Book Title: The Cambridge Handbook of Copyright Limitations and Exceptions

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Abstract: Malaysia and Singapore are alike in many respects. Both are melting pots of cultures of three main ethnic groups, namely the Chinese, the Indians, and the Malays. Singapore was even once part of Malaysia, and quite a few living on either side of the Causeway are related by blood and family ties. Both countries also inherited the common law system, a legacy from the days when they were under British protection and rule. More specifically in the realm of copyright law, Singapore and some states in Malaysia had once applied the UK Imperial Copyright Act 1911. In fact, this imperial legislation remained in force in Singapore and those states in Malaysia for many years after these two countries became sovereign states. On the international front, both countries are World Trade Organization (WTO) members as well as contracting parties to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (“the Berne Convention”), the World International Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty.