National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-18
COPYRIGHTING NEWS.
A Proposed Bill to Keep One Newspaper
From Publishing the News Of Another.
Interview with Henry wattorson on In,
Merits OF tho Measure.

The following interview has been had with
Mr.. Henry watterson touching the proposed
measure of newspaper copyright which Mr..
Wstterson has in charge and is about to lay
before congress:
Considerable misinformation," said Mr..
Watterson, Seems to exist as to the character
of the legislation which will be asked of con-
gress. 1t can certainly not be described as
an act entitled an act for the relief Of tho
Associated Press. All honest newspapers and
all honest news associations are interested in
its passage. It simply operates to protect
property in news from piratical concurrent
publication"
"And how can this BIO done2'
"By clause in the copyright laws making
collected news the product of skilled labor
and outlay, exclusive to those who pay for IL
Tor twenty-four hours"
do you mean the news exclusively of the
Associated PressW
81 mean all news, ana news of evory de-
scription and every association. As matters
are, news is not recognized as property at all.
Everything about a newspaper Office, from
tho perfecting press to the newsman's pot OF
paste, is property, and no who steals IL falls
within the reach and compass of the law.
But that which constitutes tho real value OF
q newspaper property-its news franchises,
costing vast sums of money and years of
special enterprise, training and labor-has no
legal status whatever. 1t is practically out
lawed. Anybody can steal it with impunity.
The proposed measure protects it from pi-
rated use and concurrent publication for
twenty-four hours. IL creates, indeed, a
now property-that is, property in news. No
one can oppose it, except those who want to
rob Others of their labor and money"
How will it act upon the custom of copy
ing from one paper by another paperW
hIt will mt affppt that N tho laaQt Thu
twenty-four hours limitation gives all the
latitude needful to honest and legitimate
transcriptions from ono newspaper to another.
The country press Is in no wise touched, and
j can see no other interest on its part than to
approve measure calculated to elevate and
dignity the profession of journalism by CIV
ing certain legal validity and responsibility
to the collection and distribution of news"
What are the prospects Of passing such o
billY'
II 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
1 have also seen and talked with number OF
eminent members of both houses Of congress
/ have been surprised to find some hazy
prejudices against the Associated Press, the
offspring of misadvisement in the main, and
some confusion as to the relations of the As.
ISOLATED Press and the Western Union Tele.
graph company. There are, of course, no
relations except those of customer and a
common carrier. Barring these immaterial
objections, which discussion will clear UP,
there is an interested and friendly feeling in
congress. The question is a novel one, and
embraces the whole principle of modern
journalism. The railway and the telegraph,
which have within the last half century
wrought such changes throughout the world,
have completely revolutionized the newspa-
hat ls.L Ill
invention, as much as gutta percha or
the reapiDg machine. 1t demands the very
best and rarest of skilled labor. 1t involves
forecast, organization, and outlay 1t is an
intellectual and material product. Why has it
not the Same right to legal recognition and pro-
lection as other classes of property? Let us
take an example: Suppose newspaper, pub
lished in the city of New York and sold Mt 3
cents, obtains at great cost and pains column,
or five columns, of interesting and important
matter, should newspaper issued right
alongside and sold at / cent be allowed to
get an carly copy, and issue concurrently
this very same matter without paying a
nickel for it? There is no present law to
forbid this. Take another example: The
difference in time between points relatively
east and west in our vast country enables q
publisher who chooses to do SO to make use of
tho enterprise of others Should the thief at
distant point be enabled by the use of the
telegraph to steal the property of those men
who have gone to great care and cost to obtain
it2 Under existing laws / can make COM
pilation of telegraphic news matter, and
issuing this in book, may copyright it, But
IL write and wire the Courier-JOuyRaL o page
of valuable 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
the news to be OF copyright2"
" should include all original special and
general matter exceeding 100 words sent by
post or by wire and embracing the original
communication of information of any and
every description. Such an act cannot OPP
crate in favor of one newspaper and against
another, or one news association over another.
1t is 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
1t will stand congressional tests?'
think have done so. / have drafted o
bill and prepared an argument to 20 with il
which, though by no means perfect, believe
will give practical application and bearing
to the question. You will understand that
have no personal interest at stake and am not
acting for myself at all. At the last annual
meeting of the Associated Press l was made
chairman of q committee which was raised to
present the case to congress- Thus commits
stoned, came here and have proceeded with
great elaboration and care, because / was
fully conscious of the lsrgeness and newness
of the question and the practical difficulties
in the way In the beginning ! was not at
all clear in my own mind. But tho more |
have considered and discussed it the more
convinced have become that the time Is at
hand when the law should recognize and pro.
tect new species of property which other
recognized and protected modern inventions
have created--that is, collected. news against
al