The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-20
What International Copyright Would
Do for Englishmen.

In the last number OF the FortnighHy
ReUie,c there Is q sensible article by Mr..
EDMUND GossE on the proposed agreement
for international copyright between the
United Kingdom and tho United States
Assuming that the project will before long
be carried out, the author warns those of
his countrymen who are literary workers
not to expect the large gains which have
been rashly promised by persons unfamiliar
with the book-selling conditions Of our time.
He tells them plainly that, instead Of the
present body Of English customers for novels
In the three-volume form sold for $75O being
doubled or trebled. that body will not
be increased an iota, since no Ameri-
can will pay such price for a
work OF fiction. Fifty cents he says. is the
maximum price which any considerable
number OF Americans can now be persuaded
to pay for novel, and thoy will not pay
that unless the book has decided merit OF
ono kind or another. AS for English books
other than novels, Mr.. GossE docs not be-
lieve that these would be reprinted in the
United States If American publishers had to
pay q considerable sum for copyright. He
grounds this belief on the assertion, which,
go far as we know, Is well founded that
DARwINs books were published in this coun-
try by agreement with the author. and were
never plrated. although, OF course, they
would have been had there been great
demand for them.
In other words, international copyright,
however it may benefit American writer's by
relieving them from an unfair competition,
will come too late to do English authors
Ia a Al,
ter OF this century 1t would no doubt have
added immensely to the sums received by
SCOTT for his novels: sums which, as 1t was.
have never been approached. seeing that
they amounted In the aggregate to more
than million dollars. 1t is also true that
international copyright would have greatly
increased the income OF BULwER, DICKENS,
THAoKERAY, CHARLES READE, and GEORGE
ELIOT. though in the last years OF tho lat
ter's life the change in book selling condl-
tions which Ia now manifest In Eng
land as well as the United States
had already begun. 1t is generally
understood that GEORGE ELIoT's pub
fishers paid too much for Daniel Deronda"
and that they have scarcely been able to re-
coup themselves. The day has gone by
when tho expensive three-youme novel for
which. as VIC have said. there Is absolutely
no market In the United States, could find
many purchasers even In England. English
people borrow such books from the circulat-
ing libraries they do not buy them The
only works Of fiction which they will buy
outright are those issued In a cheap form
for slxpence, a shilling. two shillngs, or
two shillings and sixpence Upon these
books both publisher and author must con-
tent themselves with Il small profit.
The result OF this far-rcaching change in
the temper and habits Of tho English book
reading public was Indicated by Mr.. JOHN
MORLEY at the recent dinner in aid OF the
British literary Fund. Nj MORLEY eX-
pressed the conviction that not over ten per-
sons In tho United Kingdom were making
eomiol IAOao living By pure literature. by
which term, no explained. that no meant 10
exclude professional, technical. and school
books on the one hand. and matter pro.
pared for reviews, magazines. and news
papers upon the other. He added. As might