The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-02-19
PROPERTY IN NEWS.
A Proposition to Protect Enter.
prising Publications.

l
| prising Publications.
Washington, 1.-THE following
interview has been had with Henry
Watterson, touching the proposed
measure for newspaper copyrig hi
which Watterson has in charge and
is about to lay before Congress
considerable misrepresentation, y
said Watterson, s'seems to exist as
to the character of the legislation
which will be asked of Congress. II
can certainly not be described as an
act entitled an act for the relief OF
the Associated Press All honest
news associations are interested in
its passage. 1t simply operates to
protect property in news from pirat-
ical concurrent publications"
"And how can this be done p
"By clause in the copyright
laws, making collected news the
product Of Skilled labor and outlay
exclusive to those who ray for it for
tWenty-f0ur hours."
"Do you mean news exclusively
of the Associated Press ?"
81 mean all news and news of
every description, and of every as
ISOLATION, as the matter of news is
not rec gnized as the property OF
all. Everything about the news
paper Office, from the perfecting
press to the newSman's pot OF paste,
is property and he who steals it
falls within the reach and compass
or law, but that which constitutes
the real value of a newspaper prop
erty is rs news franchises, costing
vast sums OF money, and heads of
special enterprise, training and
labor. 1t has no legal status what
ever. 1t is practically outlawed.
Anybody can steal it with impun-
ity. The proposed measure protects
it from pirated use and concurrent
publication for twenty-four hours
1t creates, indeed, new property,
that Is. property in news. None
can oppose it. except those who want
to rob others of their labor and
money"
CHOW will 1t act upon the custom
of copying from one paper by
another paper I"
SIT will not affect that ia the
least. The twenty-four hours i'm
itation gives all the Latitude needful
to honest and legitimate transcript
tlons from one newspaper into
another. The country press is in
nowlse touched, and / can see no
other interests on its part than to
approve the measure as calculated
to elevate and dignity the profess
sion Of Journalism by giving a GER
tain legal validity and responsibility
to the collection and distribution of
news"
"What are the pr spects Of Pass
ing such bill ?"
81 have consulted the bess con-
stitutionai authorities during mp
oOjOurn in Washington, snd.there is
a general agreement that there is no
constitutional obj ctiOn 10 the
measure. l have also seen end
talked with a humber OF eminent
T. embers of both houses of
Congress. I have been surprised to |
find some hazy prejudices again ct |
the Associated Press, the offspring |
OF disbursement in the main and |
some confusion "a to the rela ions |
between the Associated Press and
the Western Union Telegraph Com.
pary. There are Of course no rela-
tions except those OF customer snd
common carriers. Barring these
immaterial objections, which the
discussion will c'esr az, there is an
and friendly feeling in
Congress. The question is a novel
one and embraces the whole prin-
cjple of modern journalism The
railW ay and telegraph, which have
within the last half century
wrought such changes throughout
the world have completely revo-
lutionized the newspaper; that
which we call "news" is a
modern invention as much rs
gutta percha or reaping mschinss.
1t demands the very Uest aad IA est
VI skilled labor. 1t is an Intellectual
and material product"
"Why has i not the same right to
legal recogDi ion and protection as
other classes of properiy?"
Let US take an example Sup
pose a newspaper published IN the
city of New York and sold at Sc
obtains ut great cost and pains a
column or five columns of interest
ing ADD important matter, should ,
newspaper issuei right alon gs;de d,
and sold at 1c. be allowed 30 get an
early copy and issue concurrently
this very saTe matter with
put paying nickel FOR it'll
There Is no pre:ept law toI!
for bid this. Take another example
the difference in time between
points relatively east aud west in
our vast country enables q pub
Usher, who chooses to do so, to
make use of the enterprise Of others
Should a thief at q distant point be
enabled by the use of telegraph to
q eAi the property Of those men who
have gone Il great care and cost to
obtain il? Under existing laws l
can make compilation of telegra-
phic news matter, and Issuing thie
in book, may copyright il, but if l
write a3dawire the Courier Journal
a page OF valuable matter, aUyb dy
VINO sees fit to steal end ! ubi an it