An Act to secure to Proprietors of Works of Literature and Fine Art and to Proprietors of Designs for Articles and Works of Manufacture and Art the Copyright of such Works and Designs for a limited period.
Preamble
WHEREAS it is considered that the law of Copyright as the same exists in the United Kingdom can with certain modifications be introduced into this Colony with great benefit to Authors Artists Designers and others whose works and rights have hitherto been without protection from piracy and infringement
Be it therefore enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly of New South Wales in Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same as follows:
1 Commencement and name of Act
This Act shall come into force on the first day of July in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine and may be cited as the Copyright Act 1879.s 1: Am 1976 No 63, Sch 1.
2 Definitions
The following words and expressions in this Act shall unless there is anything in the context repugnant thereto or inconsistent therewith mean and include the matters following respectively viz:Book means and includes any volume part or division of a volume newspaper pamphlet libretto sheet of letter-press sheet of music map chart or plan separately published.Engraving means and includes every work made upon a plate block or slab of any material by engraving lithography or any other process whereby impressions may be taken from such plate block or slab.s 2: Am 1976 No 63, Sch 1.pt 1, hdg: Rep 1976 No 63, Sch 1.
3, 4 (Repealed)
s 3: Rep 1976 No 63, Sch 1.
s 4: Rep 1976 No 63, Sch 1.
5 Copies of books to be delivered within a certain time to certain libraries
(1) A printed copy of the whole of every book which shall be first published in this colony after the passing of this Act together with all maps prints or other engravings belonging thereto finished and coloured in the same manner as the best copies of the same shall be published and also of any second or subsequent edition which shall be so published with any additions or alterations whether the same shall be in letterpress or in the maps prints or other engravings belonging thereto and whether the first edition of such book shall have been published before or after the passing of this Act and also of any second or subsequent edition of every such book of which the first or some preceding edition shall not have been delivered for the use of the Free Public Library and the Library of the University of Sydney bound sewed or stitched together and upon the best paper on which the same shall be printed shall within two calendar months after the day on which any such book shall be first sold published or offered for sale within this colony be delivered by or on behalf of the publisher thereof at the said Libraries.(2) A printed copy of the whole of every book which shall be first published in New South Wales after the passing of the Copyright (Amendment) Act 1952 together with all maps prints or other engravings belonging thereto finished and coloured in the same manner as the best copies of the same shall be published and also of any second or subsequent edition which shall be so published with any additions or alterations whether the same shall be in letterpress or in the maps prints or other engravings belonging thereto and whether the first edition of such book shall have been published before or after the passing of the Copyright (Amendment) Act 1952 and also of any second or subsequent edition of every such book of which the first or some preceding edition shall not have been delivered for the use of the Parliamentary Library of New South Wales bound sewed or stitched together and upon the best paper on which the same shall be printed shall within two calendar months after the day on which any such book shall be first sold published or offered for sale within New South Wales be delivered by or on behalf of the publisher thereof at the said library.s 5: Am 1952 No 2, sec 2.
6 Mode of delivering books at library
Every copy of a book which under the provisions of this Part ought to be delivered as aforesaid shall be delivered at the said Libraries between the hours of ten in the forenoon and four in the afternoon to one of the officers of the said library or to some person duly authorized to receive the same and such officer or other person receiving such copy is hereby required to give a receipt in writing for the same and such delivery shall to all intents and purposes be deemed to be a good and sufficient delivery under the provisions of this Part of this Act.
7 Penalty for default in delivering copies for use of library
If any such publisher shall neglect to deliver such book as aforesaid the publisher shall for every such default forfeit besides the value of such copy of such book or edition which the publisher ought to have delivered a sum not exceeding 0.5 penalty unit to be recovered by the librarian of the said library in a summary way before any two Justices of the Peace.s 7: Am 1993 No 47, Sch 1; 1994 No 32, Sch 3.
8–55 (Repealed)
ss 8–24: Rep 1976 No 63, Sch 1.
Parts 2–4 (ss 25–55): Rep 1976 No 63, Sch 1.
First–Fourth Schedules (Repealed)
schs 1–4: Rep 1976 No 63, Sch 1.