New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-14
THE COPYRIGHT BILL.
VIEWS OF NETWORK PUBLISHERS
A UNANIMOUS SENTIMENT IN FAVOR or TIA
DORSuEIMER BILL

| DORsHEIMER BILL
The standing of the New-York publishers On tbs
international Copyright bill now before Congress
may he easily understood from the following brief
expressions of their views, made to Tribune re-
porter yesterday. They indicate unanimity
which is the more significant when compared
with previous opinions from the same sources. This
| change of heart is characterized by Henry Holt az
death bed repentance" Apprehension seems TO be-
felt lest the BILL having passed the House should 10
defeated in the Senate owing TO the pledges Of SEN
| at0rs made formerly against any copyright bill.
| Joseph w. Harper, it,, OF Harper q Brothers. who
was first seen, expressed himself as follows:
The present Copyright bill has certainly not been hin
They have stood aloof, wen satisfied thsh; to let the
invest them With certain rights Of which they have too
long been uniusty deprived Our position Is easily de-
on the subject. We have sought @siIar ends By
| means OF treaty, but We shall with
respects all Just interests involved There no clauses
OF the bill which call for special criticism The provision
his copyright this country may prove 10 be oDen %
objection than the ptery had been made shorter
say six months Iobserye that the treaty of which
spoke generally alluded to In discussions as the
publishers treaty As matter Of history might add
the Secretary of state in August IsSO and signed by
the foremost American authors The following November
the leading publishers united In their petition for In
teruationa treaty. WIZ books be deareri II the bill
comes lay there VIII still be cheap editions Of tho
interests OF this country will suffer from foreign compel
/
| lava
Roswell Smith, president of The Century Company.
! said:
am In favor OF the bill its present form a. the best pos
ties IN interest, but primarily especially the author
class The whole question higher grounds ghan
those OF mere temporal eIpedlenCy utility
u shoud not be bampered by any such considerations
aud sincerely trust that they will not prevail TO defeat
this bill the most meritOousin my opinion while the pres
ent Congress will have TO consider DrOne in has extern
sve treatise copyright has used language which
he fnF nnhla
men who labor IN whatever vineyard, for the advu.e-
ment OF knowledge and TRUTH whoever shall move
Congress TO pass law inviting authors, pOsers and
artists OF every nation under the sun to send their ca
ures o. Ieailhg 10 our shores wneie they shaI Do pro
tectcd, VIII deserve monument more enduring than
brass.
Said Charles A. Cla2p, of Z. p. Dutton & Co
There is very little room for opposition to the Dorshei.
bill The public want it.and the author and the pub
Usher have come To substantial agreement 10 the
rety OF causes IndscriDnste and cnthrJat competi-
ton among American publishers OF foreign books has
worked out It's own remedy through series OF the
absurd trade paradOxes In own case we arc now
considering English book with idea OF repubsh-
ing II after making arrangement with the house which
controls tue copyright But The book Is too good for u.s.
We dare not bring 1t out with the certainty that there
would be ya edition IN the market within week. is
may therefore not be republished here at all.
but 1t Is certain that the better Is the less can pay
for IT, The present bill simple IN Its provisions and
so Instant ana thorough ID It's apphcaon that seems
curious that no ever Thought of framing Ii before
like II because 1t TO the root OF the matter-he au
thOPs property in bis wOrkand dscards all other
considerations believe that lit is permitted to become
"a
the conditions and without shock or disturbance
John Bishop Putnam, of G. p. Putnam's Sons, ex-
pressed himself thus:
The bill meets with cur approval II Ia a swift solution
Of longpuLzng problem do not say but what 1t may
lead Others just difficult But does mol pretend To
be universal panseea We mead not fear loss 10 this
country nom the competition OF foreign book
manufacturers. Our methods far superior with
spect to the practical details OF the bushes. Nor
a. e we behind them executive ability. In ~ mat
tel OF the manufacture ofelectrotype plates We have tho
advantage both In expedition and Tie qadty oil our
work.
This was the opinion of Charles Scribner:
am thoroughly Of the bill amended by the
law in present form without being Handicapped by
manufacturing aih clauses. The literary product OK
eraons Tie recpr0ca advantages OF this bill shOuldnOt
be overlooked Al present house sells plates in
protection the English publisher under new copy
right law, obtain from them better terms In behalf
OF American authors; IN other words larger rewards Tor
length got into the proper department of our Govern
desired si'; anu 10 '-''''''' anu ' ' ''''' '' " "
Henry Holt spoke to the same effect
PEOPLE are deceived by the superficial aspects OF this
cheap literature u has been curse instead OF bless
ing has viuated The popular taste as wei as corrupt
tell you that II Is impossible to sell ai FREQ
ly as formerly the books which DO the cOululu-
me- baSit Of 6ayng that Glass Of literature witch is pas
between Tney DO not care % invest Ia them ia
the cheap paper forms, ana with the existing state OF
Things there 40 To the puDshert 10 ps
standard books IN more expensive and dTiDle shape.
producers exclusive right his Intellectual property.
But 90 right has been conceded with greater unwilling
ness by some people, part whom unhapplY have be-
legislators There Ia another point As long A. tho
naive author must compete with the foreign 9u-
thor whose ideas are given currency by thIt,
he must do so al stolen fruit prices. Ana
that will not build up American literature very last
The immediate effect OF the passage OF copyright law
will be that more English books VIII be sold IN thl5
market but not a the same price as before on te otber
hand their published price will be less here imam III
England. The different condition OF our trade deter
mai interests
be trusted adjust themselves 10 the law OF supply and
demand bat international copyright has become almost
necessity To publishers They were not always SO
uuanmOuSI No. Anu " 10 Il u0@th-Dou iefo"s~Ao~' WV"
-.
George Munro, publisher of cheap Z" libraries,'
seelned equally satisfied with the situation. lilo
remarked:
Yes. the cruel war IS about over IT seems as II We
we're m have peace with honor and an international copy
r,yhf Nuw for an era OF reconstruction In the book
tttds Am prepared for II 1 welcome II gladly ny
cnnfpupOrariSs called me pirate. Posteliy VIII
bgve finer word with which TO characterize my work
that OF retouer The cheap hOrares have broken down
tine Chinese or rather American wall oil trade eonrtesy
aud ruVege For whose benefit was that eieciedf For
fue foreign authOTsl Not at all, but for monopoly Ot
publishers IN country They dictated terms, ana
precious low TOO, to the authors on Dasls or
terence among themselves. From this time FORM Wo
shall have free field and no favor ana inc
Longest inger takes the largest plum. MY chance
good As nelghO0rs under an nternauOnal
ronyrict system Ii the iorei writers prove yan-
able as our own they will be paid IN proportion iOo-
saw nom the beginning the Inevitable result OF this con-
est But international copyright had no terrorS lot me-
rs 1t had that time Tor some or my nelgnDotS
the cheap libraries is small and daily growing DealuIu
ess In the Handy Volume series none al all We sban
continue give the reading puDnc chedP poOASI ouy
NOT quite SO cheap. The difference In price can De
charged running satisfaction account WIN tho puo"o
conscience.
THE COPYRIGHT QUESTION.