The idea that the author of a literary work has certain inalienable rights to his or her work has been an institution that has been present at the national level in many countries for centuries. These rights have taken different forms depending on the legal tradition of the country where they are applied. In systems of common law tradition, based on utilitarian ideals, these rights were called copyrights. In systems that relied on a civil law tradition, grounded in philosophical thought and the fundamental idea of ​​a moral and natural order, the rights became known as copyrights and were later extended to neighboring rights. Although these rights, and the laws that accompanied them, developed in many countries around the same time in history, international copyright law would take much longer to develop. International copyright law is an evolution of thought that emerged after many years of international political communications among the world's many states. The Statute of Anne, created in 1694 in England, was the world's first copyright law. It was entitled "An act for encouraging learning, by entrusting copies of printed books to the authors or purchasers of such copies, during the periods mentioned therein" (Goldstein, 5). The law gave anyone the opportunity to obtain copyright by simply registering their work and granted legal protection for a period of fourteen years from the date of original publication. This mandate could be renewed for an additional fourteen years if the author was still alive after the end of the initial period of protection (Goldstein, 6). This became the basis on which subsequent copyright legislation would be built. Copyright developed in France, Germany and several other states...... middle of article ......ks cited Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRAVEL). Marrakech. April 15, 1994. Printed. Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works: Act of Paris. Paris. July 24, 1971. Printed.Convention for the protection of producers of phonograms against unauthorized reproduction of their phonograms. World Intellectual Property Organization. October 29, 1971. Print. Goldstein, Paul. International copyright law: principles, laws and practices. New York: Oxford UP, 2001. Print. International Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations. Rome Convention, 1961. Rome. October 26, 1961. Print. North American Free Trade Agreement. Part Six, art. 1701-1718.14. October 7, 1992. Print. Universal Copyright Convention. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. September 6, 1952. Print.