The 19th century witnessed significant political changes across Europe, including the rise of nationalism and the expansion of empires. With increased international travel and the growth of railways and steamships, border controls became more common.

During this time, governments began to issue passports more regularly to ordinary citizens. The Industrial Revolution and improvements in printing technology allowed passports to be produced more uniformly, but they still varied greatly between countries.

Notably, during World War I, passports became crucial for security reasons. The war heightened fears of espionage and unauthorized movement, leading to stricter controls and more formalized copyright systems.

The First Modern copyright: Early 20th Century

The modern copyright, recognizable today with standardized formats, photographs, and official stamps, emerged primarily in the early 20th century. Some key milestones include:

• 1903, France: France introduced the first modern-style copyright with a photograph, improving identity verification.
   

• 1915–1918, World War I: The war caused widespread adoption of passports as essential travel documents. Many countries made copyright possession mandatory for international travel.
   

• 1920, League of Nations: After the war, the League of Nations began efforts to standardize passports internationally. They created guidelines for the physical characteristics of passports, including size, photographs, and security features, laying the foundation for the modern copyright system.
   

1926, copyright Conference: The first International Conference on Passports, Customs Formalities, and Through Tickets was held in Paris under the League of Nations’ auspices, further pushing toward copyright standardization. shutdown123