The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-19
The Proposed Changes in the English
Copyright Laws.

Copyright Laws.
The royal commission appointed 20 con-
slider the question Of revising the English
copyright laws with view Of making them
more effective for the protection of literary,
dramatic and artistic property has made it,
report. Aitcrpointing out many defects and
incongruties IN the laws now in force tine
Commissioners recommend that the various
statutes relating To copyright be codiiicd.
and that important changes be made in their
provisions. The changes proposed are
highly favorable to mon Of letters. and are
intended 20 secure native, colonial and for
cign authors moro effectively In the enjoy
mont OF their intellectual productions.
Tho enlargement OF the period during
which protection is granted for literary
work. has been ~tcadyin England for moro
thana century and a half Thcabsolutc dura-
tiou Of copyright. limited 10 fourteen years
blythe statute of ANNE in l7lu, was in 1871 OK
tended to twonty-cight years and in 1872 to
forty-two years. or during the life of the au-
thor and seven years thereafter if that
should be- longer period than forty-two
wears The limitation liked by the statute OF
1912 is row the torm OF protection for books.
Il is claimed that. while this period Is ample
ia the case publications FOR which the pub
lie domand continues only for a few years.
it docs not give To authors of works OF
lasting value sufficient time in which to
realize the reward Of their labor and outlay
The fact Is also pointed out that the term
OF copyright j. longer in France. Germany.
Russia. Spain. Portugal. and Italy than it j.
in England The mi-sionci~ recon-
mend that instead OF the present term,
copyright IN books be secured during the
life % the author and FOR thirty years after
hi- death, which i the period II protection
In Germany; that the copyright ia maps.
chart. Music, ons~Ning5, paintings and
sculpture b" made Of equal duration with
that ia books; and that photographs be pro-
tcctcd ior thirty years FROM the time ofpuili-
cation They also propos" TINT the right OF
r"F'-"niinr nud performing dramatic ami
musical compositions he granted iDr the
sam" term a. copyright in books. Under
the present law each of iiv" specified public
libraries may demand free copy Of every
book published II Is suggested that this
burd.n-ome tax ON authors be- abolished cX-
cept in the case OF the British Museum
Animportart subject with which tho re-
port deal is that Of thcuuauth or,led abrdg-
mont and drnmotil,,ion Of a c,nvri,,l,tod
work. Neither Of these cases is expressly
provided for Iy statute. The rxtra-iu.
dicinl opinion has been EXPRESSED hy several
ENGLISH Juare. that the bona f,ie abrldg.
mont 81 n book is not an iufrinremcrt of
cnrvri,ht Thi. Wow yvgs followed bv Jud,,o
SroRy in nm oLif,r dictu,n In a case i'm winch
tho dire,t is-uo I'D NOT arisc Snon or,nr n
lorrn mart az ono az the greatest works
ngti,is hti-t his "Foultv Jurisnrud.nenn
,vn- r.,ulli-b.d yitho,,t authority In n
form ,nrnortin, IN Inc an ohridrmcnt In
tbc lows,,it which folIownd Jud,-n NcTr,Y
eoid that his own orininu yos TINT an
un,,uthuriznd abrid,,urut ~ a conNri,,bt.d
work l. pirotlcal. hut he thought That tho
question wos settled tho other wovLv nro.
c.d,ut lie finally disnosodof fine rosn. how
eyer. ly deciding contrary to the flndiun of
the Ne.tnr that the nublicatinn before him
wa, not an abrid,mcnt hut n compilation If
| oxtrncts. and ns such rlrotlcoI rho Tng.
! fish law ON the question az alridrm,nts il
still in doubt With regard To dralnatiza-
tious tho courts have held that IL is nlracv
tn uubli-b i'm urint an unauthorized drama.
tizatlon but that any nerson may drnmo.
tizo n copvri,btod novel for the stngo nro-
vidod the author has mot dro,notiyod
Il hcf,,o publishing bia novel ~ tho
outbo, dolo 20 th. nronorotton ~ his et,uo
ver.ion urtl otter tho publication of hia
honl, mic right ia dromntizo n 10 no hottor
than thot ~ onv othn, noreon This rulo
must ,ftop o,,ornto tn cnt or tho R,t,isI
nnyoli.t fron n chios so,,roo - nront In
monv cases n novel il more volnabI. for the