Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-23
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1ailW Eagle
ARTISTS COPYRIGHT.
OBLiWOuSNESS TO THE FACT THAT
= THEY HAVE LEGAL RIGHTS.

90. W. fhNf ICSHI HUT D.
~
The Law and tho Observation-Disclosures
Copies of Excellent PaSpiings-HoEv a
Painter stopped the DEMONSTRATING
Pirate.
The subject Of the copyright has recently
become very familiar; the gallant efforts of
American authors to protect themselves and
their brethren abroad in such ordinary rights
of property as even barbarous nations extend
to the owners Of pots and pans, have had the
sympathy Of Christendom; but there IS one
phase of copyright matters not so often dIs-
cussed; it concerns the claims or artists 70 1
their work An entire misapprehenslon OF
o artists rights, or rather an entire opllV-
iousness to the fact that he has any rights, has
gotten n good many people INTO trouble
lately, and it is rather for the enlightenment
and benefit of the public than in defense Of
the cause OF the artists that this little paier is
written.
Not only can any American artist secure
copyright on any composition or design lie
axes, but any original art matter in any
Jpvrighted periodical is covered by that
rpyright, and any one infringing thereon is
'
.eavy damages.
The recent awakening in art matters has re
suited, among other things, in greatly increas-
ing the number and kinds Of reproductions Of
pictures; good photographs Of paintings are
now made here; commerce il them cornpeteS
with the enormous trade in foreign photo
graphs; more and more engraving of all
kinds is being done; American etchings in the
vernacalaT OF the trade, arc having boom,
and the cheaper and more mechanical pro-
ceSScs of reproduction are many, and con-
stantly increasing a copyright on a picture
that is likely to be popular in these cheaper
forms may be worth anywhere from 500 10
&25, 900
WAXING Up TO THEIR RIGHTS.
The artists are finding this cut, and ere
copyrig htin@ their pictures ten times as fire.
queEtly as they did ten years ago, and the IL
Illustrated periodicals are also waking up to
their rights TO their own pictures. These
changes are bringing trouble upon Il great
many worthy and energetic cigar manufac-
turers, almanac publishers, soap boilers and
patent medicine men, The taste for art has
spread among these gentlemen and many Of
them pay handsomely for very good pictures
TO be used in advertising, and others prefer
to get very good pictures without paying for
them It IS in pursuit Of this enterprising
end that tie trouble comes.
Every drug and cigar shop window is or
nancnted with more or less rnaltreated cop
les OF excellent paintings. Until some inter
national copyright law is passed the whole
world Of foreign pictures is open to any sort
Of piracy, and it is q common thing to see
1r,e ornament Of tho Paris Salon utilized to
oread the fame OF somebody's liver pills or
aling powder.
The charming little picture Jack and Me-"
bad copies Of which so long advertised q GER
tain plaster, is tho work of Munich painter
OF standing; the merits Of certain cigarettes
are sung on worse reproductions Of George
Charms delightful "Frou Frou" Clarin it
may be said parenthctically, is one of the first
Partisan painters OF the time. BouGurcau
and Millais arc two other great mon whose
genius American enterprise applies to tho
good Of the cornstarch and tobacco trades
Without an international copyright these
privileges IRE secured to the advertiser, and
the foreign artist can't help himself.
STOPPING TIE oFgENsE.
F. S. Church is one OF our painters
who earliest found it necessary TO copy
right his pictures There was some
thing in his poetic and often semi
humorous compositions that struck tho I'D
yertisCr in his first excursions into tho field
of art, and they have Contrivcd to strike
him more or less ever since-Oftcn, alasl to
his SORROW. Mr.. Church hes fallen upon
him With the startling information that his
pictures ere his own and that tho law pro-
tects him in bis ownership.
Often he has definitely lost money by the
infringement, and in such cases he has do
manded and received Naturalization; but
otherwise he has usually gocd-ratu-cGly con-
tented himself with stopping tic o..g.,se. His
picture cf = young woman alt.iIs, a cres-
cent moon, called The Wi.ch's r-achtcr,"
has been found ut various times ErCc.r,r cigar
boxes, aIunanaCS and stationery. Naturally
thiS IS no more to the taste Of T." gentleman
who owrs TIE picture, a.I who paid q good
round sum Tor it, than il - 81 tAo satisfaction
Of tho painter. c. y. Turner J. G. Ero',n
and William -. John Harper arc other prom
insnt painters who suffer from this painful
popularity.
The regular publishers and importers ot
copies Of foreign pictures hlyo 10 legal re-
dress for tnci. sutlerin~s 4. tho hands OF tho
advert IS; bat they have invented little
game that rolctimls brings them - grief.
ANON; their copies Of French, German Or
English pictures they arc beginning 30 insert
few reproductions Of American pictures.
The pirate secure III tho immorsli'y Of the
laws Of his country, lcE,ns stea.r, from
these supplies, and UuawaDos approV siates one
Of Inc ua,v5Vectcl American copyrighted
pictures. ho-curon be Is "ncbbcs!.
The advertiser Is not the only habituel rict-
IRE stsale- There are book publishers who
exercise enough ingenuity in stealing old pic
lures to earn th- money to pay Tor lcw ones,
il they could bat see it. They put in new
baeLsrouals Photograph the oriairel5 SO as
to reverse the composition, perhaps eliminate
some details or small ii-ures, and thea sT.cer
solsInnly even to themselves that the i5llal
creations result-Cor. New York Graphic
Eisus. SchwatEa, tho Explorer.