The Berne Convention is an international treaty that establishes standards for the protection of literary and artistic works. It was adopted in 1886 and is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations agency.

The Berne Convention sets out a number of provisions that member countries must follow in order to protect the copyrights of authors, artists, and other creators. These provisions include:

• The principle of national treatment: This means that member countries must grant the same level of protection to foreign works as they do to their own national works. This provision aims to ensure that authors and creators are not disadvantaged based on their nationality or the country in which their work is created.
• The principle of automatic protection: This means that authors and creators do not need to register their works in order to receive protection under the Berne Convention. Protection is automatically granted as soon as the work is fixed in a tangible form, such as being written down or recorded. This provision aims to simplify the process of securing copyright protection and to ensure that works are protected as soon as they are created.
• The principle of minimum standards: This means that member countries must provide at least a certain level of protection for copyrights, even if their own national laws offer greater protection. This provision aims to establish a baseline level of protection that all member countries must provide, regardless of their own laws and policies.
• The principle of fair use: This means that member countries must allow for the use of copyrighted works for certain purposes, such as education, research, and news reporting, without the permission of the copyright holder. This provision aims to balance the rights of copyright holders with the needs of society, recognizing that the use of copyrighted works for certain purposes can be beneficial and important.

Overall, the Berne Convention is a widely recognized and influential treaty that has been ratified by over 170 countries. It provides a framework for the protection of intellectual property and promotes the free flow of creative works across borders.

For independent songwriters, the provisions of the Berne Convention and the laws implementing it in member countries can provide important protections for their work.

Under the Berne Convention, songwriters are entitled to receive copyright protection for their work as soon as it is fixed in a tangible form, such as being written down or recorded. This means that they do not have to register their work with the Copyright Office or take any other specific actions in order to receive protection.

The copyright protection granted by the Berne Convention gives songwriters the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and create derivative works based on their original compositions. This means that they can control how their work is used and can prevent others from using it without their permission.

Additionally, the principle of fair use allows for the limited use of copyrighted works for certain purposes, such as education, research, and news reporting, without the permission of the copyright holder. This can be beneficial for independent songwriters, as it allows their work to be used in ways that may promote their career or reach a wider audience.

Overall, the Berne Convention and the laws implementing it in member countries provide important protections for independent songwriters, helping them to control the use of their work and to enforce their rights if their copyright is infringed.