New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-15

policy demand international staguright as much ~
they do international copyright.
Our two nations invest their money on the follow
ing scale:
l. vast sum daily in newspapers Of which the
title is copyright; but not the contents. These pro-
tect themselves from fatal piracy; thew die p nat
ural death every afternoon, and escape assassin-
ton next morning.
.. small sum daily IN books.
3. large sum daily in represented plays
100000 sterling per day at the very least
As regards two ana three, You VIII find the COM
paratiye scale Indicated IN the newspapers them
selves; these with unerrlng usrinct. discover the
habits of their nation. Take them through the
breadth of tho land: you Will find they review a
book now and then: but they are eternally putting
plays and at great length Now; b. piracy OF stage
right from fore igDers a nation loses its chance of
that great tire sure, national drama, and does not
get one cent per annum III excbang Tor that serious
deprivation. The plratical publisher pretends he
sells book cheaper for stealing the compost on.
II IL not true. for # he bought the composi ton
under a copyright he would sell all the copies,
instead OF sharing the sale with other pirates and
could sell cheaper than IN the way Of piracy; but If
not true, II IS plausible. and has deceived shallow
statesmen by the score. But the plratlcal manager
of theatre does not pretend 70 lower his prices
to The public IN those Cases where he steals the COM
position.
There are. besides all this. two special reasons
why you should propose International stagerght
TO the BrtisL Government, along with international
copyright, and not as attcrclap which YOU VIII
have do # you will no. listen 10 Cassandra, better
known in Knightsbrdge as Charles keade. One Is
that the people most likely 10 give You trOnole IN
this country over International copyright are the
British pul Ishers. HabItual creators of The We
hlcie ana udt of the composition and the copyright.
they VIII naturally think II very hard that they are
not TO be allowed TO the vehicle the Uni ed
states. Their opposition might be- serious, because.
for some generations, they have been allowed to
thrust themselves forward and put the authors I'M
reasonably IN the background. To discuss with our
Government tue TWO great properties authors Gre
ate. VIZ, staGerght aud copyright. would tend to
open John Bulls eyes and show hun winch Is really
the leading character III literary property. the au-
tbOrs. who create all the stagerlgnts and all the
copyrights, or the publishers, who acquire by as
gnmont about One-thIrd Of the Copyrights only,
ana none of the stagerights.
The second reason ~ that at present the American
drama ic author suffers special inquiry by act OF
Parliament, deterIoraiIng the common law Of Eng
land IT British author writes drama, repre-
srnts il on the stage Great Britain, but does not
publish II, and then exports II to the United STATES
lac Possesses the sole right TO representation IN the
United States or. ut all events, in the principal
States. Ihs has been decided by your judges after
1uil and repeated discussion. The American ORA
matsl, until 1912, possessed the same right under
the law OF England aud accordingly Mackllu Vs.
Richardson. which il the English case that protects
ali unpublished dramas under the common law.
lately cited with authority IN the tr Dupas Of
The United States the occasion | have referred
TO- But our COpvrsht act Of 81 poked lis nose
into stagerght, with which 1t had nothing oil earth
to do, and inserted an unjust oppressive and un-
asOnable clause Out!awing from stdgeTlght all
dramas not first represented III Great Britain. The
trainers of tins and similar clause IN the body of
The act mistook the root OF al authors title. The
representation under an act OF Parliament. whereas
II earlier III time, aud by an older and much
h. CHER title, VIZ creation. and under the common
law.
Test: Let A. write Ms. and lend it
to b.. aud b. PRINT and publish it,
and register It at StatiOners' Hall, and
hand the Ms. back. unnjured. without a scratch
on IT, to A. A. would sue r. for breach OF copyright,
under the common law, and BIS parliamentary
title by publication and registration NOuld prove
not worth rush against the precedent title by
CREATION aud common law. The American drama
st Therefore is by the above clause ID an act that
bad need to run, like a frolicsone COLI, 1ut Of
copyright INTO stageright. and extend the field of
It's plumbers. subjected 10 special nlquitv. In
copyright there Is, AT present. sort OF equity OF
fraud. Rob my authors and VIII rob your AUTHORS.
But in stagerlghtit pure inlquity and the AneTi
can dramatlst tuc victim.
THESE are the prlnclDal reasons why ] venture to
advise You not To exclude international stageught
from your dlscu ssiOn of international copyright
with the British Government.
must nov apologize for my presumDtlOn-v hich.
however arises from gOOd-Hli-and Tor the crude
and nasty character of these cOmments Bnt
present them 10 one VINO Is well able to slit the
chat from the grain and so make the best OF them
/ AM my dear MI Lowell. yours very sincerely.
CHARLES READE.