New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01
COPyRIGUT REVISION.

1'hc nrouoscI revision of the Copyright law
contains some commcndabc features and some
Of doubtful propricty. 1t will be we'll to relieve
the Librarian Of Congress Of the work now I'M
nosed upon him. Of recording applications and
issunc certificates Of copyright. or that there
can he little question. The National Library
has crown TO such vast proportions that the Adj
mns,ration Of It may we'll occupy the Libra
RAMS exclusive attention. undistractcd by other
affairs The volume OF copyright business has
also greatly expanded, and seems TO require the
undivided attention Of a competent manager
4, the same time there is particularly intimate
rel,tinn between the two. Tho copies Of books,
ctc deposited for the securing OF copyright. are
naccd in the library. and frequent references to
the library are necessary in the work OF grant
inc copvrights II would therefore be desirable
IN keen the two offices in close relationship. ahd'
;ndocl under one general head. This might ne
ACCOMPLISHED by making the proposed 'onh-
missioner 81 Copyright subordinate OF ne
Librarian or by rcorganzinS both the library
and the copyright office rs two branches OF
SINGLE bureau, under a single commssipn"rshP.
Certainly. any arrangement IS desirable when
will insure for the library the greatest p0ss.ple
o,.u,hil,tv as a centre OF study and research,
and ~ the same time increase the promn,ness,
accuracy and general efficiency of the copyright
Office. $500
C,mmcudablc. also. Is the scheme OF publish
Ing weekly catalogues Of titles Of all WORKS en-
tered for copyright. and an annual report enum'r
atinc and describing all such works. Such GAIA
]ocucs would be OF great Interest as current III
dcycs II the Intellectual activity OF the Nauon'
and also Of much practical valnc for the ihiorih'
ton If publishers and the general puhhc. lh'H
shoull be issued not only 10 posimasters ana
collectors Of customs but 10 all who wish them
II now often occurs that an author or puDlish'r
gives 70 a book unwlttingly and innocen'Iy'
lille already used and copyrighted on another
work II also happens that 4 foreign work -
nrlva,,ly printed and copyrighted In this c"nn
try viihou, In. knowledge of the general pubic
80 indeed. e any ono hut the parties imm"i,-
o,,lv concerned. while NJ the same tim" foreign
c,ni.s or The same work. bearing no copy rSht
mark clrculafc here freely. These latter may be
,nnoccntlv rcpr.,,cd here. and the publisher thus
IN, Subjected 10 much embarrassment hy finding
himself liable to claim for infrnGeiAeht 81
conyrlsh,. All such Annoyanccs would bH obvI-
aicl by such publications. ~ ar" contemplated III
THIS scheme Another good feature is IN" "N'"n-
sion or the u I'm Nl f'!'f iNiti w ''-''N'
r,t IS. forty years with prviicg" OF renewal for
another forty years. THIS i Il sep II We I'-"'
direction. though II VIII still leave Us iir snort
II the point reached hy some other hl''""S i"
th.ir progrcss toward the fllll realization "i prop
or,y rights In literature. Switzerland, Germany
and Austria grant copyright for the lifetime "'
IN, author and thirty years more ltAly Tor ne
and forty years and then > per cent roy"l'! ''i
another forty years; France" Belgium lluhE"!
and Russia Tor lie and nifty years; ana SPAN
for life and eighty years; while Mexico 'U''e-
mola and the semi savage Spanish lhhiahs vi
Venezuela Make copyright. Ike other property
rionts pcrpctual our Constitution prtscrIo'S
that DOWNRIGHT and patents shall he granted Tor
limited times: but 1t permits those limits 10 De
almost Indefinitely extended.
rho iustIc, of compelling persons obtaining
extensions Of copyright for second term
If forty years 10 advertise the fact IN the
,uhlic press at their own expense Is not
nnparent 1t would answer every ies!u-
m,,c purpose II such extensions were an
rounced in the weekly bulletins and annual re-
ports If the Copyright Office Indeed. such an
rounccmcnt would hr more effective for the in
formation Of the public than an advertisement
In Il single newspaper designated ny the COM
missioner for the latter might be paper "i
limited and obscure circulation. There are some
other details which may also be open 10 cfi'-
icism In general, however. the bill seems 10 De
= pralseworihy one, as any measure Is Wh'ch
has for It's object the better Safeguarding OF
nropcr,y rights in intellectual products, ana the
punishment and prevention Of infrlnSem MS
unon those rights. New officers should no' De
created. nor red tape imposed, nor expense IN
cured beyond what is nccdfu for the reaiiza-
tion OF that object but up 10 that point we snail
do well to proceed as promptly as possible