The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-16
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.

To describe the details OF the inter
national copyright law of last ses-
sion as the height of perfection would
be to indulge in a fever of partisan adu-
lation bordering on the delirious. But
to the mental toilers of this and other
countries, the measure came as a tardy
installment Of justice. and they vel
coined it on the familiar principle that
to the hungry man half a loaf is better
than no bread. IT they had been max
ing boots, superstitious reverence for
one section of the decalogue would have
entitled them to the pecuniary results
Of their labor. But, as they were only
making books, it was fair enough to
plumber and pillage them, whenever an
opportunity has presented itself. That,
as a nation, we have become ashamed
Of robbing the stranger, is a matter for
honest congratulation. Our former lax
ity Of morals recalls the condition Of the
mining districts Of England, as depicted
many years ago by one OF the comic
papers of that country. Two miners,
returning from work, are met On their
way by a man who is evidently astranger
in the locality. Acting on the scriptural
principle that he was a stranger and
therefore ought to be taken in, the one
miner Immediately whispered hoarsely
to the other: "Iie's a foreigner. Lets
'eave a brick at him."
OF the nations who met in convention
at Berne five years ago and formed
themselves into the International Copy
right union, there are six which have
not yet declared their willingness to &C
cept the terms imposed by the congress
sional measure. These are Spain, Ger
many, Liberia, Hayti, Italy and Tunis.
France, England, Belgium and Switzer-
land have entered the bond of interna-
tional literary union o our w terms,
and the presidents proclamation adj
mitted them OF the first day of the
present month. The event is important
enough in Jul moral history to warrant
the reproduction Of the document. 1t
reads as follows:
Whereas, 1t is provided by section 10 of
act of congress of March 8, 1891, entitled,
"An act to amend title 60, chapter 3, of
the revised statutes of the United States,
relating to copyrights" that said act 'shall
only apply to a citizen or subject of a for
eign state or nation, when such foreign
state or nation permits to citizens of the
United States of America the benefit of
copyright on substantially the same basis
as its own citizens, or when such foreign
state or nation 10 party to an international
agreement which provides for reciprocity in
the granting of copyright, by the terms Of
which agreement the Unit States Of
America may, at it, pleasure, become a
party to such agreeI1ent;' and where. it is
also provided by said section that "the ex-
istence of eli 81 of the conditions aforesaid
may be rroolaimed by the president of the
United States by proclamation made from
time to time as the purposes of this act may
require" and whereas satisfactory official
assurances have been given that in Belgium,
France, Great Britain and the British pos
sessions and Switzerland the law permits to
citizens of the United States the benefit of
copyright or substantially the same basis
as to the citizens of these countries; now,
therefore, |, Benjamin Harrison, president
of the United States Of America, do declare
and proclaim that the first of the condi-
tions specified in section IL of the act of
March 3, 1891, is now fulfilled in respect to
the citizens or subjects of Belgium, France,
Great Britain and Switzerland. In testi-
mony whereof / nave hereunto set my hand
and caused the seal of the United States to
be affixed.
Hereafter, on compliance with certain
conditions, the citizens OF these four
countries will be entitled to copyright
in the United States on books, plays,
pictures and music Of their own produc-
ton. The composition, on which cop
right is to be secured, must be published
in this country simultaneously with it's
appearance abroad. The other condi.
dition requires that the mechanical por-
ton of the work-the type-setting
printing, lithographing, etc.-must be
performed in this country. The Ameri-
can citizen is entitled to equal benefits
in the four countries named, if he cares
to claim them. But with this importan,
advantage. Neither England no
France has stipulated that the mechan.
ical work may not be done in the United
States.