The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-20
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.

Ihe EnBhsh Social Science Congress.
At a meeting of the Social Science Congress
held at Manchester on the 4th instant, Mr..
Anthony Trollope had prepared the following
paper at the special desire of the Committee,
and it was read:-
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT,
All those who are here present no doubt.
know full wen that law of copyright exists
in this country by which an authors property
in his own work Is insured to him and his
heirs for term of years. This law OF COPY.
right protects equally the author the painter,
and the composer OF music; but, in speaking to
you now Of copyright and OF international
copy shall conine myself to remarks on
The copyright of books--partly because / am
myself writer OF books, and not a painter of
pictures OF composer OF music, and partly,
also, because the arguments which will hold
good as to one class OF production will hold
good equally as to the other classes. This law
OF home or domestic copyright originated,
singularly enough, not in a desire to extend
protection to authors, but with view OF limit
ing that protection, which was presumed TO
Oelong TO them as q matter of course. 1t
appears that in 1903 an act was passed limiting
copyright in England to iouiteen years. / men.
ton THIS as showing that, till the law interered
the ordinary sense and feeling of men presumed
that the authors property in his work was the
same as that In his house or in his land. Then
there came up the idea that, for the sake OF
literature in general with the vie of protecting
readers, not against the authors, but against the
BOOKSELLERS, this rgnt of property should be
curtaed as to duration Of time, and it was cut
down, as have sald, TO fourteen years. In 1914
lne period was extended to twenty-eght years;
IN lo4z 70 iorty-two years, and to the term of
the authors life, should the author outlive the
forty 1.-TWO years. That is the law which now
defends copyright in England, and il may be
acknowledged that justice to the author can de-
mand no more: There have been men, whose
OPINION on.such matter deserves great respect
who have held that all copyright was pernclous
LORD Camden said in giving Judgment from the
bench against claim Tor copyright that "Glory
is the re ward OF science, and that those who de-
serve it scoIn all meaner viewsn meaning
thereby that an author should care nothing Tor
his hire, only for his fame. But Lord Cam len
who himself achieved much glory, would hardly
have been satisfied had no other payment been
made to him from his country's eXcheqaer. There
are TWO living men, great in literature, who think
tnat all copyright should be abrogated by law,
arguing that The welfare OF The country in
cheap literature is OF more concern than the
material prosperity of the author / myself
thlnk that such an argument, though it is far
better, as being far truer than Lord Camden's
adults of easy answer. For all good work
done the laborer is worthy of his hire; and
taking the world at large-the world of authors
as well as the world OF ploughmen-without
tnat hire the laborer cannot live. This question,
however, is hardly that which you are now re-
quested to consider. 1t is not for copyright,
but ior International copyrght, that have to
plead before you The justice OF copyright
thopeh II has had its distinguished Opponents
has been allowed by almost general consent,
and it has, as regards the requirements OF our
own country, been settled by law. l have al.
luded TO 1T simply that may cali upon you to
note that the questions, OF domestic copyright
and OF international copyright stand precisely
on the same basis. If the one be desirable, the
other must be equally desirable, ii the one be |
just, the other must be equally jusc If there be
any one here who will spute the proprletg of
copyright altogether, with him an argument
may be held; but make bold to say that no |
man admitting the propriety OF home copyright
can bring forward reasons that shall be |
even plausible against International copyright.
The only argument that l have ever heard as
between two countries as this-bet 9een two |
countries, let us say, which we will call and B
that we, the men of A, finding ourselves in |
a condition TO get more by pilfering from yol,
the men OF b, than you can get by pIfering from |
us, we of will not consent to any law that |
shall impose penalty upon us TOR such pilfer- |
ing. Now, would not use so hard word as |
that-even OF the pilferer5 themselves of another !
natlon-were it not that / shall go TO tell |
you just now that, in The case Whicn most clearly
concerns us, they who have hitherto opposed |
an International law of copyright are NOT the |
individuals who seem to be, and who indeed |
are, the persons most concerned. Our oppo- |
nents to International copyright are not the !
publishers or the booksellers OF another nation, |
but the legislators. And here we are struck |
fOrcibly by that singular blindness to honesty |
which will SO often fall upon Joint company |
of men, OF which each member shall be as clear |
as the sunlight in his own sense of individual |
We need not go away from our own |
cl9 or contne ourselves to the question OF |
International copyright to learn that it is So |
Men who are honest enough for themselves
can dare to be very much the reverse of
honest in the interest of others. Most of you,
however, are no doubt aware that the principle |
OF copyright as regards the work of English
authors has been extended beyond our own
shores. International copyright does exist
very much to the profit of many English authors.
In 1888 an act was passed for securing to En-
glishmen international copyright wherever con.
ventions could be made; and in onformity
with this act, con Ventlons have been made with
the two countries in Europe with which, as
regards literature, we are most closely con-
cerned. Such a convention has been made with |
France; and such a convention-or rather con-
veLtions-have been made with that country
which may perhaps at the present moment be /
a convention separately with Saxony-Which |
will not name aS part of Prussia-and that |
convention with SaXony has been especially valu-
able to English authors, Tor r has enabled them to
deal on fair and reciprocal terms with that most |
emerge TIC of publ shers, Baron TauchnitZ. Under
his auspices during the last twenty-five years |
some seven hundred volumes of English ltera- |
ture have been republshed in Leipsic, by far |
the majority of which we're so repubshed |
during the lifetime OF the authors. But there |
is no such international copyright with that |
great nursing mother of English readers. the |
United States OF America. When we speak OF |
international copyright, and the want OF inter.
national copyright we mean international COPY |
rioht not with Austria or with Spain, or with |
Russia-lhough we shall be ready enough to |
welcome as additional blessings justice for lite.
ratuIe between those countries and our own |
hut with America! AsIegards literature merica |
ard England are one. We read the same Ian |
euaee: we thinkthe same thoughts. Our minds |
run in the same currents. Our literary tastes |
are formed on the Same models. Any popular
works of the present day might have been
written either by English or by American
authors. Who would have known the skeleton
in Armorn came from an American poet, or the
4wDwa nnAip