Legal Definitions - Montevideo Treaty

The Montevideo Treaty is a copyright agreement made in 1889 between countries in the Western Hemisphere. It is similar to the Berne Convention, which is an international agreement that sets rules for copyright protection. However, the Montevideo Treaty provides less protection for copyright than the Berne Convention.

For example, if a book is published in a country that is a member of the Berne Convention, the author's copyright is automatically protected in all other member countries. But if the same book is published in a country that is a member of the Montevideo Treaty, the author may need to take additional steps to protect their copyright in other member countries.

The Montevideo Treaty is still in effect today and is used by countries in the Western Hemisphere to regulate copyright law.