Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-27
PRESS CONFERENCE
HITS NEWS PIRACY
Resolutions Providing for
Protection Unanimously
Adopted at Geneva.

BY the Associated Press.
GENEVA, August 27.-Protection
of news against piracy was the basic
idea of resolutions unanimously adopt
ed yesterday at the international
press conference. The resolutions
were adopted after two days of vigor.
Gus debate.
The doctrine that news is property
and must be protected. already OBJ
served among American news agencies
and newspapers, becomes. by virtue
of the resolutions, a universal con-
cept which will be placed before the
council Of the League Of Nations in
order that the league may influence
governments 10 reach an official in
ternational agreement that news is 4
commodity which results from labor
and enterprise and financial eXpendi-
ture and should receive complete pro-
lection
The question involved in the reso-
lutions was introduced by Kent
Cooper, general manager of the AS
ISOLATED Press. and was advocated
unanimously by American delegates,
including Karl Bickel of the United
Press, Moses Koenigsberg of the In
ternational News Service, Frederick
L. Birchall, acting managing editor
OF the New York Times, and Robert
+. Scripps of the Scripps- Howard
newspapers.
Protection of News.
One resolution treats Of the pro.
lectlon or unpublished and the other
or published news
The first resolution saws: with re.
gard to unpublished news the confer.
nt-{, To-,
a fundamental principle that the pub.
LEGATION Of n piece of news is legitimate
IN all cases where the news in ones.
ton has reached the person who pub
fishes it by regular and unobiection.
able means. and not by an act of un.
fair competition. Nobody can acquire
the right of suppressing news of pub
lie interest.
The conference is of the opinion
that full protection should be granted
TO unpublished news or news in the
course Of transmission for publication
In those countries in which such pro.
lection does not already exist. No in
formation destined for publication by
the press or through broadcasting
shall be legally received by an un.
authorized person for publication or
used in any way for the purpose of
distribution through the press,
through broadca sting or in any SINH.
lar manner.
Access Equal to All.
There shall be no preferential
right in official news issued by gov.
eminent or a government department
or by an official representing a gov
eminent or government department.
All such news may be published with
out restriction in full or in part. Every
newspaper agency, press bureau and
correspondent shall have equality Of
access to and transmission of such
news"
One resolution said, in part: 'In
view of widely differing conditions OBJ
tanning in various countries, the con-
ference Is Of the opinion that the ques-
ton of protection of published news,
whether published in press or broad
cast, is one for decision of the govern
ments concerned, and. recommends
that any government to whom applica-
ton in this respect is made by it's
press should sympathetically consider
the ACCESSIBILITY of granting suitable
protection.
Such protection should. however,
permit reproduction of news within a
specified period, subject to acknowl-
edgment and payment.
Entitled to Reward.
This conference affirms the prin-
ciple that newspapers. news agencies
and other news organizations are en-
titled after publication as well as be.
fore publication to the rewards of their
labor, enterprise and financial expendi-
ture upon the production of news re-
ports, but holds that this principle
shall not be SO interpreted as to result
in the creation or encouragement of
any monopoly in news.
I'm order to realize these principles
it is desirable that there should be
international agreement, and that The
council Of the League Of Nations
should by resolution request the va
rious governments to give immediate
consideration to the questions in
volved."