Simple English definitions for legal terms
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The acquired-rights doctrine is a rule that says once someone has a right, it cannot be taken away by new laws. This applies to things like copyrights, which cannot be shortened after they have already been granted. It's like if you earned a piece of candy, no one can come and take it away from you later.
The acquired-rights doctrine is a principle that states that once a right has been obtained, it cannot be taken away by later legislation. This means that if someone has a legal right, it cannot be reduced or eliminated by new laws or regulations.
For example, if a person has a copyright on a book, they have the right to control how it is used and distributed. If a new law is passed that limits their control over the book, the acquired-rights doctrine would protect their original copyright and prevent the new law from taking away their rights.
The Universal Copyright Convention is an international agreement that applies the acquired-rights doctrine to copyright protections. This means that if a copyright was already in place before the Convention took effect, it cannot be reduced or eliminated by the Convention's terms.
Another example of the acquired-rights doctrine in action is with property rights. If someone owns a piece of land, they have the right to use it as they see fit. If a new law is passed that restricts their use of the land, the acquired-rights doctrine would protect their original property rights and prevent the new law from taking away their rights.