Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-30
NEGrfG EMf.C PUBLISHERS
Fail to Send RQqlF teothe Library Of Con
bfges1 y,
Ignoring the Copyright Iaw-Grewth
...o.,. of the h@,. sn..t: ana E.,
Its ReGnlatiOns.

] Its Regulations.
| % = se!.,s5e-;
The chapter in Mr.. John Russell Young's
annual report devotedyto a description Of
the copyright department of the Congress
sional Library goes extensively into the
history of tn copyright In this country
| The report says: - - ~>-. - -
| "As a national institution the copyright
system goes back to $780, Before that
twelve Of the original thirteen states had
passed copyright laws. These state laws
protected for various terms By the act
OF 1l7W the right to print was guaranteed
| Tor fourteen years, with q renewal for an
other fourteen, in an twehty-efght years.
The penalty for infraction was severe, but
complications arose as to the enforcement
of the. law, and 1t was never satisfactory
The act of April %. 1892 is interesting as
| extending the copyright law Of protection
TO the. arts-,of designing, sengra Wings and
etchings. historical or other prints. BY the
act OF 1881 copyright was extended to
tWenty-eight years. with the right OF re-
7 newal Tor fourteen more. thus giving pro-
lection In literary property for. forty-two
years Music was brought within the copy
right provision. In 1856 copyright was grant
ed TO dramatic Compositions, and in 1885 to
p [,,oto and negatives IN 1870 the com
mittee appointed to revise the statutes
submitted revised and consolidated law
of copyright, which is the law in force to-
DAY. me statute. however, has been
amended by several legislative enactments
since. the most important being the act of
March 3. 1891, by which copyright was ex-
tended to the natives of such foreign ma
tions as accorded to our own people copy
risnt~ PRIVILEGES equal to those enjoyed by
their own. The act relating to the public
performance or representation of any dra-
matte or musical composition. with inten-
ton to give better protection to playwright
was approved January g. 1897.
The copyright department was trans
terred in 1870 to the librarian of congress,
who thus became register. There was a
convenience in this. Delays were prevent
ed and uniform system established
which saved trouble to authors and pub
hshers 1t also assured the library q COM
ple,e collection. of American publications.
ana as my predecessor remarked, if such
law had been enforced since the. begin
nnE OF the government we should now
nave IN the Library of Congress a COM
piete representation of the American mind
IN every department of science and ltera-
ture.
Under the old law the copyright was
an annoyance at times and not an advan-
tase,lncomplete iii its provisions and awk-
Ward IN administration. 1t was difficult
Tor the owner of a title to protect his
rlSnis. the transmission of a second COPY
to the library was Frequently overlooked
II is OF record that in, a single year there
were more than 1000 acquisitions for pub
ncatlons where owners had accepted copy-
hui, ~,
the law WIN
There was likewise mo central office Of
record, and copyright property was intan-
giDie: And yet the right of the owner to
.'rs ,iaterary property. whether a history,
an epic, a novel or a, street ballad. was
as sacred to him as fight TO a patent or
a land warrant. 1T wtfs his covenant with
the government UNDER which the profits Of
'''' sei'i"s ana INDUSTRY were assured.
Growth Of the Department.
Ihe copyright'aepartment is therefore.
most important, cffee. Its growth NAV
be estimated which it is noted that while in
DIX months OF $50 the copyrights were
''""' IN 1896 '4fA7o were entered. This
means a steady rather than snasn,otlic
growth. Thus in 1870 there We're, as we
nave seen, $500 entries: in 1878, 1861: in
1881 so,6SG; in 1855, ~, 40; in 1880. AZ. 15s,
and in 1886, 724f0. with the exception Of
the years of business depression this IN.
crease has been Sire. ana ever2at great
er ratio than at present. THESE iiguifCs are
instruo tive not. alooe as showing the i'm
portance or the copyright department. but
as indicative Of the Immense growth of
music. Htera tir'e and the arts & few
me nohs since the average daily recent of
Letters was 40 The sletters received daily
rom october u TO December b. for. ex-
ample. average 1r9 with an increase from
week to week. And already there are we'll
founded complaints from the head of the
copyright bureau as to an insufficient staff
anu tHe Necessity Oh extra hours of labor
to Keep the work in if1al,i. The relative nl,-
nerlcal Importance ofthe copyright toward
the other departments of the government
may be understood when it is noted that
while tine patent office has $1,000 entries
annually. there were. in 1896 72,i7o in the
copyright office =:
The published reports of the librarian
from 1870 to 1896 classify the copyright en-
Books, 1l.656; periodicals. 257. 1913; music,
.S2617; the drama, .6,026 photographs.
1851; ens:avings. autographs, etc. 1850;
prints, 20579; maps and charts IS o4S: de-
sigIs, models and drawings 6,294
The bulk of the, copyright material was
removed from the Capitol in the early part
of 1897 and deposited in the new Library
building. 1t came in such disorder that
some time must elapse before it can be ar
ranged. The crcditina and indexing were
Lehindhand. With the pressure of current
bis iness and its growth now strainins to
the utmost our clerical facilities the per-
fecting of the copyright records must be
left to more convenient season.
THE present head of the copyright de-
partmcnt took office July 30. The work
was then carried on in the Capitol with the
aid of twenty-four clerks. There was no
bookkeeping method and the correspond
cree was largely a matter of printed forms.
A fiscal system has heen arranged, so that
the record of the money passing through
The bureau from day to day may have adj
equate accounting. BY the courtesy of the
Treasury Department Eir detailing expert
tor, stringent and comprehensive methods
have been devised specially Intended to
meet the requirements of the treasury. AL
though these arrangements are tentative
and open to the tests of experience, thus
far they have worked admirably.
Weekly Bulletin Of Publications.
1.-THE rules laid down In the reorganiza-
ton of the copyright department may thus
be summarized Every person sending re-
mittance receives prolnpt answer. Every
person sending fee covering the cost of
the certificate receives that certificate
soon as possible after the entries are made.
Deposits of copies are noted. Assignments
CT other valuable instruments are recorded
and the instruments returned by registered
mail. Remittances Of money are at once
acknowledged, and mlgpey refunded where
necessary as soon as POSSIBLE, accompanied
by a letter of explanation All letters of
whatsoever chaructersa are" kept in copying
| books. A new method aaf indexing has been
| arranged by which hhe index cards are
| made for the titles on the day Of their re-
ceipt. A weekly bulletin of publications
received at the library, otnder the provisions
| of the copyright law. is furnished to the
| treasury by the librarian and printed for
~ t1,aI S,uo {-Aro sof