The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-05-02

The absurdities of the present state of
copyright. or copywrong law all over the world are
thoroughly illustrated by Messrs. Gilbert and Sui
livans latest work bearing the suggestive name of
1.-THE Pirates - that 1t really impossible they
should he much longer tolerated by civilized people,
1.-THE Pirates Of Penzance - Is not copyrighted In
this country, contrary to very general impression.
g. and S. chose TO avail themselves of that privilege
In England where no question of their being aliens
could lie raised, and for that purpose obliged to
give the first performance of the opera there.
markabe performance 1t was, In an out-Of- way
town. In deserted theatre and with all the preca-
tons against publicity that could be conscientously
taken In the case of an alleged ''pubo production ~
In spite Of these, two men and boy reported to
have turned up from somewhere and stroed In, but
eyed with great disfavor by the authors agent
while the dreary farce OF the first performance of this
future popular favorte dragged itself along. All this
solemn nonsense Of performance where auditors
avoided entailed, he 1t observed, by statute
which mpairs authors property while protesting to
protect II, and by miserable supineness which has
prevented the enactment Of proper treaty on the
subject between two perfectly friendly and we-ds-
posed powers. Meanwhile In the United States there
remained to these gentlemen whom were entertain
Ing efusivey resort from the brigandage Of
publishers and managers but that which exists In
called state OF nature, the physical concealment Of
| their treasure. This is the reason why de-
prved OF lbrettos during the performance, and why
| the merry airs are not being banged from million
pianoortes all over this broad Union the latter boon
| being one however which we NAV be reconciled to
miss by a construction Of the common law which
is not more unnelligible and far fetched than all the
rest Of the business stage rendition Is not .'pub
lcaton In such sense as TO authorize the printing
or recopying for other readers and performers by
authorized parties, of the authors original MSS.
which remains his OF course, long he keeps
II ia his own hands exclusively This doctrine OF the
los, nj au,bo,s rights v nu,ca,o, has ALREADY besn
60 ,,na,'',,, ,,s',a, -, ,,,,a o", ,,'at =, T., ,,.a
mani, io.n, his RIGHT IN his oe,d nv cuItva,,on tha,
n is needless IN dwell nnon n, The forced construc
lion ahoye sct forth has Itself nsen douh,ed bv sone
ind,os who ora .y,d.n,iy ds,srm,nad ,b,, ,,. moo,
author shah have no pro,ection that tbev can deuy
| hin, aud ,,ho ,vonId mn, /, uranium n, st.ai,n. ~,
| h.,ray,n, ,n. or,nin,t uss uouoy.r a. 4. ha,,.,
than no,,no. I'm, ~ Mossrs G,,he,, and sullivan ,er,
IN uar,o,, ,hs n,,,oa,Ion a, =. Th. pirates =, words NJ
soa,o "a, a,y o,har ,a,or ,ha ,h,o,o, ,h. rou,h. al
their own omnan,e away would oo all their uter,,,
nronsr,v ,,nc, ,yon,d nocoma co,omon IN ,no wo,,d
4, a. y,,,,,yn, not tho, ,o,,a ,m.r,oan
named ste;sor I'm Uos,on las ,s,u,sIv nran,red MIN
self IN, mononoyin, tho nIupde, of tho Rr,shers II,
alln, their ma maze vim the n,onsr authoritv nre
naraorv IN convrgh,,, n his o,,, na,na ,ba ,es, n
The work-when he can qet hold ofit Th,s would IN
,ho an,hn,. ,be,rsolyas from n.ny ,ba,r ,rod,io 4,
| ,ha Irn,ab s,,,as Asut, tbov have si,nnI,, .a,tL
the,r covat.d loot and hod n Inv the s,rong hand