The sun., 1891-07-02
OUR NEW COPYRIGHT Law.
srscrAE rRoCzAxl1ToN UsDss n nj
THE P2EsIDENE -
Belsis-.. yrssee. Great D-stsis, esd swsts
eris~a Have Avsiied Thenselvss OF ~
Conditions Imposed sy the Law.


Heisiss, Yrssee. Great B-stais, Esd swits-
eris~a Have Avsiied Themselves OF H.
Csrsisions rs.pesea sy the Law.
WASHINGTON. Juiy 1.-The President to-day
issued the following proclamation:
"Wh0eas. 1t IL provided BY section 10 Of the
act OF Congress- Of March 8. 1891. entitled An
act to amend title 90. chapter III. Of the Re-
vised Statutes OF the United States relating to
copyrights,' that said act shall only apply to
q citizen or subject Of foreign State or ma
tion whom such foreign State or nation per-
mits to citizens OF the United States OF America
the bsneflt OF copyrieht on substantially the
same basis OF its own citizens: or when such
foreign State or nation is q party to an inter-
national agreement which provides for reel
procity in the granting OF copyrtsht bv tho
terms Of which agreement tho United States
Of America may. at its pleasure, become
party TO suoh agreement? and
Whereas. 1t is also provided BY faid section
that the existence OF either Of the conditions
Aforesaid shall bs determined BY the President
OF the United States BY proclamation made
from time to time as tho purposes OF this act
mag rsuu!re!' nnd
Whereas, Satisfactory official assurances
have been given that 10 Belgium. France,
Great Britain and the British possessions, and
Switzerland tho law permits to citizens OF
the United Statss the benefit Of copyright on
substantially the aame basis As to the ciizens
OF those countries;
"How. therefore. I, BENJAMIN Harrison.
President OF the United States OF America. do
declare snd proclaim that the first OF the con-
ditions specified in section Is OF the act OF
March 8, 1891. 10 now fulfilled In respeet to the
cltlzens or subjects OF Belgium. Franco Great
Britain. and Switzerland.
I'm testimony whereof have hersunto set
my hand and caused tho seal OF the United
States to ba affixed.
Done at the city Of Washington. this let
day Of July. cne thousand eight hundred ana
ninsty.ono. and OF the independencs OF tho
United States the one hundred and fifteenth.
by the President
"WrLL1AM +. WHARTON.
Acting Secretary OF State"
The proc am alton 10 pre- edsd bv q recital OF
the Copyright act passed BY the last Congress.
O CODY OF q circular letter to United States
Ministers. and an exhaustive report TO the
President. prepared By J. b. Moore. Third As
sistant Secretary OF State. Interpreting the
law and explaining why Its operations are
limited to the four countries uamed In the
proclamation. and why the nations party to
the Berne agreement are excluded from the
proclaim alton ON that around. Mr.. Wharton.
tho acting Secretary OF State. has also taken
rart In the correspondence. as shown By
note to the swiss Minister on tho subject OF
II The circular letter above referred 70 simply
transmits copies Of the sot to ths Mtnisnssrs.
sistant Secretary Moores rerort a. s1plana.
1S, g. a si BsIS. ny rs
e SsdiS @SIs 70 a'siss shs s.S
CO. 9s sS.n., ss 1T Mssfh M
Tss e. aS 6s ss SSSi
to admit the citizens or subjects. OF foreign
The ,SsE II o.
Of t6s, act. and are alternative o not concurrent,
in .sssdn IS y 0Inss tho ss apns
citizens or subject Of forei gn stale or nation.
s.n: :uh 81 ,Ss SSnss si's % 81 tho
bsneht Of copyright on substantially tho same
b.s's a. ts owp sizSHr;: that N. act ,n.,
sis.ss s. Or nation. when such foreign State or
n.ns nssGn shishD hDsS srsS,a.s q =
granting Ct sts,s. 6y shs g, %
tiss q IL sasurs. become part, 70 such aeIse:
! s. s sss s s s nsss sssdt II
time to time as ,ho PURPOSES OF this Act may
require [ nder this c!ause 1t il the duty of
proclamation. In accordance with the factsa.
to the existence or non-sxistence OF one Of the
two specihsd conditions at any particular
Mr.. Moore says ths' several countries have
sppsd Oi The 81 the law under The
With 3 the iirst aiieinatSo condition. a. d"e.
tho Frtnci Law. and consequently Belgium
aud France were included In the proclamation.
France was the tirst country to apply, ana
i but was admitted under the iirst. Great Brilsin
was the tnird country TO apply. and greater in.
for The isason that she vii be The ,r III.
est beneficiary under the recent act, but
also because there ,w was g., much -snmIss a"nb.
the AMI bor TO reside IN british posse si"ns nsst
condition o copyright. whis b condiion would
prove fatal to her claim Of substantial equality
in treatment. This was satisfactorily cleared
ur as shown bv ord Sulisburys nssn,an
under existing English law. nm 81 en- BY
first pu blicaiion IN any part OF her Mae. .ty,s
dominious can obtain the benefit ri EnGlah
copyright, and that tcontemporaneous nublica-
tion In q foreign country dos not prevent he
rssiit I nee In some part Of her Mnjtslys d..
minions Ia not necehsary c9nd! ion, 10 m
Copyright law. md that tho law "f copyii-ht
In force in all british possessions peI mits TO
sizsHs q The Gnisd states o. A%,rs. re the
basis - to British snblecis.
Switzerland applied Tor the benenta OF tho
law on June 20. under the frat condition. and:
a. MIR. Moore shows, Was admitted unnn proof
That her law was In com pltanee with that con-
dition.