, 1879-07-01
THE PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL COPY.
RIGHT

| Aso" Aosas W H1!to IN Mtlcla &tplng BtRte
mont Of tho American view Of the auostiot
Of international copyright. 1fr. ConAN7,.
article was submitted to m English writer
whose comments thereon, together with The
article itself, are published in tho latest mum.
ber OF the Magazine. We confoss to strong
conviction that the Eng!ishmau has not only
answered Mr. CosAxT's paper, but hns 90
r'ddlod 1t and turned 1t inside out, exposing
Its weaknesses pnd its jobism, that tho in.
c1ination to laugh Ut tho New York gentle
man is only restrained by the regret that a
person who announces himself aa Of al
experience of moro than twonty yoa1s on the
daily and weekly American psoss " should
have 50 recklessly loft tho bars down behind
him.
We hays recently discussed tho newborn
zeal shown by cortain publishers In this
country for an international copyright, and
hnve pointed out the possible causes Of this
zenl. Mr. CoNAHr In lis statomont so con-
Arms tho views Of this paper on this point
Tint tho Eng1ishman has no difficulty in at
tributing the recent "rressuro" In this
country in favor Of such a treaty to tho
most solflsh ends, and reaches tho conclu-
sion that "when tho time comes for inter.
national copyright 10 be established it will
not bo such hB Mr. CoNAST contemplates."
Thore being no international Inv on thu
subject, American publishers havo always
followed tue ptactioo Of roprinting tho works
Of foreign authors in this country vi,l,ont
compeuaotion. Tho bu.;ncsa ho. bo..
moro or iess profitable. md somo or t,,o
largest publishing lousea in Mia conrtrv
hayo grown rich on tho augmentation
Of other mems nronertv soma vso~s
ago tho leading American nnb,isho-u
established tho courteav of tho train t-,hot
is to say. when ono publishor nronoaca II ~
pr;nt IN English book ho not;ao5 tho otha-a
aud then the others by "conrtesv o1,e,.;na5
from printing that worl, tho,nsa,voa ,rh;n
agroomenk had all the force Of oonvr;e},t
law; it protected tho American upirato "
agatnnt tho British author. and TIM "n;roto !"
aforesaid, having On aotual ,nonouo]v ~ ,ho
sale Of tho book in this country. vas ah1o ,o
add 80 to 100 per cent 10 tho rofni1 nr;co ~
his publications, It enab]ed him o,so -
tender 10 tho foreign owner of t},o wor1 .,n,.
oompensation, esnocia,ly for ai]v.nc. ahooI,
so that the reprint could epnear M aoon j.,
this country as the original in Eno}ord
Under this arrangement evorythipo waa
lovely. Tho "clieap American ronrib,s
Which formerly sold for 70 or 80 cents varo
now sold for 10, IS, or 100 capta: but tbo
law OF courtesy was obligatory only amono
tho "ilrst.cless" pirates. and "a N, 1o.s
courteous md ioss Il tcultnred" porsona wl,o
arc described by Mr.. CoaAsr "a "onerr;,,,,,,
concluded that they could rcn,,nt md
soil at profit tho novels and other worla ~
foreign authors, for which the flgst-c1ass nnh.
lishers demand from 90 centa ia N. ~ m
Is, or 20 cents, aud forthwith thoy enp.rod
in tho business, and these IL n},Hur1tv.ohoor,
edittous" hayo beon sold 1;tora,,t, tr, ~
million all ovor tho United States. Hence
tho zoal for international copyright Inv.
Tho law Of nations docs not rocognize
"guersalla warfare, hence q t1omand for In
sernationa law to rostrnin those who offer
violence to tho law Of courtesy." Mr,
coxAAT'a whole argument rests upon two
points. 10 admits that morally tho author
Of book ia entitled to soma compensation.
but denies the right of tho foreign author to
flx tho sum Of his compensation, or to with.
hold its publication in this country, oxoont
On Ills own terms. Ills second noint IL
that tho American people arc ontit,od
to hayo all foreign books pnblisbol
hora at guoh prices as .hoy arc willing tn
pay and among tho amusing roasons oivon
for this Ia TIN. education and Tho disso,nino.
ton Of good reading amonp tho American