The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-17


questions OF copyright. and Mary Austin
gave a talk on the ideals OF American
letters.
Achievements Of Past Year.
An important increase In member
ship. the establishment Of an auditing
department for the purpose of surveying
the accounting methods In publishing
offfces. a record OF thirty-two legal ac-
tons In behalf OF members and further
steps toward clearing up the rights OF
authors in their written works were
among the matters reported by the Sec
Rotary. Eric Schiller. Mr.. Schulcrs re-
port read In part AZ follows
THE fiscal year which has 1ust er-
pired has been a most successful one
for the Authors League. Very salts
factory progress has been made In all
the branches Of tho work. and our
society has become firmly established
and recognized as An important factor
Of tho literary and dramatic life OF the
country.
since the last annual meeting the
membership has increased almost 200.
At the expiration OF the leagues first
fiscal year 6s5 members had been en-
rolled. This number has sirce bean
increased to sf5.
"Unquestiona,bly the most important
development of the leagues work In the
past fiscal year has been the inaugura-
ton Of an auditing bureau. which has
undertaken TO work toward a Standard
cation OF accounting methods.
The cooperation OF our foremost pub
fishers has been secured and the audit
ing department II now ready 20 under
take a systematic survey of the ac-
counting methods In use In publishing
Offices, Supported by the reputable pub
fishers the league can make II impos-
| sible for any publisher to refuse Its
members access to its hooks. which is
equivalent TO saying that no publisher
who makes even a pretence OF honesty
or statemen ts In the future
Tho work OF tho legal bureau has
become OF ever increasing import ancc
Besides tho reported thrty-two cases
innumerable smaller matters have been
considered by our legal advisers or by
the secretary. Much effective work has
been accomplished In warning members
OF the exact significance OF proposed
contracts, In advising them OF the status
OF their rights under existing contracts.
In advising a. to tho best course TO
pursue In tho settlement Of differences
between themselves and publishers.
AT present a number OF important
cases stand In urgent need OF attention.
Particularly noteworthy Is a series Of
five or six claims against a publisher
who has succeeded in extorting consid-
cradle sums OF money from the purses
OF unfortunate authors who have fallen
into his clutches
Several important copyright matters
in which the league has taken action
have arisen during the past year. The
first and perhaps the most important is
the question Of ownership OF motion pic
ture rights. Tho extraordinarily rapid
development OF the photo play caused a
great deal Of confusion In regard to the
ownership OF rights, and as there was
no recognized legal precedent authors
experienced and In fact still DO expert
epce "A considerable amount OF difficulty
in gaining control OF the picture rights
in some of their work.
THE situation WAS somewhat relieved
by the addition to the copyright law IN
1912 OF a section providing for the regis
tration OF photo plays and motion pic
lures other than photo plays After the
legislative recognition of motion pic
lures as distinct class OF copyrightable
material the courts ruled that s,ibse-
ouent to tho amendment picture right s
are separable from dramatic rights but
before the passage OF the amendment