New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-22
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.
RfPoRr OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE or
prppRsFNT ATIvES--Tuy mr.


national copyright &c, INV, to report BY bl or other
wise" made the following report, Which CV MS "O''O"'
was oAiofed to be printed and recommittcai 80
We are fully persuaded that It Is not only eSpsoien.,
but IA high degree important 10 the Oneu o, Sn nro
tSct the reht OF Amercan authors foreign countries
snd give similar protection 70 foreign ,n 90,
honor In which We Should ind that justice Is the WiSeSt
policy fol nations and briDss the TtIe the r,bt
The founders Of Gov crlleht tno IIneS
o p,Aocgoi nroperty aud provided IN the Constitu-
18th tio rfention laws have been enacted TO
the rights OF authors ana IN e Gus1o oI,es,
we have gone further aud secured nternailOhs patent
laws have H BEEN NO. peSeoteG and IL is
noteworthy fact that no measure proposing an interns
In ali CIVILIZED nations it is understood that the author
OF book or work OF art has natural right OF properly
his work real that Of his neghbor 10 any other
Kind OF rsona property No right can be more unqnes
ionabo but the need Of gynRl u inc protseton ot Po
tive euacncnts not seriously felt until AFTER tne ART
81 printing came into use IN England hed no , egss
protection until the time OF Queen Anne although
previous TO her reign tho right OF an author TO the BOOK
ie Produced was recognized and protected as common
law right AT the TINS Ilght Is more OF less
adequately protected in every country In Europe IN
10 Great Britain il lasts during the authors
lifetime and seven years after his death IL, IN
during the authors lifetime, aud continued TO MS fanny
from twenty 70 thirty years after ms deatn . %
have boon established by legislative acts ana conventions
satstscfor thsn was antpsted We are the only
Of the CIVILIZED world that has failed to secure the
benefit u such laws We alone have neglected TO onsnge
the anqaated and vicious policy that allows our aun9rs
70 be pmered in foreign countries [epreSses neIy ue
velopncnt In our own country makes tne DuSneSS VI
publishers 70 considerable extent speculative anu nl
orfhs English books Instead Of the better books from
other countries and from our own writers WHICH, u1ub
tho operation Of suitable eopygh' laws "ouu eAo'uuo
II Ia now about 80 wears since the British Parliament
pagsed for securing authors, in certain cases
ibst am country which shond extend the benefit of
rrftf IN EI
rights OF its authors and artists protected ~ "Ieat
Gated TO our Government through Mr. Stevenson, the
American Minister win on Invitation 20 eSPO1 , ,
proposition and establish an international eolgst iS%
between the two eogntrie LORD Pamerston Ssd ~ M
asoerain whether lie Government OF lne nh.so
states disposed any arrangement with the
oopyrie to authors publishers within the domnions
aud territories OF Grea Britain and the United states
This proposition not REFUSED, 1t was SIMPLY neg
isoted
In the wear nreyious to the passage Of this act in Great
Britain Henry Clay IN the Senate OF the United STATES
reporfed from Select Committee very strongly in favor
OF the passage OF similar act by Congress- but he great
vented action on the bill lie reported, - $3.50, ~.
The subject has since been Dr9ngn tb 20 Ine ~
tr ne and fbey all stand ready to respond immedi
aeiy and cordially 10 any movement on our part 10 share
with the benefits Of this policy We, who nave more
10 gain ronrt than any other civilized nation should no
oncer neglect TO literary property what We have
done SO carefuY for thai Of mechanical inventors The
sense Of Justice TO the authors right Of property in
bs WORK should be sufficient to secure the establishment
Tbs as strongly expressed Mr. Clays report which
spoke ne follows OF an author lg t ~ d the
invasion OF the rights OF properly IN the case on
authors are exposed daily violation, without the posi-
bity OF their invoking the aid Of tie laws We 40 DOT
rights OF property should be carefully protected ana
yet the present policy concerning Sopyflght allows our
authors TO be summariy deprived Of their properly IN
e one ease that has been used elsewhere for usra.
Mr. q
during which he finds IL necessary 10 acquire knowledge
sboussYda Of dollars in rare books documents and
uscrpts and in visiting Spain, Holland Germany. and
Srehlyes writes the history OF the Dutch Republic and
the United Netherlands 1t was never written before
This great work bright with genius and rich ID the fruits
OF learning and long research, has rOOnho lherest
an the United states book to attract the mil
hoa, but l. to find lit audience throughout the OWL
play and Just protection Of his right to multiply
and SEX COPIES Of that work ne might get Is9rn 4
compensation for bis labor But In no foreign country Is
@ eopnrss Of Europe have refused to come into such
International arrangements would have given 1t pro-
lection but simply because we have neglected 70 respond
their uytatOn and for our authors the protee
ton offered If Mr. Motley's property were cargo OF
ful nc could not be deprived OF IT, but 1t IS book, and
OF merchandise It is taken nom him in England by any
publisher who chooses TO lay hands it, and ON the Con
without supervision Under these circum-
stances is Impossible for the American author Of such
This is very unjust II IS however, only ono OF many
national history when the balance Of from such
less treatment Of literary property win be heavily against
SV ana Il VIII be our own fault the proper remedy
not applied without further delay.
The statement Of what Is due 70 this natural right OF
property ought 10 prevail without the support OF add
fionsl Arguments but there considerations Of policy
that cannot fail TO have weight and therefore, must not
be excluded.
p international copyright laws would contribute power
fully and successfully TO develop our own Literature and
There Is ntbis country no lack Of intellectual llfe
OF materials stimulus for literary production We lack
nothing bur lust protection Of the rights Of literary
property Our Government has been careful to secure
Se rcts ~ onr mechanical inventors ia every civilized
country and what has follOwedl american genius s
this moment at the head Of all nations for mechanical
Invention" says a distinguished English writer, who
and figures TO prove Nhat he says OuT inventive
c1us stands foremost every where made PIeeInDent by
every form OF construction that the productions OF
At1erjcsn mechanical genius. from the plow TO the
ship have neither supeors nor successful rivals In any
country.
such are the results Of protecting properly the rights
mechanical invention. And how has II Jared with the
business OF literary productions other things being
equal the literary production OF the United states would
De equally Preemnent character, abundance. and in
fuenco. Nowhere else there much intellectual life
and freedom nowhere else the materials for literary
production fresh or 80 abundant We have IN
fiona ideas. the originality OF social and political
istutOns in everything essentially American In our
country and people, unwOrked mine OF literary
wealth. And yet in this department OF intellectual
york we have fallen behind. While our people
nave been lured To the development OF invent
i've end mechanical genius until have men
i sione and h wood with sonsumma.e sFu our an
tbors have not been allowed far field and cOnse
qnentiJ literature has TO large extent remained
provincial TO that Of Great Britain or as Of most
eminent and original writer's expresses II, "has not yet
thrown English swaddhng clothes" He adds: "NOt
only has the wholesale system Of maapprOpIatOn most
iHufOtsy affected the Interests OF living American
pratGrs oi the United states TO servle cOpysm."
Mean viie ~ one two departments where there ~
schCoboOs FOR instance our literature has become unri