New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-12
PRnPERTY IN IDEAS.

Senator Teller, who is chairman OF the Senate
Committee on Patents, is reported in "FTank
Leslies" as opposing an international copy
Eight law on the ground that there Is not and
cannot be "plopcrty in IDEAS" But the adj
vocatcs of copyright would be the first to agree
with the Senator. Property in ideas would be
as great an absurdity as property in air. Ideas
are not tangible, and the Government cannot
put its stamp upon them. The man who reads
book can quote from it, use its ideas III speak
ing and writing, can even attempt to pass them
off as his own. and he will find no legal obstacle
in the way. But the moment he tries to dupl-
cate the form in which they appeared, he passes
from the realm of the intangible to that of the
tangible. The book is the concrete thing In
which the writer has embodied his thoughts,
and he has the same right to control the pro-
duction of it az the inventor has to control the
production of the device in which he has en-
bodied his idea Neither author nor inventor has
any property IN his idea. but the inventor has
the right to property in device, mechanism
apparatus, or Whatever it may be called. which
embodies an invention. Just so the author has
the right to property in his book. which IS his
device. mechanism or apparatus for embodying
his idea.
Putting moral arguments aside, there Is
practical view TO be taken Of this question:
which ought to be conclusive. What is the
object of the patent SYSTEM To stimulate
inventive industry by securing to an inventor
certain profit from his invention, and to make
sme that the public shall eventually get the
benefit of the invention by providing that his
profit shall last only for time Every intel
lgent man knows that this system has dcvel-
opcd invention enormously The tax the
world has had to pay to inventors is The mercst
tiine compared with the money value of their
inventions in the development of industry and
commerce Consider for moment how largely
the marvellous inventive faculty of the Amer
leans has been stimulated by the prospect of
snre reward for successful inventions. No one
doubts that inventions would still have been
made. even if there had been no patent system.
lust as books would still be written, even il
there were no copyright. But is any man so
rash as to suppose that even thousandth part
OF the useful inventions would have been made
without a patent system that have been mado
under it and because OF it?
1t is the same with authors as with inventors.
They must live. and the only way to insure an
author an income from his writings is to give
him control over the production of his books.
This right the American author has already in
his own country. The passage OF a law giving
copyright to foreign authors will at once secure
the same privilege in foreign countries for the
American author, add to his income and stmu-
late and encourage American literature. AS
patriotic measure, then international copyright
is to be commended. No member of Congress-
VIC take it. wants to proclaim himself savage
"A man Indifferent to the intellectual develop
mcnt and progress of his country.