New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-22


Of his business he could well afford pay for protected
copyright that would give him the market free from ruin.
ons eompettOn with tho certainty OF @Ige tfss snu
perfect security In his business he could put IN TIC
market more handsomely executed books OF more reason
spie prices ana az the same time MAKE assrr 6
others connected with robustness OF book making would
gam Dy'he policy proposed The laws OF taae, w ,t
more certain irreYesibe than the iac tat tse
interests 81 authors, publishers. book ihaAeis u DOo
buyers reciprocal II may be observed ln tls cul
necton, that the propose VIII not aneet any
book already printed II SECURES the benent VI
for those books only that shall be pnbiisheo alet ~
national copyright laws shall have gone INTO oleiaon
OF copyright IN this country shall De Wholly S5
tuTod here Our aim is TO secure what u best or our 0h
people Viewed merely as matter OF public pOLc{.
designed 10 benefit important branch OF business u
the United states, This measure should nave the HlPV
4 BY establishing international copyright laws, we
shall greatly promote tle interests OF American poOh
buyers
qbe old objection that such laws would increase the
price Of books did not proceed from careful study OF
tire laws Of trade, and therefore could not enuue IL
cism 1t will not now be urged by any person Tio
considered the matter in all ITS bearings 1Is 10
assumed that copyright would be TAX on ' t
trade which publishers must charge .h o'ot rr,co
their customers-a grave mistake. It is me price 0p
paid for security In the market s 40 ,bia SpaPa1
Usher Of salable book as we have shown ds @ Sr
tee against injury from rival editions u an
which he afford to pay hanasPme crt M 70 his bn
ness much than it would cost WIN TINS Eo.evSlO
he would be able to sell the D1SH IN All
respects from the type the last finish OF the binding
10
Of value given to the publishers business by tine
security Of copyright. writer IN The Norm Ab,etctt
R 5e So SSps would procure not eS but greater
multiplication and cheapness Of copies, for the pnbno
benefit along with larger sale Tor tue dement, Oi '"O
The great gain to book-buyers would be realized in an
other way The measure proposed womb Dli.R INV
circulation In tins country, more tortign At
superior class than are now joui1 III t te 10 copaped
chiefly TO English books, some OF them WOIs W ses
some merely sood a T. books are repubshed
here because they need no transIaOh ana VIII sorIo 70
supply the demand for new books IN market where
readers must take nothing. Establish interna
fonal copyright laws and we shall very soon see trsl
lions OF the best French, German Swedish Dahsh anu
other European books taking the place OF these Wrchea
English books When 1t snail become heo SnSsbea IN
Great Britain, publishers will prefer 10 secure IN
stead TRANSACTIONS of the best books published IN
other countries. In TINS way books OF hseI Glass VII
20 into circulation and the worthless English BOOKS now
so abundant In the market will gradually disappear III
estimated that the issue OF TRANSLATED Dooks
would furnish business for two or three large publishing
houses. This estimate seems TO IA very moderate,
Moreover additional value would be given 10 the books
for general circulation, by the increase ana hr
ment thus given 20 American would attract to
this field the best talent Of the country ana American
iuence The competition the book market would be
healthy and eevating and the people VINO 1esire
the books the most reasonable pflces "Ouu ma
IN the change abundant satisfaction. .
wears and especially the memorials and renonstrdnees
against international copyright laws, We tnd the obec
tons raised against such laws have been substantially
First such laws would increase tie price Of books 70
American readers" This objection, we have shown
is founded wholly false assumption. Moreover the
policy proposed would not affect the vast number OF
English and other books already in print so far a. re-
Efe 10 copyright II would reach only such new books
as should be written and published after the Oegnnng
Of its operation and these It would cheaper There
od he no reason whatever for increasing the prce OF
books On the contrary as we have pointed Oui ts pro-
posed policy would necessarily give US Oe''ci OOoA' az
Second mo American books are repubshed in Great
Britain" This was urged against the measure IN q
repor made 10 the Senate nearly 80 years ago Not long
afterward II shown that more than 600 AMERICAN
books were at that tme advertised on he tIa1e s o.
British publishers. (See House document NO TO- 1x1uh
Congress LIST session. The number has lncfeaseq 80
largely since then that the loss from repuhlcatlon VIII"
out copyright WILL hereafter, be largely against US IN
less We take measures TO prevent ~ sg sIv r
duotOn in this country and 80 lat az ,i i IAN
gnage is concerned they w0nld CIV us We
Third; "This policy would give bilsn - ~ 10
az hooks entire monopoly OF the American market IL
Is ee9 an ~ peasonae in this Objection ever
elt the slightest respect for it, 1t lie enough to reply
RIitisS moponoy of our market impOssibe for Ameri
can editions Of foreign books 10 have the proposed ehe
would give both our publishers and authors more
complete independence Of influence IMAM "Ss ever
Fourth: at would prevent the adoption Of English bookS
20 American preudiees rms Hns Higeu' WIN sdngua t
presented 20 Congress in 1913 ee senate NO
who talked as II il were invaluable privilege 10 nti
ate and falsfy English books reprinted here might nave
added that il would put stop TO the shameless nutla
ton and reconstrucon Of American books that has been
so common in England They furnish, instead Of an oh
iv bsTeen this country and Britain. We do not
want English books adapted to American prejudice
NE want genuine American literaureboOks that snail
Grow out OF the life and thought Of people, and
which shall not be mutated when they 30 abroad.
FfJth: IL would derange and oppress the American
book trade by suddenly giving the benefit OF copyright
to foreign books already published here ms vas sara
document ll6, XXYth Congress lid session. Nobody
s9t9 aud NOBODY IN now use Il who
aims to treat the subject candidy The measure rec
er 10 the treat mass Of British foreign tera
ture already their disposal meanwhile the new DOCKS
th bnsires OF the trade gradually few each year,
bringing not disturbance and arrangement but an ee
The Objections raised against international copyright
laws been answered 20 often and Win sneh slct
that they cannot now much force, In the minds
OF those may continue TO entertain them Inc meas
IL supported by reason ana justice, anu II Ia na
an exceptional created by Tree appropriation ia
some So cal department Of literature, where IL VIII en-
connfeT objections based false calculation OF self
Interest," but objections from this source cannot reason
ably be allowed to determine an Important question u
Your committee feel that DO country has greater need
OF international copyright laws than We are sure
mat their OperatIon would quickly the last nger
ing objection, and give the highest satlsaeton NOT Only
70 authors. publishers and all interested III he eehani
cal department Of bookmakng but also 70 the people NJ
large Therefore, report to the House the accompany
Az Acf for securing authors certain the henss Of Htens
ou copyright advancing development Of American literature sud
promoting interests Of Publishers AID book bayer' In the United
Bs IL enacted bv The Senate and House Of Representatives.
OF he United Suites i Congress assembled That any per
son or persons being citizen citizens OF any foreign
country or residents therein who shall be the nuthOr OF
authors Of book, map, chart dramatic WORK OF MUST
cal composition that may be first published III any IV
egn country after this act shall 90 into operation or who
shall invent design eDgave work. or cause 10 DC WORKED
made, as work OF art, from his own aesgn' any
foreign country after this act shal take enect,
and the executors, administrators OF egai assigns %
such person or persons, shall have the same
exclusive right and liberty multiply aud sell copies OF
such works In the United States that now are or may
hereafter be granted by the laws OF the United states TO
authors and artists who citizens OF the United states
gabieet 10 the same conditions, regulations ana nita
Iried That the nrOYlslOna OF TINS ACT