The sun., 1894-12-17
Mr.. IIicks's Little Bill.


We print elsewhere detailed exposure Of
the thieving scheme which, under the title
of House bill No 1853 is now daringly
seeking enactment in Congress. 1t is for
mally entitled IAN act to amend certain
sections OF the Revised Statutes OF the United
States relating to copyrights" But the
true name for it is "A bill TO undo the law
Of copyright to legalize stealing and lit
erary piracy; to destroy property and kill
the honest publishing trade; and TO render
notorious all the members OF Congress
who have anything to do with it." 1t
Is Mr.. HIcKs's little bill, Mr.. Hicks Of
Pennsylvania.
We will say plainly to Mr.. Hicks, who
has hitherto borne good name, and Is, as
we still believe, not desirous of Intentionally
besmirching himself, that IL he really cares
for his reputation, it will be wise for him to
open his eyes and regard attentively the
measure which bears his name, and take
good look at the rascally company in which
he will find himself The evil purpose OF
the bill Is snugly hidden in n bushwork of
legal verbiage we'll intended to obscure it
from eyes not skilled in copyright intrica-
cies. But its exact effect Is to so haggle,
botch, and spoil the copyright law as to al
low disreputable publishers to steal from
daily, weekly, and monthly publications all
the matter their stretched claws can grasp.
This 10 the sole intent of the measure.
Under the present law copyright protec-
ton Ia afforded to engravings and etchings
made in this country. When the law was
enacted It was agreed that such protection
was necessary, first, because of international
comfy which similarly secured copyright
abroad for works of our artists made here
secondly, because the work on them was
that of the artist rather than OF the artisan,
and in no way confiicted with the claims of
the lithographers' and other trades unions;
and thirdly and chiefly, because IL allowed
the productions of our artists who are
working and studying abroad, as of course
the best Of them do, to obtain copyright
where such productions are mostly sold, that
Is at home. Mr.. HICKss little bill sweeps
away all this, and requires engravings and
etchings to be made here in order to obtain
copyright here, and hence allows predatory
and dishonest publishers to steal unhindered
the best work Of m artistic nature that is
expensively fostered and put out by the great
publishing houses of our country.
Far more disastrous than this amend
ment, and, strange to say, far less covertly
introduced, is q second one which, incredi-
BILE as It may seem, destroys the power of
copyright upon any newspaper publication.
Section 1 of the Copyright law as it stands
teads as follows:
THAT for the purpose OF this act each volume Of Q
Book In two or more volumes when such volumes are
published separately and the nrst shall not have
Been issued before this act shall take effect and each
Aumbor OF . periodical shall be considered an indo-
PENDENT publication subject to the form Of copyright
ing as above"
Mr. HICKS has amended 1t In this way:
SECTION IL. That for the purpose of this each
volume of q book in two more volumes, when such
volumes arc published separately and the frst ono
shall have been issued before this shall take
effect and each number OF q periodical. srcepting
daily ,reskiU newspapers or journals deroted In
,ohoIo IN part TO the Of the day, shall be
sidered an independent publication. subject 70 the
form OF copyrighting as above"
In plain English, no news publication
would be allowed to obtain copyright, as
now, upon one number of the publication as
whole. but would have to get it upon each
article separately. This would obviously
put publishers to such an infinity Of bother
as practically to annul copyright altogether.
And, as hardly any daily or weekly publica-
tion exists or can be imagined which may
not be said TO partake in some way OF a
"news" character, the entire periodical
publishing trade Of the United States would
receive a crushing blow.
Can 1t be possible that there is pending in
the national Congress measure like this of
Infamous, brazen, organized robbery, de-
signed by pirates and fathered by fools, and
directed against those arts of refinement
and culture which at all times and in every
civilized country have been considered as
among the most priceless possessions of a
people For the present we take leave of
the iniquity, and trust that for the common
shame Of the country, further allusion may
not be necessary to put the representatives |
of the people at Washington on their |
guard. Let us only add that opposed to |
Mr.. HICKs's little bill are the American |
Copyright League every reputable publish |
ing house in the country, every prominent |
author, and every association Of authors or
publishers, or of both,