P.M. BRIEFING : Soviets Will Join Berne Convention

LONDON — The Soviet Union will soon join the Berne Convention aimed at protecting literary copyrights and royalties, a Soviet official said today.

Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Petrovsky told the London Information Forum of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe that Moscow stands for the “inviolability of the principles of respect” for writers’ copyright.

The forum, which opened on Tuesday and runs until May 12, is part of an East-West dialogue on improving the international flow of information and working conditions of journalists.

The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works has existed for more than a century. Last month, the United States became the 78th nation to join, leaving the Soviet Union and China the only major non-members.