The United States joined the Berne Convention in 1989, but it failed to give foreign copyright holders the same protections enjoyed by U. S. authors. Contrary to the Berne Convention, the United States did not protect any foreign work that had already entered the public domain.

The Global Dimension

What does the Court’s decision in this case mean for copyright holders in the United States who want copyright protection in other countries? Will other nations be more or less inclined to protect U. S. authors? Explain.

The Economic Dimension

Why did a group of musicians, conductors, publishers, and others file this suit? What did they hope to gain by a decision in their favor?