An international treaty called the Berne Convention requires contracting states to extend copyright protection to nationals or residents of a contracting state, or authors of works who first publish their works in a contracting state or simultaneously in a non-contracting state and a contracting state.

The People’s Republic of China is a party to the Berne Convention and has applied the Convention to the Hong Kong SAR. Accordingly, all copyright owners in the Hong Kong SAR enjoy copyright protection in all contracting states to the Berne Convention.

A list of countries that are parties to the Berne Convention can be found here. (Source: WIPO)

Countries that have become parties to the Berne Convention have agreed to pass laws in their own countries that will extend to nationals and residents of other contracting states the same copyright protection that is extended to their own nationals and residents.

Just as there is no need to make application for copyright in the Hong Kong SAR, and there are no formalities such as registration, publication, or examination, and there are no fees payable, the same is the case for all Berne Convention contracting states.