New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-30
WHAT A COPYRIGHT BILL WILL DO FOR
AMERICA
WE SHALL GET THE BEST OF THE BARGAIN DE
CIDEpLY.
From Tho London Times.


From The London Times. .,,,
SIR The passing of the International Copyrdgnts Ell
by the Congress Of the United otales -
issue, but wish to can a hs bronght about by
Tn tSe 6rst place. certain number OF foreign su
thors would benefit and it is this fact that places
the law in jeopardy The people 81 A,p bs IDEA Of
wbat tbey facetiousy call tax on knowledge. Lhe5
have been so long accustomed 20 come 70 1, t fa "a
srtors table and partake gratis OF hts iteLaTy iso
ihaf the notion of making any payment Wna's .eI
m return doubtless strange ana ~ "a
Nor indeed would they think Of doing 50 %ee eote1U
PRODUCERS OF mental food or of the comparaeisex
significant ana pSwerless D cisSi eompston The
main consideration that has induced .ne Posf The
assault on piracy Is that II no i0t ~ take what
6isnt his'n0 II somebody else. or ralhsT' 1 Rs
other people, promptly take suss,r 0b Souses have be-
come ardent advocates Of copyright ara is OWNS
their influence that 1t has chance OF passins "a bot
shal receive copyright which is not printed ana
shed in the States. and " IS TO this provision anu s
inevtahle result that wish to chiefly call attention.
ny ~ rsnlt viii believe be nothing less than to MAKE
NswYork the literary centre Of the English,
ro,ld All books of value will be SET IN there
r re rttfen and 10 the great injury of the British
oomposdtor and printer, plates or printed snees m
~ The reason for this is sufficiently clear
The English are not boolbuyng people they hsse
become SO accustomed 10 borrowing books nom the
Sbrarie from ree-volumed novels down TO the four
penny magazine, that II Is only as ast resouroo '
thev Readers OF DOCKS aics
comparatively speaking, few in this country ny" ~
America all this different The country IS 700 Vas'
IN he worked by the circulating library system pop,
Mar hooks are bought there literally by the hundred
thousand and read by everybody. Ii may DC am
swered that this because they are cheap but nusr
a copyright act they would still be cheap BON pun
fishers and authors know their trade TOO wen 70 at
tempt to force expensive books upon people ho1 az
custoned to them. W., ~, .o,cass
The consequences are obvious. Where the cart as.
,s there the literary eagles viii be gathered Al
twenty comics of any given work are sold IN america
for one sold in England that market will be looked 70
publishing firms viii have their principal estspnsn-
,nenfs IN New-York. and their branch houses IN Io-
don The American literary Journals VIII IAN piS
cedence and greater weight than those IN Ensa s
and lastly books will be written 70 SUIT he 81
rather than the English taste. OF course. t Wod DC
eaSv for this country TO protect itself TO some eAeD,
thourb 10 some extent only. by enacng that no oooh
eha receive copyright in Great Rrtaip ana us 90
nendenoies unless set mp printed and published Tn
volye violation of the law OF free TRADE tnaV
not -. A..hsr or no a few
terS shall continue 10 be robbed OF their lust dues
Mt SHELTER london or NewYork shall In the utufe
mic the English world OF letters IL is slmclen.Ey
ssrSo,s one for this country. and 10 VIII De
20 ohserye whether or no Congress. having In It's
70 s confer snoh boon upon America. Ill with
hold n IN order to prevent few thousanA pouhas
annually finding their way to the pocke's Oh loresn
writers. la. 10 wall for I'm Gland
Perhaps II may the whole De wei Ior nnEi ~.
re iegratre of the United States takes this last
- IA smaiier view OF the question. ] am. SIR your
obedient servant. AN hNSii'h ~"
January IL