New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-11

from
printer will only be under obligation TO pay "
per cent. The difference in royalties alone onere
a margin for underseIling the American edition
OF the same work. There are moreover. no safe-
guards In the Canadian Copyright act by which
the foreign author can have any assurance OF re-
ceiving the royalty Of 10 per cent. The Canadian
Government f. not responsible for the payment
OF the royalty The Commissioner Of Agriculture,
in granting the license is required 10 receive
satisfactory assurance ~ the good faith OF the
printer But there his responsibility ends. The
author Is left at the mercy OF the printer. The
act does not even state whether the royalty 10
to be paid copies printed or on copies sold. No
payments are required in advance. and all the
business arrangements By which authors
rights ordinarily protected are dispensed with.
In place of a trade contract with advance pay
ments there is an inadequate royalty without
guarantee.
The real object Of the Canadian act is plainly
discerned by we-informed authors and pub
fishers In England. II is TO obtain for cheap,
badly printed editions u popular books easy
access to the American market. This VIII Be
done under the pretext that the mother country
ought not to discriminate against Canadian
printers. but should allow them the same priv
ileges OF obtaining employment which are en-
joyed by American printers under the interha-
tional agreement. The Canadian legislator has
acted upon the assumption that If copyright DO
a printers protection scheme in the United
States IL ought to be nothing less In Canada,
and theoretically In the other colonial Dependent
cies of Great Britain. II the act be sanctioned,
the Canadian printers will at once be employed In
issuing cheap editions of popular books, UNDER
selling the American publishers OF the same
works and making raids upon the great market
beyond the frontier. They would be under no re-
srictions respecting the price or the form Of the
edition. they would be under no obligation to
consult the author or his American publisher:
they would be dscountng their competitors In
the United States on royalties and would do
their own accounting and pay the real owner or
the literary property whatever they liked. With
out having large reading public In Canada they
would be licensed to print cheap editions which
would inevitably be cold beyond the border in the
great American market.
AUTHORS UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
English authors are shrewd enough to UNDER
stand what would be the ultimate If not speedy
results OF a piratical warfare OF this kind. The
copyrighted American edition. carrying the
higher royalties and protecting the authors
rights by adequate safeguards. would be under
sold by the cheaper edition with. 10 per cent
royalty which might never be paid. The au-
thor's profits would be reduced from the falling
off in the sale of the remunerative edition issued
by a responsible publisher. Moreover. when the
authors next book was r the market. the Amer
lean publisher warned by the disastrous results
Of Canadian competition, would pay less for the
new copyright than for the old one. The au-
.hor's business. instead OF being managed exclu-
sively by American publishers Of the highest
standing would be divided with irresponsible
printers In Canada, under no bonds to pay even
the reduced royalty. American authors would DC
entirely at the mercy Of Canadian printers who
could sell cheap editions Of their works In the
United States International copyright under
conditions 80 unfair these would not last
many months Great pressure would be brought
to bear upon Congress at Washington to secure
the repeal Of the American Copyright act and
there would be a collapse Of the present arrange
ments. under which the incomes OF many Eng
lish novelists have been doubled and those or Al
other writer's have been materially Increased
There would be relapse into the former conda-
lions OF piracy and robbery which were 80 d0-
creditable to American civilization.
English publishers and authors do not like the
manufacturing clause. which Is theoretically op-
posed TO the Berne agreement and practically an
expedent for protecting American printers. Inc
simuItane printing OF books in England ana
America Is attended with many vexations ano
annoyances which irritate and harass London
publishers They dislike the departure from inc
Berne agreement which has been made IN the
American Copyright act For that reason alone
they are opposed to the extension OF the same
system to Canada and the other British coiohies
But when English publishers and authors are
confronted with the collapse Of the copyright
10 MI Oh Sf2fp
TO imperial authorization Of the Canadian act'
,hsv rscoil in dismay and CONSERVATION. Tha1
result they agree with one accord, must DC
averted AZ all hazards Copyright privileges with
France Belgium Switzerland. Germany, Itaiy,
portugal Denmark and the British colonies may
hs In accord with the Berne Convention; DUO
thase are Of slight Importance in comparison
with the agreement between Great Britain ana
the United States. even with the manufacturing
clause saddled upon 1t as a rider. IL Is upon TIC
American market that the most popular an" SUI
csssful English writer's depend for large share
of their incomes
WHAT THIS GOVERNMENT CAN DO.
The problem which is now occupying the a''e">
ton ~ Mr. Chamberlain at the Colonial once IL
whether the Canadian Copyright act Is 10 De uD-
allowed and vetoed on the ground that 1t involves
a remuneration OF the principles Of the berne Con-
veption or IL is possible to effect some compro-
mise through the intervention OF authorized rep
resentatiyes OF the Authors Society ana the
English publishers. Important CONSULTATIONS nave
heen in progress this week at the Colonial once
and various expedients have been discussed. MI
Chamberlain with his lucidity OF mind. Is wen
equipped for working out practical solution ol
this complex question. Any compromise whicn
would leave Canadian printers at liberty 10 IN
wade the American market over frontier stre'cn-
ing across a continent would be detrimental
70 English and American authors and puphsners'
The United States Government has ample re-
sources for forcing the rejection OF the Cahaoian
act The Cleveland Administration mas oh'y {"