New-York tribune., 1871-11-16
LRTTERs FRoMFHhrEor1E
CoscEaHme INTERNATIONAL cOPYRTGEr.
70 tAe Eaffop Of rae ffiban1. sS-

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COHCERHHfa INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHr.
70 tAs EdfGoP Of rae frftaH1. sfS
Sm, In your artiOlson OopyriTht In to-day's
rmuunE YOU say that bf shoala be psspAred 80 gTe
foreign asOrs araght Of pFopesty IN eli tAaiR works
repubnshed In America without at the Same time CIV
ing the foreign publisher any other rights In market
than we already p0ssets" This sentence aumb Up yth
admirable concseness the central idea Of Mr. Appetons
letter in The London Tes which soems TO have started
this discussion on "new departure" and while the
contamination Il points 10 were dey0utly 10 be wished
tina question arises whether is practicable. You take
Tor granted that It s while 10 my thinking the QUESTION
n surrounded with grave difficulties which propose
TO set before you
An the parties 70 this discussion will admit that the
primo obBeotOf an international Copyright awis do
act Of Justice TO foreign author and that
all other considerations secondary II the latter
cannot be secured without mpenng the former, they
must 60 70 the wall
Row, what Mr. Appleton aims at and what We should
ake to 500 done II may he withoutfnjusce s 10 re-
qure English author TO take out in addition to his
English copyright American copyright, and to COM
pei him. moreover, either to assign the latter 70 an
American Publisher, or 10 contract with an American
publisher TO manufacture his book for the American
market Hero We start at once with unjust discrin
nation against the English author for American a
thor under no sVen resriSon and after bs has . Se
book printed and bound in London and imported for
But passing this BY. we come up against another and
more practical objection Suppose yOnr law duly en-
American pubiishsfi Messrs. Macmillan & Co. MesSrs
Routedge Co.. Messrs. Nelson Sons, and perhaps
these houses American publishers or mott II not why
nOti n they excluded would not the rule ex
IN ese stS TO BE- S"Ss
American publishers, ana English author should
would we have right to prescribe whether the books
published under that copyright should Be manufactures
never be enforced for the common sense Of the com
muuity would revolt against 1t.
question from the category Of American pubshers you
are OF than you were BEFORE snoe could not
one where his wares should be manufactured. Some
publishers import even at present whole editions o. En-
DO this frequently a. for instance IN shs case Of Part
Brown Co. import In this way the Encyclopedias Bri.
snniea and after paying the duty ofS per cent se
for gold II they held the American copyright Of this
woFt could you compel them think y9s 20 o.. " Pp
than force Mr. Stewart to buy his dress sks III
II secms to me, With ali due Difference to Mr. Appleton
and 10 you. we'll the other able gentlemen who take
your view. that the dangers which would threaten the
American boOk-maknR interest we granted free aud
full copyright nglish authors Ia purely imaginary II
all reminds me Of the great argument few years ago
dangers which would Be incurred BY railway
II the dooHs Of the eogpes were left unlocked T9 nSe 50
for had never locked our cars. and had never OK.
perienced any of the incOnvenoDces which the fertile
British imagination cOhJured forth II was tho same
with the ballot with bOrsecars and with other blessings
which have generously forced on our grumbling stop
mother country. And now make the Aane mistake IN
our 10 hunt reasons for on an act tha
feel ought to do and must do sO0ner or later but
the doing OF which will involve the humiliatinR adms-
sion that We have been trans gneasOrs.
to do right and the consequences
will be very dreadful. We could still continue to
COLLECT tho duty English made books. and that, In
itself would. in measure, protect the American pub
Usher and induce writer to give him tho preference
Besides, houses have great advantage In I'm.
derstandng the exigenCies OF the market better than
any foreigner controlling tho channels Of dstribu
tlon, aud In possessing the sympathes OF the Press
They could therefore or the English authors greater in
ducements and higher percentage Moreover we mnet
remember that the literary class, tho men who write
books are mostly people OF coincidence and Of sensitive
sefeseem and that much could safely be left to thor
own of deOenoy and OF the obligation nder which
freely accorded concession of this kind would place
them All the laws OF trade and the normal tendencies
OF human nature would be on side Popular books
would continue be made In thus country, while works
which addressed themselves TO limited class OF readers
would. happens, be printed from English sereo
types imported In sheets We should be very little
at ILL., worse off than now. while rusty stain would be
washed from national escutcheOn.
PIERRE DETOUCHE.
YorL M