Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-18
"A NOTABLE ALLIANCE
Recent Conference on a Scien-
tific Copyright Bill.
Mr.. PUTNAM'S STATEMENT
Three Aims That Were Kept in
View.
ESTABLISHMENT OF PRINCIPLES
All Accomplished That Was Sought
Lines Laid Down for the
Trainers of Legislation.
ESTABLISHMENT OF PRINCIPLES

A statement has been issued by Libra
rian Putnam as to the work of the copy
right conference which has been in seS-
sion in Washington during the week and
which was the third held on this subject.
1t quotes from the Presidents message on
the subject refers to former meetings
and to the work of this conference but
does not present its results in any formu-
lated bill to be presented to Congress.
Such measure is to be prepared and
submitted to the various organizations
which participated in the conference ana
when approved by them will be intro
duced in Congress.
The conferees could not themselves
frame a BILL. remarks Mr. Putnam.
This had not been expected of them The
most that had been hoped of them was:
I'D That they should establish some
general principles;
CD That they should bring forward
into proper recognition particular hard
ships suffered under the existing law and
appropriate measures of relief and
"t3) That by frank expression in a body
so disposed TO be concilatory they should
furnish II practicable working basis be-
tween interests naturally diverse.
Aims Accomplished.
Now they have accomplished all these
things, and accomplished them in degree
quite extraordinary and never predicted.
They have, for instance, established, as the
Judgment of these groups represented, GER
tain general principles For instance, that
the protection of copyright should initiate
from publication. This seems simple as
stated. but the establishment of 1t affects
in diverse ways the determination of in
Vulnerable provisions, and clears away in
numera BILE perplexities.
Example: That the copyright in work
should cover all the CoDyrightable matter
therein. Equally simpe as stated, but
whose enunciation cleared away many en-
barrasSmentS.
That the omission CT mere formaities
should not of itself Indicate the ccpyrie Int,
even though it should prevent recourse
against innocent infringements. Under the
present law the deposit Of copies is not
merely a requirement. but a requirement
the omission of which will invalidate the
copyright; and the copies must be deposited
on or before the date of publication. If
they are not, your copyright is lost, and
you can never make il good.
The substitution of penalties for inval-
idation of copyright in any formally not
Indispensable to the protection OF the
public.
LAS to terns--Varyng terms for different
classes of articles instead Of the present
uniform term FOR all Probably three
groups with three terms corresponding
The longest term, however. to Insure that
no author shall within his lifetime be de-
PRIV ed of the benefit OF Ia 5 copyrights nor
shall his ,i:nmedi1te family be 50 deprived
"Anot en- example, That ssfzthe simplifica
ton conceded to re jlfstt Of the copyright
notice Some notice sufficiently identifying
the object with the record must be retained
"rhe public IS much interested in these
principles as it will be in the particular
provisions Of any bill that may be intro
duced. but they are not III a condition yet
to be prumulgate ted. and, as mere statements
of principles. Were not intended to be pro-
muIgated. They We're simply for the guild
ance of those who are to draft the bill
There was before this last conference a
memorandum in the form of bill which
was gone through. provision by provision.
section by section. and the trainers of the
til will have for their guidance particular
provisions and even particular phraseology
proposed.
The proposals of the conference embody-
ing also it's decisions, will therefore appear
in the bin which Is yet to be drafted. This
bill will take some time to draft and will
not tie Introduced until it has been COM
rnun,catcd to the participants All there
fore that can he published now is this in
dication of the character of what the con-
ferences have been and what their pur-
pose VS.