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The word publication means the act of publishing, i.e. distributing information to the public, and also refers to any copies printed for public distribution. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any traditional medium, including paper (newspapers, magazines, Mail-order catalogs, etc.). As an author of a work generally is the initial owner of the copyright on the work, one of the copyrights granted to the author of a work is the exclusive right to publish the work.
"Publication" is a technical term in legal contexts and especially important in copyright law. The time of initial publication of a work plays an important part in the copyright legislation of many countries, as it is often used as the starting point of copyright protection. Contrary to what one might think, in many countries, as in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere, mere presentation, exhibition or performance of a work to the public does not by itself constitute publication.
In some countries (primarily in Europe), when the work has not been published during the author's life (in EU: during the copyright term), whoever discovers and publishes it might gain rights similar to those of an author (called publication rights).
In the United States, publication is defined as:
Furthermore, the right to publish a work is an exclusive right of the copyright owner (17 USC 106), and violating this right (e.g. by disseminating copies of the work without the copyright owner's consent) is a copyright infringement (17 USC 501(a)), and the copyright owner can demand (by suing in court) that e.g. copies distributed against his will be confiscated and destroyed (17 USC 502, 17 USC 503).
The definition of "publication" as "distribution of copies to the general public with the consent of the author" is also supported by the Berne Convention, which makes mention of "copies" in article 3(3), where "published works" are defined.[2] In the Universal Copyright Convention, "publication" is defined in article VI as "the reproduction in tangible form and the general distribution to the public of copies of a work from which it can be read or otherwise visually perceived."[3] Many countries around the world follow this definition, although some make some exceptions for particular kinds of works.
Australia and the UK (as the U.S.) generally require the distribution of copies necessary for publication. In the case of sculptures, the copies must be even three-dimensional.[4][5]
§2.2 of the Copyright Act defines publication as, in relation to works, making copies of a work available to the public, the construction of an architectural work, the incorporation of an artistic work into an architectural work; in relation to sound recordings, it is defined as making copies of a sound recording available to the public. "Publication" does not include the performance in public, or the communication to the public by telecommunication, of a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work or a sound recording, or the exhibition in public of an artistic work. The issue of photographs and engravings of sculptures and architectural works is not deemed to be publication of those works.[6]
In Germany, §6 of the Urheberrechtsgesetz additionally considers works of the visual arts (such as sculptures) "published" if they have been made permanently accessible by the general public (i.e., erecting a sculpture on public grounds is publication in Germany).[7]
In Greece, per article 4 of law 2121/93, "publication" is defined as making the work accessible to the public. Throughout the law, "lawful publication" and "making accessible/communicating to the public for the first time" are used side by side, and both instances serve as a starting point for the copyright holder's rights of audiovisual, phonographic, previously unpublished etc. works.[8]
In India, the Indian copyright law applies the following definition to the term of publication: 3. Meaning of publication. 34 For the purposes of this Act, "publication" means making a work available to the public by issue of copies or by communicating the work to the public.[9]
Two distinct terms are used in Russia, one named in article 1268 of the Civil Code (publication of a creative work — «обнародование»), and the other one named in article 3 of the Museum Law № 54-FZ (publication of a museum object — «публикация»).[10]
