Page:Copyright Act 1987.pdf/174

174 (3) In this section, “name” includes initials or a monogram.

Assignments and licences

237.—(1) Subject to this section, where copyright subsists in a work by virtue of this Act, any document that was made, or event that occurred, before the commencement of this Act, being a document or event that had any operation affecting the ownership of, or creating, transferring or terminating an interest, right or licence in respect of, copyright in the work under the Copyright Act 1911 or would have had such an operation if that Act had continued in force, shall have the like operation in relation to the copyright in the work under this Act.

(2) If the operation of a document to which subsection (1) applies was or would have been limited to a period specified in the document, the document shall not have any operation in relation to the copyright under this Act, except insofar as that period extends after the commencement of this Act.

(3) For the purposes of the operation of a document in accordance with this section—
 * (a) expressions used in the document shall have the same respective meanings as they had immediately before the commencement of this Act, whether or not those expressions have different meanings for the purposes of this Act; and
 * (b) section 195(1) shall not apply.

(4) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), where the author of a work that was made before the commencement of this Act was the first owner of the copyright in the work—
 * (a) any assignment of the copyright, or any grant of an interest in the copyright, made by the author (otherwise than by will) after the commencement of the Copyright Act 1911 and before the commencement of this Act, being an assignment or grant that has effect in relation to copyright in the work under this Act by virtue of subsection (1), shall not operate to vest in the assignee or grantee any rights with respect to the copyright in the work after the expiration of 25 years after the date of the death of the author;