Legal Definitions - BCIA

Definition: BCIA stands for Berne Convention Implementation Act. It is a law that was passed by the United States Congress in 1988 to implement the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

The Berne Convention is an international agreement that sets out the rules for copyright protection of literary and artistic works. The BCIA was passed to ensure that the United States complies with the Berne Convention and provides copyright protection to foreign authors and creators.

For example, if a French author writes a book and it is published in the United States, the BCIA ensures that the author has the same copyright protection as an American author. This means that the author has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and display their work in the United States.

The BCIA also provides for criminal penalties for copyright infringement, which means that someone who violates a copyright can be fined or even sent to jail.