The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-08
A COPYRIGHT FRAUD. -.

>o~~~0
James D. Richardson, who rejoices in
the title, though apparently not the
characteristic, of Honorable. This Mr..
Richardson has undertaken to copy
right in his own name the last seven
of the Government printing Offices ten
volumes of Messages and Papers OF
the Presidents" Three years ago,
when he was imploring the Fifty-fifth
Congress to make him a present OF a
duplicate set of the electrotype plates
of this Government publication, he
was sharply questioned about copy
right and the possibility of his setting
up a claim to literary and commercial
proprietorship in these papers of public
record He replied: You cannot
copyright a Government publication.
The law is explicit" Yet the very next
volume of Messages and Papers" that
was issued from the Government print
ing office after the gift Of the duplicate
plates to the compiler, and all the sue
ceeding volumes, bore the legend,
Copyright. 1897, by James d. Richard
SON." This was not the private edi-
ton subsequently published by Rich
ardson, Spoffard and Barcus; Rich
ardson actually stamped his own al
legged copyright upon books which the
Government was publishing. He spread
a blanket copyright, or an assertion Of
h. tnI yi,1n <DP
the Presidents whose messages and
papers he had volunteered to compile
for the public benefit. 1t is precisely as
if this statesman from Tennessee had
set a claim to literary ownership, or
at any rate commercial proprietorship
upon each separate utterance of the
Presidents. Like this:
Copyright, 1897. by James D. richardson
1T was the remark of Roman Consul
in an early period of that celebrated Re
public that most striking contrast was
observable in the conduct of candidates
for offices of power and trust before anG
after obtaining them. - William Henry
Harrison, March 4, 1871"
{
with malice toward none, with charity
to all, with firmness in the right as Goo
gives us to see the right. let us strive tc
finish the work We are in.-Abraham Lin
coin. March 4. 1865
| Copyright, 1887. by James ID. Richardson
Il know no method to secure the repeal
of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as
! their stringent Observation-Disclosures S.
| Grant. March 4, 1Se9.''
| Copyright, 1897 by James D. Richardson
! 1T is a condition which confronts, us,
| not theory.-Grover Cleveland Deem
/ Der 6, 1SS7.''
! Copyright, 1897 by James d. Richardson
| Il ask the Congress to authorize and
empower the President to take measures
to secure full and final termination OF
the hostilities between the Government OF
SEain and the people of Cuba, and to Sc
cure in the island the establishment of q
stable government, capable of maintain
ing order and observing it's international
obligations, insuring peace and tranquility
ty and the security of its citizens as well
as cur own, and to use the military and
naval power of the United States as NAV
be necessary for these purposes.-Willi
Mckinley. April II, 1885,
| A curious fact in this connection Is
that the law to which Mr.. Richardson
referred when he announced in the
House that he could not possibly copy
right Government publication, was
the work OF Mr.. Richardson himself
At the time when the bill was under
discussion in the House Mr.. Richard
son was positive that no power Of
| copyright passed to the purchasers oil
duplicate plates Of Government publ
| cations. And this he stated on the
floor Of the House, even before the in
sertion, at the instance of Mr.. Dingley
himself an old publisher and printer
OF the special provision THAT no pub.
iication reprinted from such stereo-
type or electrotype plates shall be
copyrighted"
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