Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-29

eign periodicals containing matter copy
righted here, the proposed law expressly
provides that any editor may import copies
of such periodicals, and then he will have
the freedom to quote he now enjoys.
The bill is intended to insure to literary
men fair return for the results of their
labors, and to prevent piracy of the pro-
ducts of their brains. 1t should therefore
have the support of all fair-minded peo-
pie, and those who believe in the Give
and-let-live" policy. As is remarked by
the committee of authors in charge of the
bill:
The success of magazines and syndicates of
widely distributing cOpyris ut matter at small
price shows that the question OF the payment TO
the author is but very small item in the ulti-
mate cost of the material TO the cons umer, and
will not perceptibly affect the proprietor of
patent lnsides, nor affect the country paper
using electrotype matter at all, unless favor
ably, by giving him possibly larger proportion
OF American matter.
We are for the bill because of a few rea.
sons that seem to us unanswerable. Liter
airy product should have the same protec-
ton Of the nation of its author that is ac-
corded to other property. If property is
entitled to legal protection, it should have
1t, no matter where found. The bill is in
line with that provision of the Federal
Constitution providing that Congress may
legislate to promote the progress of science
and the useful arts by securing to authors
and inventors for a limited time the ex-
elusive right to their writing and dis
coveries. 1t is wise bill, because the ex-
perience of other civilized nations has
proved that similar measures are promo
tive of literary scholarship. Authorship
is the only industry that is not now pro-
tected from piracy; it receives no bounty
from the Government, and asks for no
assistance in any form. But a GROWING
reason for the bill is that its passage will
give new value to the trademark of au-
thorship, and thus run to the benefit of all
readers, for that the reading public cannot
now know the genuine from the spurious
work, is fact all realize. As result, we
are forced to rely upon the publishers in
tegrity; so it has come to pass that readers
buy books bearing the imprint of certain
publishing houses on the faith that such
publishers will not deal in spurious edi-
tons; but the international copyright bill
will put an end to garbling, carving and
mutilating literary works, and the pass
ing off Of such editions as full, true and
genuine. An example is in point Just now,
when the country is being flooded with
spurious and ingeniously disguised coun-
terfeits of Stanley; work, work yet
in Ms.
The bill ought to pass because au-
thors are unanimous for it, and they COM
prise some OF the best and truest intellects
of the age, and those that are as patriotic
as any of the nation. The great body of
literature will be made cheaper by the
operation of the bill, while it may render
the cheap foreign fiction higher-an end
devoutly to be wished for, It will give
American books in the American market
better chance to sell, for the handicap Of
the foreign pirate will be removed, and
the ability of our own pirates to bear
down the American book market will be
seriously crippled. The reason for this is
that promotion of the home market for
the home product of books will operate to
cheaper home books by increasing their
sales, and at the same time foreign works
that are within the scope of the bill, and
from authors in nations coming under its
operations will have fair chance to COM
pete in our market without coming in I'M
der the pirates flag. 1t will give, ON the
other hand, to the works of American
authors market abroad that they cannot
otherwise have and receive returns from.
Under the present system the foreign
pirate can reproduce the work of the
American author and not pay him a soli-
tary cent for the stolen property. For
these and other reasons not necessary to
catalogue we favor The Authors League
bill and hope that it may become a law.