New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-20
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.

author of such benefit should be the most
literally rewarded of ali inventors. The
question for our consideration Is, what do
we owe the author, not what does he eX-
pect from Us. The subject has been recalled
to our attention by recent article IN The
Daily Times upon International Copyright
1t treats the subject i'll a three-fold manner,
and we shall follow lis lead. The three
interested parties are Authors, Publishers
and the Public.
l. As to Authors; The Times avoids
the question of absolute property, con-
tenting itself with stating that in no coun-
try or time has this right been conceded,
on the ground that society is so depen-
dent upon books for its welfare that the
individual must be sacrificed. This is, of
course, the elemental principle of Society.
The point to be resolved is, always, hOU
much he is to be sacrificed. 1t strikes Us
that he whose direct work does the most
for Society is not the one who should suffer
most in his reward, but that all who di-
rectly benefit by that work should pay
for it.
Thus with an author-all who speak
the language of his book are direct
recipients of its influence, and are justly
held to account for the benefit they re-
ceive; and practically, the larger the au-
dience addressed. the more cheaply the
work can be furnished. 1t is great mis-
take to suppose that Mr.. Macaulay's His
tory would be sold in this country ct five
dollars volume, even with a copyright,
and for the reason that it is better to sell
ten thousand copies at two dollars, than
one or two thousand at five or six. 1t Is
clear that one great reason of the high
prices of English books in England is the
limited public. you introduce the Amer
lean reading public to an English publisher,
his editions will be thousands instead of
hundreds, and his prices will--according to
a perfectly understood law-be put within
the general possibility of that public. The
reading public on the Continent, again, it
must never be forgotten, is very small.
But that is not the result of large prices, it is
the reason of them. We once expostulated
with Berlin bookseller for selling small
two-volume work in paper for nearly six
of our dollars. But his response was per-
tinent: IL had much rather sell six hun
dred at one dollar, but with public OF one
hundred how will you pay for printing ]"
2. The Times proceeds to the Publishers,
and says that English Publishers, through
an International Copyright, would mo-
nopolize the publication of all English
works and dictate terms to US. But that
difficulty is disposed of already. The very
spirit of the times is small prices and large
sales. 1t was the principle of Emile Iii
rardin in Paris, in reducing by one-half the
price of the Presse, when he became its
Editor, and which the other journals fol-
lowed; it is the principle OF successful
trade in this country, and the English Pub
Usher would, in his own interest, yield to il.
8. The Public Good, according to The
Times, requires cheap reading, and it very
properly attributes to extensive reading the
superiority of the American masses to the
English. But here is the same point again.
Would books be made dearer by such
copyright Sincerely we do not believe it.
Bulwer's publisher would make no more if
his novels were issued here in three vol
umes at FIVE dollars, than he would
by the present two shilling or four
shilling editions. The Times seems to
suppose that the publisher could always
get what he asked. But publishers keep
cash accounts, and they know that their
prices must be practicable. 1t asserts that
Mr.. Bentley sells Eancroft's History at
four dollars, because there is no COMPETE
ton, while here it is sold for two. But
this avoids the question again. With an
International Copyright, Messrs. Little &
Brown could sell it for two dollars here
and in England. For if they can afford it
at that sum to our public, they certainly
could do it if that public were increased by
several thousands. And so with Mr.. Bent
ley. If he could sell to the thousands in
America as well as to the hundreds in Eng
land, he could-still in his own interest
afford the book at q half of the four dol
lars, or even less.
The Times speaks of the writings of
| Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, &c., for
i L IL i