New-York tribune., 1909-07-25
They Say All the Letters He
Wrote TO Friends Are Cow
cred by CopYTight.
CO. lege. tv tbe Brentgrooa company.l

Icopyrtgr. 1893, BY the Brentwood COmpany.l
Careful study OF the provisions OF the inter-
national copyright agreement and probably the
eecsiOn Of csurts Of justice on both sides Of the
Atlantic viii be necessary before the public sub
nits to the pretension put forward by the ex-
ecutors and heirs 4 the late George Meredith TO
ne effect that not merely the latter's literary
productions but also all the letters which during
LIS long lfehe may have written TO English or
Foreign friends are covered by copyright and
i0En part and parcel Of the Meredith estate II
would seem that the notice which Lord Morley
tao The othsr executors Of the great novelist
nave Issued 10 this effect has been called forth
" the publication IN THE London Times" Of
NE series Of letters addressed by him TO an old
american friend. now dead, and placed by the
@1'ers son md daughter at the disposal Of that
newspaper The Merediths seem to have OBJ
'scaeo to thi printing Of the correspondence in
seesuen IN The Times" on the ground that II
-0ai''eo part and parcel OF the writer's property,
sAa the announcement which they have made
: I" Cal the attention Of all others who may be
: possession OF letters addressed to them by the
sc 0eorge Meredith TO the fact that they are
.s'-lpateo INN either publishing or disposing OF
N'en ny sais or even by gift
,,e-"eo noe putting into print the communica-
- sooresed TO them by distinguished per-
ees without having previously sought and
~Neo the consent either OF the latter, or, II
- uisn their heirs and executors. it has
=. ss oeen understood that this was a matter
ss0rtesy and consideration rather than of
ooAseeon; and the stand taken by the
Nm e-lNns aaa by the executors Of their fathers
sA'ensi'e field for argument
-, ne mt place. it may be questioned
h,, AnyFing Is protected by the copyright
ef here or abroad, until all the re-
sn..- the copyright laws have been full
s,,,... inhued are most writer's with an
h,.',~. e1ravagant sense Of the value of the
p,rr phs Of their pens there are none OF
yr,v,-. -s' Is am aware. who have until row
ts.n1,~ !" AXE the trouble to copyright mere
dsss sues and notes to acquaintances. In
epy,svs. os receiving letter that had been
ssu,ps .s sould be perfectly justified in con-
soup :. pecautioa a grave insult, since IT
ar AZ 0preted only as a conviction on the
b s~pv.-s ~ater that the addressee was not TO
seess,. -. 90 was sufficiently INSCRIPTIONS to
Fecaous documents into cash.
H. owKERsHIP OF LETTERS.
nozcs ,ce has thus far declined to pro-
ssnsssb,, eh definitely with regard to the
essn Co.. private letters which have not
ate vss..ieo or to determine the question
70 Us, they belong to the writer's estate
4s pers,, ens addressee. or even to that OF
ears thros,. ito whose possession they have
De coos -. oeouest gift or purchase. True
aas q sor, nohor suggests that the writer re-
asuis and proprietary interest In the docu-
b cor.~ under the circumstances expect
asssyer f'so about their publication: but
sass no.,, heh1s In the matter, they are
~ ns.ss ano not in any sense of the word
IL. ee law is 80 undecided about the
1szy instance when # has bssn