论通过互联网传播作品不构成“出版”

Communication of Works through Internet Shall Not Constitute “Publication”

通过互联网传播作品不应构成"出版"。首先,通过互联网传播属于"向公众传播"行为,且还被解释为属于《伯尔尼公约》中的"有线传播"。而《伯尔尼公约》将有线传播和(无线)广播这类"向公众传播"行为排除出了"出版"的范围。其次,把通过互联网传播作品定为在全世界同时"出版",会使非《伯尔尼公约》成员国国民的作品通过上传作品而轻易受到保护,从而削弱非成员国加入《伯尔尼公约》的动力。同时还会使保护期最短的成员国成为作品的"起源国",导致作品的保护水平降低。最后,以存储作品的网络服务器所在地或网络公司所在地作为"出版地"因具有偶然性和不可预见性,并不合理。

Communication of works through Internet shall not constitute“publication”.Firstly,communication of works through Internet is an act of communication to the public,which is interpreted as a type of wired communication in the Berne Convention,while the Convention excludes the act of communication to the public and broadcasting from the scope of“publication”.Secondly,if communication of works through Internet is deemed as an act of simultaneous publication all over the world,authors who are not nationals of member countries of the Berne Convention or do not have their habitual residence in any member countries may have their works protected by the Convention simply by uploading works onto Internet.Consequently,non-member countries will lose the motive to join the Berne Convention.Meanwhile,the member country whose legislation grants the shortest term of protection will be considered to be the country of origin of the works,and the level of protection will be decreased accordingly.Finally,it is unreasonable to treat the place of the network server where the works are stored or the place where the headquarters of the network is located as the place of publication,because of the unpredictability and contingency of such places.