National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-13
STEALING BRAINS,
A Fair Copyright Law Waafeti-Interyiew
with Publisher Carleton.

with Publisher Carleton.
Mr.. G. W. Carleton, of the well-known publish
ing house of G. w. Carleton & Co., New York, who
has been doing the Capital for some days past ran
into recondite REPUBLICAN rover at Wizards last
night, and was at once laid under tribute for the
benefit of our intelligent and innumerable read
eS.
what is your opinion of the copyright bill now
before Congress?" asked our man.
at is, as nearly as can get at it. replied Mr..
Carleton, "a bill gotten up by few of the pub
fishers of New York and Philadelphia, and ap-
proved, for want of better, by nearly all of the
authors and publishers to whom the petition was
presented"
How could it be improved?''
1t seems TO me that while they are about 1t II
would be better to give the foreign authorthe same
propertyright in his book that they would give to
foreign creator of anything. For example, suppose
an artist in England paints valuable picture, and
afterward makes copy which he desires to sell in
this country. Must he come over here and hold on
TO his canvass with one hand until he receives the
money in the other, for fear that it will be stolen?
And must he sell it within four months, or have 1t
taken from him by any one who chooses 2
"Then there is the feature OF the bill requiring
the foreign author to publish in this country
within four months after its publication at home,
in order to the benefits of the law, TO when
you object?"
THAT is one of the chief objections. think the
time should not be limited. The author should be
allowed the right to say when and where he will
publish his book. 1 think it is only simple right
and justice that he should be permitted to control
without disadvantage to himself the product OF
his own talent and industry
Then you would put foreign authors on an
equal footing with American authors?"
The same as would a painter, tailor, a shoe
maker, or any other artisan"
What would be the advantages OF an inter
national copyright law such as you suggest"
There is a mistaken idea abroad that by
the absence of copyright law the American peo-
pie get their books much cheaper. So they do
some books. They get English books which have
been stolen at cheaper rate, but not the products
of American authors. The fact is, the lack OF g
copyright law tends to discourage American htera-
ture by bringing cheap foreign goods, which
haven't been paid for intothe market in competi-
ton Publishers having this competition to con-
tend with cannot take the risk of publishing
books by American authors In consequence of
the competition of reprinted foreign books at such
low prices the American writers are becoming less
and less every year because of this cheap re-
printing of foreign books, and the American read
ers are becoming accustomed more and more 10 de-
pendsnce upon foreign authors for their literature.
The point that l make against this four-month
limitation is that the foreign author may be driven
into disadvantaGeous bargain Unacquainted
with foreign publishers and their customs, he is
necessarily at disadvantage. 1t would be just as
reasonable to require foreign merchant to sell
within limited time after its arrival cargo of
silks tea coffee or any other kind of property
gardless of the condition of the market or the
question of profit or loss The author can't i'll
four months time MIKE his bargain. He might
not want to publish it for year, might think it
would sell better year later, and it is his own
property, he should have the right to publish it
when he pleaseS, or not ut all for that matter.
But if he didn't publish within reasonable
time, would not the English publishers get up Il
cheap edition and send it here for sale?"
'The reason he would not be likely 10
do so is, that the author would demand
his profit OH the foreign sale, and that,
with the expense of transportation, the du-
ties of importation, and other expenses, would ne
cesstate an American price high enough TO pre-
vent the competition that American authors suffer
from now from unpaid for reprints"
What has been the custom heretofore in re-
printing foreign books?'
"By the American publisher paying the foreign
author an agreed-upon price for an early copy or
advance sheets of his book, in order to publish
simultaneously with its appearance in his own
country. No honorable publisher would, under
these circumstances reprint the book at lower,
Or in fact at any price. 1t was sort of protective
courtesy of the trade. No other trade possesses
such peculiar unwritten law of deferene to the
rights of each ether. The recent raid of lot of
dishonoFable and heretofore unknown publishers
has created a general demand among honorable
publishers for n copyright law which will protect
.I,. author and pay him for his work as unquali-
hedly as an artisan I-t--.A8 tho rlnSSession