The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-15
THE PIRATES OF THE PRESS.
Argument Before the Library Commit
tee in Behalf Of Copyright Law.
Reasons Why Enterprising Publishers Should
Be Protected Against the Piracy of
irresponsible Ones.

appeared before the joint committee Oh library
this morning and made argument in support of
the newspaper copyright bill In answer to an
inquiry by member of the committee, Mr..
Watterson said the misapprehension with regard
to the scope of the bill had ground out the fact
that the original draft provided for exclusive
ness in published matter for a period of forty
eight hours, which time was subsequently
duced to twenty-four hours. Both forms were
impracticable and unnecessary, Mr. WattersOn
said, and he presented bill granting copyright
for eight hours, which was also sought by pro
motors of the measure. Its object was simply
to prevent the piratng of news by
concurrent publications. He illustrated
the purpose of the bill and the evils it was
designed to correct by numerous examples. He
said it would not act as bar to the reproduction
by afternoon newspapers of matter which APP
peared in the morning papers, and could not in
the remotest degree affect what is known as the
country press" 1t simply provides that from
the hour of going to press a newspaper, or asso-
citation of newspapers, shall have the exclusive
right to the use and profit of the matter they
have bought and paid for. For instance, if a
newspaper goes to press at o'clock the eight
hour term expires at IL. This makes no bar to
the publication of news from morning papers by
afternoon papers Suppose, for instance pub
fish paper in New York, and engage King
lake and send him to the Soudan. He by en-
terprise and great outlay and good fortune, sue
ceeds III furnishing me with page of matter de-
scribing great battle in that country That is
skilled labor-that is forecast. l publish this
matter at o'clock in the morning and newspa-
pers right alongside of me, published at one cent
a copy, in the present absence of law may, for
the simple cost of type setting defeat my enter
prise
By Senator Hoar-Do you mean to protect the
form or statement of factl
Mr. Watterson-You cannot copyright fact
The mere statement, that the King of Prussia is
dead, could not be copyrighted but a full &C
count, which might be embodied in a hundred or
more words, should be protected.
Mr.. Hoar-You understand that you get by
this measure security for compoSitiOn-the
method of statement of facts-and not for the
facts themselves
Mr. Watterson-I understand that the clause
in this bill which refers to 100 words means that
an infringement shall embrace the actual words,
not the substance.
Mr. Hoar-You think that would be enough to
prevent a recasting and telling those facts in
different wayi For instances: You take a page
of Bancroit's history-some page which is
crowded with facts-let some other man read
that page and repeat those facts in his own way
Historical facts are the universal property of
mankind, although Mr. Bancroft may have spent
great labor in discovering the facts.
Mr. Watterson-The time required to recast
the page of Mr.. Bancroft would practically de-
feat the piracy for concurrent newspaper pub
ication
Mr. Sherman-I would like to know to- what
extent news is pirated. How can it be done?
Mr. Watterson-lt is done every day. In the
city of New York, and in every other city, you
find newspapers published half hour or hour
later than newspapers, for instance, of the AssO-
ciated Press, which are generally high priced
newspapers. copying for concurrent publication
from 100 to |, 900 words matter from these higher
priced papers Those newspapers habitually is
sue matter which is paid for by others
Mr. Sherman-How soon afterward9
A-With the greatly increased facilities for
press work and type setting it is a mere matter
of few minutes.
Mr. Sherman-And then they would sell the
edition of news on the street at the same time.
A-Pratically at the same time For instance,
in the present absence of law l open an office in
New York at 3 o'clock in the morning having
my assistants and typesetters all in readiness
and may obtain early copies of New York pa
pers, and may issue a newspaper containing
everything good in all those papers and under
sell them all l may issue this stolen property
without one line of original matter
Mr. Shenandoah has been substantially
done. That is the evil from which you desire
redress? Ayes sir.
Mr. Hoar-NIy question goes to the possibility
of giving redress. Suppose Smalley teegraphs
his paper a column of matter obtained at great
expense, describing the fall of Sebastopol, at
such an hour yesterday afternoon, and how so
many fell on each side, etc, every fact in that is
public property Now, could not
many intelligent men employed in any
newspaper Office read that and in ten minutes
after reading it begin to dictate as fast as it
al 10 e
very material fact, composed and put together in
their own way, so they would have evaded every
legal prohibition, while availing themselves of
every fact of newsl You remember, the Consti-
tuition gives only the right to protect the au-
thor and not the discoverer of an historical fact
Mr.. Watterson-I should say that would be no
Infringement of copyright because you could
never prove where these facts were obtained. |
admit that after the fact is published the knowl-
edge of the fact is public property. | simply
maintain that the method of obtaining the tact,
which has cost me a great outlay
Mr.. Hoar (interrupting is it not true
that the real thing to be protected is the discov-
erv of the fact ITSELF That is what the news
paper man has labored at A.-Suppose Smalley
sends column of matter to his paper and some
inferior writer sends a column of matter to an
other competing paper. The first is an explicit,
clear, accurate account. It's value is enhanced
by Smalley's character a writer Now, |
think both papers should be protected against
each other, if need be, in their peculiar methods
of stating the case.
Mr. Voorhees, would not give vote that
would crowd the little fellows, or seem to press
the smaller newspaper concerns of the country.
didn't understand that it is the purpose of this
BILL yet there is apprehension all over the
country to that effect. | received three or four
dispatches yesterday. l received one this morn
ing from men connected with small dailies
who had learned this hearing was to take place
If | understand you, this measure would mainly
apply to big cities where good many newspa-
pers are published, near about the same hour in
the morning.
Mr.. Watterson-Let me illustrate. Take
case between the East and the West There is a
difference of an hour between New York and
Chicago, and three hours between New York
and San Francisco. There are five morning
papers in Chicago which pay large sums for
news teeeraphed them by the Associated Press
and by their special correspondents. Now let us
saw there are other DauarS in ChicaOO which oh