The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-06 00:00:00

COPYRIGHT BILL.

The Order of the Day for the second reading of the
Copyright Bid having been read,
Mr. Sergeant TA LFOURD said, that after the die-
cussion which the principle of the Bill had under- I
gone in that. House, he should feel himself ua-
worthy of the attention which had been accorded
to him on former occasions if he were to oc-
cupy the House for more than a few minutes ; and
were it not for some misconceptions that existed as to
the principle of the Bill he would not have said one
word. One misconception was with respect to that
which formed the main object of the Bill—the exten-
sion of the term during which authors should retain an
interest in the works of their own minds. He supposed
that because the term of 60 years was mentioned, that
iherefore those who supported the Bill of necessity in-
sisted on that term being retained in the Bill. He had
always taken every pains to let it be understood that he
was not by any means wedded to that term, but that a
less term would satisfy him. There were indeed certain
Hen. Members whom he would not ask to vote for the
second reading of the Bill, but he would ask those who
were ready to support him to follow the project introduced
into the Chamber of Deputies in Paris, for the purpose
of giving a copyright to the extent of 30 years. That
measure was introduced by the Minister of Public
Instruction, with the assertion that he thought
a perpetual copyright was but just, and he
regretted that it was not in his power to propose
that instead of thirty years. He (Sergeant Talfourd)
would ask those Hon. Members who approved of that
measure to vote for the second reading of the Bill ;
end he would ask them whether they would not give
eeenething just 'on both sides. He thought that the
promoters of this Bill were misunderstood when it was
said that they overlooked the question of expediency
with respect to the publishers and the public. He
(Sergeant Talfourd) did not certainly love that word
expediency as much as certain Hon. Gentlemen on the
other side of the House. He had, with astonishment,
heard it said that their duty to authors was to give
them as little as possible, so that they might play upon
tleiir (the authors') love of fame. When he heard
the creations of the mind compared with the usual lot
of land, he Was not fable to avoid asking the question,
whether those who occupied no space possessed by
othe7s—whuther those who altogether created that
chich was to be a system of instruction for the human
mind—whether those indiv;duals were not entitled to
the benefit of their own work ? But he denied that he
had placed the principle of that Bill merely in that
light. He had regard to what was expedient to au-.
thors, to publishers, and to the public. As to authors,
it was enough to say, that amongst. the petitioners in
favour of that Bill were some of the greatest
t
authors, and who were entitled, he should say,
to thethanks
lishers were quite satisfied with the provisions of the
Bill. Then with regard to the public, he always con-
tended that in the first place, the public should learn
publishers, withc f
that
one or House.
woexceptions, the pub-
(Hear, hear.)
As to
justice. He contended for that, because it was expe-
dient it should be kept in mind in the subject of this
13111 as well as in matters of law and justice. In the
year 1814. there was a greater extension of copyright
than that he now asked for. The term of copyright,'
which was fourteen years, was then extended Co 'lB
years,' and precisely the same arguments were then
urged as against
the present Bill, that books would be-
come dearer, fewer written, fewer published, and fewer
bound. Now, since the year 1814, the books had
greatly increased in number, and diminished in price,
and, therefore, bad he not a strong and unanswerable
proof that extensions of copyright by no means implied
dearness of Woks ? He had only made these remarks
for the purpose of showing that it was a misunder-
standing to say that he rested the right of this
Bill merely on the ground of some natural
right, without regard to expediency. He would only
submit to the House, in two sentences, two considera-
tions, which seemed to him to prove an absolute neces-
sity for this measure. The first was, that it was only
by this means they could give to authors the power of
preserving the purity of their works, and of securing
them from pretended abridgements, which would emas-
culate, or pervert, or pollute theta, and give to those,
to whom it would be a labour of love—their families, and
those who cherished their memnries—ehe means of pro-
tecting them from such injury. The next consideration
was, that, as it was too much the tendency of the pre-
sent day toI purchase works of light and airy character,
and of temporary interest, and as such works were
abundantly rewarded by
,the immediate profit they af-