The Globe-republican., 1891-07-08
IN FORCE.
The Copyright Law In Full Yeres-Proe.
lAmation Of the President Granting Re-
clpfoCal FAvors.

The Copyright Law in Full Teres-Proc.
lAmation Of the President Granting Re-
clprocal Favors.
WASHINGTON, July 2-The president
has issued the following proclamation:
Whereas, It is provided by section Is Of the
act of congress of March 4 1881, entitled ian
act to amend title 6n. chapter 5. Of the re.
vised statutes Of the United States, relating
to copyrights" that said act "shall only ap.
ply to a citizen or subject of foreign state
or nation when such foreign state or nation
permits to citize of the United States OF
America the benefit of copyright on sub
startially thu same basis of their own citi.
zens; when s1ch foreign state or nation is Q
party to an International agreement which
provides for reciprocity in the granting OF
copyright, by the terms of which agreement
the United States of America, may at its
pleasure. become a party to such agree
ment." and.
Whereas. 1t il also provided by sail sec.
ton that 1.-The existence OF either of the con-
dit:ons aforesaid shall be determined by the
president OF the United States by prOclama.
ton. made from time to time. as the pur.
poses of this act may reQu re-" and
Whereas, Satisfactory official assurances
have been given that in Belgium. France.
Great Britain and the British provinces and
Switzerland the law permits the citizens
Of the United States the benefit Of copyright
on substantially the same basis as to the
citizens of these countries.
Now. therefore. l Benjamin Harri son,
president of the United states of America,
do declare and proclaim that the first of the
cond tions spec fled in sec ion IA of the act
of March 8. 1871. Is now fulfilled In respect to
the citiz rs or subjects of Belgium. France,
Great Britain and Switzerland In testimony
whereof have hereunto set my hand and
eau <ed the seal of the United States to DO
affixed.
Done at the city Of Washington. this first
day of July. 1891. and of the Independence
OF the United States, the one hundred and
ffteen.h BENJAMIN HARRISON,
BY the president
WILLIAM r. WHARTON, Acting Assistant
Secretary OF State.
The proclamation is preceded by re-
cital Of the copyright act passed by
the last congress, q copy Of q circular
letter to United States ministers and
an able and exhaustive report to the
president prepared by J. b. Moore,
third assistant secretary of state. inter-
preting the law and explaining why its
operations are limited to the four coun-
tries named in the proclamation.
Mr.. Moore says that several countries
have applied for the benefits of the law
under the first condition. Belgium
most clearly falls within the first alter
native condition, as does the French
law. and consequently Belgium and
France were included in the prOclama-
ton. France was the first country to
apply, and claimed to have complied
with both conditions but was admitted
under the first Great Britain was
the third country to apply, and
greater interest attached to her
application not only for the rea-
son that she will be the greatest ben
eficiary under the recent act but also
because there was much doubt as to
whether her laws did not require the
author to reside in British possessions
as a condition of copyright, which con-
dition would prove fatal to her claim of
substantial equality in treatment. This
first was satisfactorily cleared up
Switzerland applied for the benefit of
the law June 90, under the first con-
dition, and, as Mr.. Moore shows was
admitted upon proof that her law was
in compliance with that condition.