U.N. agency that administers
IP matters and treaties, resolves international IP disputes, provides forums for debate,
and promotes better understanding of IP. The WIPO web site^11 is a useful resource for
information on international IP laws and enforcement.
An international group of copyright scholars meeting under the rubric of the “Zwolle
Group” has developed numerous papers and other materials addressing copyright from