Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-27
pENO|NG COPYRIGHT BILL
ARGUMENTS BEFORE CONGRESS.
SIGNAL COMMITTEES
Subject Of Canned Music" Will Be-
Exclusively Considered
Tomorrow.

Arguments were continued today before
the two patent committees OF Congress,
( sitting as joint body. regarding the
bills TO amend and consolidate the acts
respecting copyright. The bills especial
ly referred to today were those introduced
By Senator smoot and Representative
Currier. Objection to certain features
in the measures was found by all the
speakers. the burden of their complaints
being that the bills do not afford the
relief sought TO be obtained
Those who addressed the committee
were w. A. Livingstone. representing
the Print Publishers Association OF
America: Alfred Lucklng of Detroit.
representing the directory publishers:
A. Bell Malcomson. representing the
manufacturing photographers uf New
York. and William Jenner of New York.
who appeared in his own behalf as a
reader and lover OF books
The speakers who preceded Mr.. Jen-
ner criticized certain sections of the
DIS in which their clients were par
tlcularly interested.
Mr.. Jenner's Claim.
Mr.. Jenner claimed that the proposed
measures do not allow a student To inn
port books with the privileges enjoyed by
returned traveller from Europe or
library or college: that he must obtain
permission from the American owner Of
the copyright to import book which,
the speaker said. he should be at liberty
to buy direct from the publisher abroad.
Mr.. Jenner also argued for a longer or q
uniform term Of copyright.
The section OF the bill providing that
1.-The copyright as distinct from the prop
erty in the material object copyrighted.
and the sale or conveyance. by Gift or
otherwise. OF the material object. shall
not of itself constitute transfer of the
copyright. nor shall the assignment OF
the copyright constitute a transfer OF the
title to the material object. was objected
to by Mr.. Jenner but both Senator Smoot
and Representative Curr!er stated that
they proposed to offer amendments to this
section which they thought would make
Ii satisfactory.
Mr.. Broadhurst's View.
George Broadhurst. the playwright. was
heard by the Senate and House patent
committees in the Congressional Library
yesterday morning during a hearing on
the Smoot copyright bill. Mr. Broadhurst
urged the severest penalties for the Of
Tense OF play piracy" and a little extra
punishment for the method of stealing a
new play by hiring stenographers to
make verbatim reports Of the dialogue
and business for sale TO piratcal con-
Germs. Several other Interested parties
were heard.
A hearing was given last night on the
copyright bill at the Congressional IL
brary. Several speakers were heard and
the provisions discussed were the manu-
featuring clause and the provision relat-
ing to extension Of existing copyright. r.
L. johnson. secretary of the Authors
| Copyright League. spoke in opposition tn
any restriction OF the manufacturing
ri hooks
by foreign authors originating abroad
| should be exempt from the clause. He
| laid great emphasis on the need of pre-
| venting a reciprocal manufacturing clause
! In foreign countries.
]. X. Finney spoke for the book bind
ers and favored the provision OF the hill
| which requires that binding be done here
| in order to get an American copyright
opposition to the proposal to exclude the
engraving of music in book form. Mr..
HIale of New York, representing the
American Law Book Company. opposed
the provision for an extension of existing
copyright.
There ia such wide difference OF opinion
In regard to what are known as the
canned music provisions Of the bill that
the entire day tomorrow will be devoted
to the sections on that subject and AL
other questions connected with the repro
duction of copyrighted music on mechan-
ical devices.
Meeting of Copyright Committee.
A meeting of the allied copyright COM
mttee was held Wednesday night at the
| New Willard Hotel. at which Hills r.
| Cooley. president of the National Associa-
ton of Producing Managers presided.
| Among the organizations represented were
tin, Comedy Clue. Words and Music Club.
Dramatic Club. Theatrical Managers As
ISOLATION and others.
The principal business was the appoint
ment of committees which resulted as fol-
lows: Authors Edward p. Mawson.
chairman: j. l. c. Clark. Charles Klein,
Clinton Stewart and George Broadhurst.
Composers. Victor Herbert. chairman;
Charles X Harris. Harry Fl. Williams.
Manuel Klein. Dennis OBrien. represent
ing George Cohen and Nathan Burkaw.
Managers and producers. Daniel Froh-
man. chairman: Daniel D. Parker. Will
liam A. Brady. Lyon Johnson. attorney:
Charles Durham. representing the owners.
Fred Havel. +. F. Wood. w. r. Jacobs.
Charles X. Harris and Nathan Burton.
attorney Play brokers. Worthan Jordan.
chairman: Miss Alice kauser. J. F. o. Ra-
con. Harry Knowles representing the
White Rats" and other performers.
Those present included +. u. Richards.
W. r. Anderson. Harry II. Williams.
Earnest r. Ball. Theodore Morse. charles
Klein. Harry d. Parker. Miss Alice kau-
ser. Victor Herbert, Isadore Whitmark.
Campbell B. Casad. secretary: Hills T..
Cooley. Edward P. Mawson. j. j. c. Clark.
Harry Knowles. Dennis OBrien Charles
Barnum Manuel Klein Clinton Stewart
Lyon Johnson. Daniel Frohman. Charles
h Harris, Gerald F. Bacon and David