Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-20

1t is reported from Washington that the com
mittees OF authors and publishers have united
in support of an international copyright bill
which is substantially the same as that intro
dlced in the house by Mr. Cox. With the ex-
ccption Of a single word, Mr.. Coxs bill is liter
ally that reported in the house, early in 1868, by
the Massachusetts member who was then chair
man Of the committee on the library. He drew
the bill and prepared the report which accom-
panied it, without comforting with authors or
publishers, or with anybody else oatside of his
committee. 1t aimed to secure TO foreign
authors and artists their rights Of property in
their works. and provided that foreign books
republished in this country should be manufac-
tured and issued by American publishers.
These two points present substantially all that
authors Or publishers can reasonably require.
Their committees at Washington have agreed
to support bill covering these points.
A great deal that is written on this subject
Appeals 10 us not well considered. To deny an
authors right of property in the book he writes,
is to uphold wanton injustice, not to use
stronger word; but this must be done by those
who refuse persstenty 10 give this right prorec-
tion. If foreign authors were not required to
make arrangements with American publishers
for the manufacture and issue Of their books.
English publishers wonld he sure to control
this part Of the business, aud sell the books
through branch houses in Boston or New
York. The bill reported in 1868 specified
that the american publisher" must be a citizen
of the United States. We notice that some
newspapers, disliking TO come out squarely
in open opposition to the measure, oppose it
coyertly by finding fault with every draft of an
International copyright bill that is proposed !;
and, OF course, they ind fault with what the
committees have agreedt to. "The British govern
ment," they say, "would never recprocate such
legislation" which is only peculiar method Of
saying they hope the measure will fail. ifthey
bad more accurate and complete information
on the subject, they would know that all the
British legislation needed TO put an information
nj copyright law in operation was effected some
years ago; aud that it requires on our part
nothing inconsistent with the bill now pro.
posed.
One difficulty in the way of this measure is
due TO the desperate attempts of both English
and American publishers to assume entire con.
tFol OF lhe question. lney seek 10 push aside
the authors and have the proposed law framed
and enacted chiefly in their interest. There is,
also, general indifference to the matter which
hinders the positive interest and action we ought
TO encourage. Its one of those questions which
most members Of congress have not studied
carefully, because it is not one of the questions
in which they are most directly interested.
Therefore, the agreement of those who petition
for the law does not secure its enactment nor
even make it certain that the library committee
will report favoraby on the subject. The meas
ure ought to succeed; justice demands it, but
justice is sometimes compelled to wait long for
proper recognition. In this case, the waiting
has already been very long.