The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-11-25

the Hesra Low in protecting the rights Of Ameri-
can authors. Itmay perhaps influence pubhc opinion
on the subject Of an international copyright The
immediate effect of this decision has been the APP
pearance Of some five or six different editions Of
Miss Warmers book in the English market, none Of
which will pay her one cent. Notwithstanding this
the Messrs. Low have adhered to their contract,
and have already paid Miss Warner nearly two thou
sand dollars.
Cases like this illustrate some Of the evils Of the
present system, rather want Of system, of reprint
ing and also the necessity for international copy
right. Bad as the present system is, it is made
worse by the course adopted by q class Of greedy,
pirate publishers, who can only be made to show .
sense OF commercial morality when the strong arm
Of the law is upon them. The rights of authors is
with them simply moonshne. In this country tho
work Of an English author, published by one Of our
publishers, is seldom or never reprinted by another
Should it be announced by more than one firm, the
one having made the least progress gives way.
Were English publishers to adopt this system, it
would in some measure, PALATE the evils now exist
ing. Nay, more, it would discover sense of honor,
the want of which at this time reflects but little
credit upon English booksellers. American authors
and publishers would then be placed on an equal
IOOSu8 Win those Vi EuBiduu anu LuuCu vi tlus
unnecessary injustice obviated. An international
copyright Law is, however, loudly called for. Ano-
ther phase Of this necessity has recently developed
ITSELF in the fact that neighbors in Canada con-
tend for the right to reprint all American works,
justifying the act upon VARIOUS pleas, one of which
is that retaliation is the only way to obtain copy
right for English authors in the United States, and
that they (the Canadians), as competitors in the
fields of progress with the United SDs publishers,
cannot afford to throw away such opportunities.
This is very well; but the writer loses sight Of the
fact that the colony is subject to the provisions Of
the British copyright law, and as "Dred" is copy
right in England it follows that it is in Canada.
The English publishers urge this and taking what
appears to MS very liberal view Of the subject
press themselves willing to permit the continuance
Of the reprint provided it pays to them for the prvi
lege twelve and half per cent on the lowest whole
sale price, being the amount of duty only that such
books would pay fimporsed copies Of United States
reprints Of English copyrights. This" say these
gentlemea, I'VE do in the hope of establishing pre-
cedent to be followed by other English publishers, to
permit the reprintng of their books in Canada"
They also reply to the point argued that re taliaon
on the United States publishers is called for 1--WE
do not believe that retaliation is the best course
in he present state of public opinion; and to
relations with the United States have only to do
justice ourselves to gain JUSTICE and we apprehend
that all we concede to American authors will be
cprocated to ours in short, we have great faith in
gaining an international copyright law"
Obituary.
WV n CurxryGs the laat member of tne family of