Commons:Copyright rules by territory/Vanuatu/pl

This page provides an overview of copyright rules of Vanuatu relevant to uploading works into Wikimedia Commons. Note that any work originating in Vanuatu must be in the public domain, or available under a free license, in both Vanuatu and the United States before it can be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. If there is any doubt about the copyright status of a work from Vanuatu, refer to the relevant laws for clarification.

In the 1880s France and the United Kingdom claimed parts of the archipelago that is now Vanuatu. They agreed in 1906 to jointly manage the archipelago as the New Hebrides through an Anglo–French condominium. Vanuatu became independent on 30 July 1980.

Vanuatu has been a member of the Berne Convention since 27 December 2012, the World Trade Organization since 24 August 2012 and the WIPO Copyright treaty since 6 August 2020, as well as a signatory to various other international treaties.^[1]

As of 2024, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an agency of the United Nations, listed the Copyright and Related Rights Act No. 42 of 2000 (Consolidated Edition 2018) as the main IP law enacted by the legislature of Vanuatu.^[1] WIPO holds the text of this law in their WIPO Lex database.^[2] The 2018 consolidated version includes both the original act from 2000, which came into force on 8 February 2011, and the amendment act known as Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Act No. 17 of 2017, which only modifies Section 35 of the law pertaining to criminal sanctions. A further amendment, the Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Act No. 10 of 2021, became effective on 24 November 2021, upon its publication on the Official Gazette of the Republic of Vanuatu. Its text is available online.^[3]

Under the Copyright and Related Rights Act No. 42 of 2000,

• A work of joint authorship is protected during the life of the last surviving author and for 50 years after his or her death.^{[2000 Sec.19(1.1)]}
• A collective work (other than an work of applied art) and an audiovisual work is protected for 50 years on and after the date on which the work: was made; or first made available to the public; first published; whichever date is the latest.^{[2000 Sec.19(1.2)]}
• A work published anonymously or under a pseudonym is protected for 50 years on and after the date on which the work: (a) was made; or (b) first made available to the public; (c) first published; whichever date is the latest.^{[2000 Sec.19(1.3)]}
• A work of applied art is protected for 25 years on and after the making of the work.^{[2000 Sec.19(1.4)]}
• Any other work is protected during the lifetime of the author and for 50 years after his or her death.^{[2000 Sec.19(1.5)]}

 Nie OK "Part 3 - Acts Not Constituting Infringment of Copyright" (sections 10 to 18) does not include a provision that allows commercial uses of images of architectural or artistic works situated in public places.