Commons talk:Copyright rules by territory/Bangladesh

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2023 law, retroactive or not

[edit]

Continuing the discussion from Commons:Village pump/Copyright/Archive/2024/09#Bangladesh. Ping the only Bangladeshi user who responded there, @Mrb Rafi: .

Is the new copyright law retroactive or not? Retroactive means the current rules of the law also apply to actions made before the law (for example, all existing uploads of post-1960s Bangladeshi architecture and monuments are affected). But if not retroactive, it means it only affects actions made after the law became effective, like new uploads starting this year (I presume). In both cases, this certainly affects Commons:Wiki Loves Monuments 2024 in Bangladesh, in which now only colonial-era monuments are OK, almost all independence-era monuments are no longer OK for commercial licensing here. JWilz12345 (Talk|Contrib's.) 03:20, 9 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  • In section 127, it says,

রহিতকরণ ও হেফাজত

১২৭। (১) কপিরাইট আইন, ২০০০ (২০০০ সনের ২৮ নং আইন), অতঃপর উক্ত আইন বলিয়া উল্লিখিত, এতদ্বারা রহিত করা হইল।

(২) উক্তরূপ রহিতকরণ সত্ত্বেও উক্ত আইনের অধীন-

(ক) কৃত কোনো কাজ-কর্ম, গৃহীত কোনো ব্যবস্থা, প্রণীত কোনো বিধি, জারীকৃত প্রজ্ঞাপন বা নোটিশ বা বিজ্ঞপ্তি, প্রদত্ত আদেশ, স্বত্বনিয়োগ, নিবন্ধন বা লাইসেন্স, এই আইনের বিধানাবলির সহিত সামঞ্জস্যপূর্ণ হওয়া সাপেক্ষে, রহিত বা সংশোধিত না হওয়া পর্যন্ত, বলবৎ থাকিবে, এবং এই আইনের সংশ্লিষ্ট ধারার অধীন কৃত, গৃহীত, প্রণীত, জারীকৃত বা প্রদত্ত বলিয়া গণ্য হইবে;

(খ) উক্ত আইনের অধীন সূচিত কোনো কার্যধারা অসম্পূর্ণ থাকিলে উহা উক্ত আইন অনুযায়ী এইরূপে সমাপ্ত করা হইবে, যেন উক্ত আইন রহিত হয় নাই;

(গ) দায়েরকৃত কোনো মামলা বা মোকদ্দমা কোনো আদালতে চলমান থাকিলে উহা এমনভাবে নিষ্পত্তি করিতে হইবে যেন উক্ত আইন রহিত হয় নাই;

(ঘ) উক্ত আইনের অধীন প্রতিষ্ঠিত বোর্ড এইরূপে বহাল থাকিবে যেন উহা এই আইনের অধীন প্রতিষ্ঠিত হইয়াছে; এবং

(ঙ) কপিরাইট অফিসে নিযুক্ত কর্মকর্তা ও কর্মচারীগণ এই আইন প্রবর্তনের অব্যবহিতপূর্বে যে শর্তাধীনে চাকুরিতে নিয়োজিত ছিলেন, এই আইনের বিধান অনুযায়ী পরিবর্তিত না হওয়া পর্যন্ত, সেই একই শর্তে চাকুরিতে নিয়োজিত থাকিবেন এবং পূর্বের নিয়মে বেতন, ভাতা ও অন্যান্য সুবিধাদি প্রাপ্য হইবেন।

The English translation of this text is,

Abolition and Custody

127.

(1) The Copyright Act, 2000 (Act No. 28 of 2000), hereinafter referred to as the said Act, is hereby abolished.

(2) Notwithstanding such abolition, under the said Act—

(a) Any actions taken, measures adopted, rules formulated, notifications, orders, assignments, registrations, or licenses issued, shall remain valid and effective until they are repealed or amended, provided they are consistent with the provisions of this Act, and shall be considered to have been done, taken, formulated, issued, or provided under the relevant provisions of this Act;

(b) Any ongoing proceedings under the said Act that remain incomplete shall be concluded in accordance with the said Act as if the Act had not been abolished;

(c) Any lawsuits or cases already filed and pending in any court shall be resolved as if the said Act had not been abolished;

(d) Any board established under the said Act shall continue to exist as if it had been established under this Act; and

(e) Officers and employees appointed to the Copyright Office immediately prior to the enactment of this Act shall continue in their positions under the same terms of employment as before, and they shall be entitled to the same salaries, allowances, and other benefits until altered by the provisions of this Act.

@JWilz12345: This law has a retroactive effect in certain aspects. Even though the Copyright Act of 2000 is abolished by this new law, all actions, procedures, regulations, and cases initiated under the previous act will remain valid. It ensures that ongoing processes, cases, and existing appointments or boards continue as if the earlier act had not been repealed. —MdsShakil (talk) 12:40, 9 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@MdsShakil thanks for the response. Seems a good relief for existing uploads here, but a bad sign for the currently-running WLM-2024 Bangladeshi edition. By the way, when did the new law took effect? I cannot immediately find English-language sources on the date the law took effect, other than the news on the approval in the parliament and the president's signature of the law. A cut-off date for uploads is needed to be indicated on the CRT page just like COM:FOP Nigeria and COM:FOP Vietnam, two other countries that severely restricted Freedom of Panorama during this post-pandemic era (after COVID era). JWilz12345 (Talk|Contrib's.) 12:46, 9 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@JWilz12345 According to the Ministry of Law website, it has been in effect since 18 September 2023. I believe we should consult copyright lawyers before making a final decision on FOP in Bangladesh. Although the law is strict, there may still be some opportunities. —MdsShakil (talk) 12:58, 9 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@MdsShakil it is automatic that the lack of mention of FoP means FoP ceased to exist in a country. Still, as you said the law isn't retroactive, uploads made until September 17, 2023 are OK here. Any upload made after that date is no longer free to be usable commercially under Bangladeshi laws. Still, any legal opinion is welcome, but I doubt free uses of images (uploaded since September 18, 2023) of contemporary Bangladeshi monuments and architecture are OK under the new law. Free uses like in travel websites, postcards, calendar designs, mobile/web applications, and advertising without licensing permissions from architects or sculptors or their heirs. Such commercial uses of monuments of Bangladesh were pre-emptively protected in the now-repealed law. But since the new law now follows the U.S. model, we may also have to rely on future court rulings: fair use is dependent on judicial decisions. JWilz12345 (Talk|Contrib's.) 13:05, 9 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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