The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-18
THENEWSPAPER COPYRIGHT
The Legislation that 1t Is Proposed to
Ask at the Hands Of Congress.
Protection Demanded for the Enterprising
Newspaper Against Concurrent
Piratical Publications.

WASHINGTON, Feb 1.-THE following inter
view has been had with Henry Watterson touch
ing the proposed measures for newspaper copy
right which Mr.. Watterson has in charge and is
about to lay before Congress:
Considerable transformation, said Mr. Wat
terson "seems to exist as to the character of the
legislation which will be asked of Congress.
1t can certainly not be described as act emit
tied an act for the relief of the Associated Press
All honest newspapers and all honest news as
socations are interested in its passage. 1t sim
ply operates to protect property in news from
piratical concurrent publications"
"And how can this be donel"
'By clause in the copyright laws making
collected news, the product of skilled labor and
outlay, exclusive to those who pay for it for
twenty-four hours"
do you mean news exclusively of the Asso-
ciated Press2'
II mean all news; news of every description
and every association. AS matters are news is
not recognized property at all. Everything
about newspaper Office from aperfecting press
to a news mans pot of paste is property and he
who steals it falls within the reach and compass
value of newspaper property-its news fran
chises-costing vast sums of money
and years of special enterprise, train
ing and labor-has no legal status
whatever 1t is practically outlawed Anybody
can steal it with impunity. The proposed meas
ure protects it from pirated use and concurrent
publication for twenty-four hours. 1t creates,
indeed, new property; that is, property in
news. No one can oppose it except those who
want to rob others of their labor and money"
How Whilst act upon the custom OF copying
from one paper by another paperF
1T will not affect that in the least, The TWEEN
tyfour hours limitation gives all the latitude
needful to honest and legitimate transcriptions
from one newspaper into another The country
press is in nowise touched and 1 can no
other interest on its part than to approve meas
ure calculated to elevate and dignity professional
journalism by giving certain legal validity and
responsibility to the collection and distribution
of news"
What are the prospects of passing such a
| bill"
Il have consulted the best constitutional
authorities during my sojourn in Washington,
and there Is general agreement that there is no
constitutional objection to the measure. have
also seen and talked with number of eminent
men of both houses of Congress.
have been surprised to find some hazy
| preiudices against the Associated Press
the offspring of misadyisement, in the
main, and some confusion as to the relations of
| the Associated Press and the Western Union
Telegraph Company There are. of course no
| relations except those of customers and common
| carriers Barring these immaterial objections,
which discussion will clear up. there is an inter
| ested and intelligent feeling in Congress. The
| question is novel one, and embraces the whole
principle of modern journalism. The railway
and telegraph. which have within the
last half century wrought such
| wonderful changes througout the
world have completely revolutionized
| newspapers That which we call news is a
| modern invention as much as gutta percha or a
reaping machine. 1t demands the very best and
rarest of skilled labor. 1t involves forecast,
ganization and outlay 1t is an intellectual and
material product Why has it not the same
right to legal recognition and protection other
classes of property Let us take example.
Suppose a newspaper published in the city of
New York and sold at three CENTS obtains at
great cost and pains column, or five columns,
of interesting and important matter. Should
newspaper issued right alongside, and sold at one
cent, be allowed to get an early copy and issue.
concurrently, this very same matter, without
paying nickel for it! There is no present law
to forbid this. Take another example. The
difference in time between points rea-
lively east and west in our vast
country enables the publisher who chooses to
do so, to make use of the enterprise of others.
Should a thief at distant point be enabled by
the of the telegraph to steal the property of
those men who have gone to great care and cost
to obtain it. Under the existing laws | can make
a compilation of telegraphic news matter and is
suing this in book, may copyright it. But if |
write and wire the Courier journal page of val
liable matter, anybody who sees fit to steal and
publish it may do so for the cost of the type
setting"
''How do you propose to define, or describe
news to be of cOpyrightW
II should include all original, special and gen
eral matter exceeding hundred words sent
by post or by wire, and embracing an original
communication of information of any
and every description. Such an
act cannot operate in favor of one newspaper and
against another, association over
another. tits simply bar to rOgues, and fixes
the same penalty upon stealing news which the
law visits upon the stealing of other forms of
property. How can any honest journalist object
to that"
''Can you formulate such measure so that it
will stand congressional ,,stsp
Il thing l have done So 1 have drafted
bill and prepared an argument to 90
perfect, l believe will give a practical APP
plication and bearing to the question. You will
understand, that | have no personal interest
at stake, and am not acting for myself at ali.
At the last annual meeting of the Associated
Press was made chairman of the committee
which raised to present the case to Congress.
Thus commissioned, / came here and have
proceeded with great deliberatiOn and care, be-
cause / was fully conscious Of the largeness and
newness of the question, and practical Difficult
ties in the way In the beginning it was not at all
clear in my own mind, but the more have con
Sidered and discussed it, the more convinced
have / become that the tilne is at hand when
the law should recognize and protect a new
species 81 property which other recognized and
protected modern inventions have created
that is, collected news-against concurrent pi-
ratical publication.