New-York tribune., 1908-03-29
PLAYWRIGHTS' RIGHTS.
Seeking Protection of Copyright
Lac AGAINST Mcuing Pictures.

Vashinxton March ss.-Lignon Johnson, as rep
resentative Of the allied theatrical managers anu
the dramatic authors opened the copyr'sh. oie
ment before the Joint Congress Commttee oh
Copyright to-day with presentation OF the CON
tentons of the managers and authors 'iia' Ia ~
right be denied to the moving picture concerns W
reproduce the plays Of American authors anu ilah-
ayers
William A. Brady, who has been q theatrioa, ,
manager for twenty years and who has produceo
from seyenty-dye to one hundred plays by Amer
lean authors told the committee that the SITUATION
was becoming desperate and that ''f this tning IL
not stopped 1t means the ruination OF US ana lhe
men who write for the stage. =.
Mr.. Brady stated that one of his companies n''u
been forced of the road owing TO the fact tnat
the play IL was presenting was being produced
throughout the United States by the aid OF moving
pictures with photographic attachments lhe
manuscript had been stolen. he said, and SOLO ior
g. There is no law he stated. by which we
can 20 into the once Of the Chicago concern which
deals stolen manuscripts and recover our plays
Harry f. Parker. a member OF the Natiohai Asso-
citation of Producing Managers claimed tha'
through the moving picture machines the puphc
learned the story OF the play, and that when 'hey
had done this they lost their desire to see the
original production.
According to your theory" said Mr.. Smoot'
how could there have been successful pro-
duction OF Shakespeare?"
..Thefe a successful production or
shakespearan play" replied Mr.. Parker. with
out a great personality to bring 1t forth Ihe peo-
pie don't 10 to see Hamlet; they 60 to see
Booth"
Victor Herbert the musical composer. next ao-
dressed the committee. He represented, he SAID
the American Federation of Musicians. which has
a membership OF sixty thousand. He reiterated the
arguments he made last year before the committee
against the mechanical machines being allowed to
produce the works Of composers. claiming that an
Injustice was being perpetrated on Americans VINO.
after populariznR their works. must stand aside
and see others reap the benefit. He read adver-
t,sements from talking machine companies to show
that they made records only of successful selec-
tions those that had been widely known and popu-
lar These people" he exclaimed. ARE appropri-
ating our works and they are running u.s.
At the afternoon session Of the committee rep
resentatives Of the talking machines were heard
The substance of their arguments was that the
proposed bills were unconstitutional, claiming
that decisions of the Supreme Court OF the United
States show that that court does not regard
mechanical mechanisms as within the purview OF
the idea of the copyright: also that perforated
rolls and talking machine records are pieces or
mechanical Instruments.
John p. O'Connell. for the musical instrument
manufacturers, presented census statistics to
show thet since the introduction Of talking ma
chimes the sale OF sheet music has more than
doubled, thus refuting the charge of the com
posers that the talking machines are running
their business