The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-12
TETL1EGRAP
COPYRIGHTING NEWS.
Some OF the Absurdities of the New
Watterson Scheme.
The Annoyance that Mus: FOIlOw
aaa tie 'Fr0abIe sure to Arise.--
What Papers Must D0 to
Avoid Mitigation.
CHICAGO, ,Apr!l I2. "A writer in the Tribune

CHICAGO, April "A writer in the Tribune
says:
THE Stone-Smith-W Wntterson-Sherman bill
row before congress, known as the news
paper copyright bill, provides in its first sec
ton That any daily or weekly news raper,
or any association Of daily or weekly news
papers IA the United States or any of the
territories thereof, shall have the sole
right to print, issue, and SELL for the term
Of eight hours, dating from the hour of
going to press, the contents of said daily or
weekly newspapers, or tho collected news of
said newspaper association, exceeding 100
words" The language of this bill, like that
of Truthful James. is plain, and unmiStak-
ably gives unIoubted copyright for the
period of eight hours from the time Of
going to press" of all matter original or
selected going to make up the contents of
all daily or weekly newspapers, excepting
only the poor little papers whose contents
or collected rows consist Of less than 100
words.
Tie working of such law will he liable to
lead to a great deal Of troubles and occasion
ally some annoyance.
Suppose, for instance, that Senator Logan
delivers a speech i'll congress on the FitZ John
Porter bill, which is reported by half dozen
different senographers and sent to as many
different papers in different localities, and
they each set it up fox their next mornings
issue. Who owns the copyright of that
specchi Manifestly either one would had
no other published it. But apparently
as there are six of them, the one owns it
which can show priority of "going to press y
than fiNrp
and if a Philadelphia paper was the fortunate
first one, it could collect damages and costs
of suit from each of its more tardy neighbor:
in New York, Brooklyn, Baltimore or Wash
inStUn
Then how will it be with the president.
message, printed copies Of which are in the
possession Of all the leading papers of th(
country Us soon as it is delivered! Ihe bill
docs not specify whether the copy fol
the contents of a paper shall be print ol
manuscript) OF course none of the papers
will know who was first to ego to press" til
the time of each pressnan is sworn to; ant
then will it be in order for the one whicl
can show the earliest record to cOllec
damages of all the other papers Of tn,
| United States for having issued or printeS
their papers before the eight hours limita
tion2
Some one paper will of course own
/ patent on the signal service weather buIletil
| and the fluctuations of the stock market
whichever paper can show that its "con
tents" contained it first. Scissorings, stall
/ jokes and bad puns will rise to the dignit
of copyrighted matter, and doubtless thu
! continue till the end of time, for as fast q
/ pp 1iynitoti19, fO,- xyi
be conspicuous in the contents" of som
other paper If an editor should bappel
to originate joke and want to keep it t
himself he could do SO by keeping it stanG
ing and iSsuo three or more editions of hi
paper day. The News by publishing in il
noon edition the "From-yesterday' VS.,
o'clock-edition" column of The Jou
nal, could collect heavy damages of the la
ter paper if the matter should appear in !
3 o'clock edition. Perhaps this is the reasC
The News 50 strongly favors the passage
the bill. II may sec in it an opportunity
break up The Journal
This law would evidently put an end {
standing advertisements, which form 4 lars
proportion Of the contents of nearly CvrI
, paper, because before it knows it some 9th
paper will have copyright OF the san
copyright and here is where the heavic
damages would be claimed.
Advertisers will be compelled to furnis
special copy for every issue of every papa
and make solemn oath that they have new
furnished similar copy to any other pap
before publisher would dare to insert
among his contents" The paper which tn
first secures the business Of an advertiser W
h II Of oil hig Cly in
There is only one class of daily or week
papers whose matter will be common plund
for all other papers until some one Of the
steals it, when it will thereafter becoT
copyrighted, and this class embraces tho
whose contents" or collected news
rot exceed 100 words. Probably q pap
whose COLLECTED news or other contents"
not embrace 100 words is not consider
worthy of protection by the governmeI
But should not the government give its pat
nal aid to the weak as well as the strong!
But nearly ali papers sell their copies
advance If they cam three, SIX or ev
twelve months. 1t is safe to say that the
is no paper which has not q single advan
paving subscriber Here is where the Ii
will work the greatest hardship. The cop
furnished such subscriber can contain
matter which has appeared in any otl
paper subsequent to the moment Of tin
which was eight hours previous to the 4.
of such subscription.
1t begins to appear as though all papers,
avoid litigation, will he compelled to publ
entirely original and exclusive matter, bt
in their news and advertising columns,
else be willing to apportion their entire 81
stance among attorneys and clerks Of coU
In the prospect of this bill becoming Ia
can there be any comfort or consolation
forded to poor publisher!
Tia NIAGARA FALLS TRACED