Year: 1879




this difficulty by an extension of the pooling
system to eastward freight from all important
competitive points at the West But the sue
cess of this effort. however earnestly it may
be made, is by no means certain.


COPYRIGHT SEEN THROUGH ENGLISH EYES


A London publisher offers in the CORE
spondence columns of the leading English
journal certain structures upon the Harpers
plan for the establishment of international
copyright. He welcomes the suggestion that
a joint commission be appointed to consider
the subject and to report to the two Govern
ments, but rejects in advance the basis pro-
posed for international action. The scheme
outlined by the American publishing house
confers upon an author in one country copy
right in the other, provided the book
be manufactured by a subject or cit
izen thereof That Is to say, the
authors right to his literary property is to be
recognized and protected in each country,
but the control of both markets is not to pass
INTO the hands of single house. The London
publishers most serious objection to the
plan is that the saddle provided for the
author who is seeking for copyright abroad
would slip of, what he asks, is to pre-
event an English publisher from starting a
branch in New-YOrk for the sale of his works
"under the superintendent of partner who
should be a bona fde American citizen, and
"who knows the American market; or
"why should not MIR. Harper issue his works
from London through the agency Of an
"English partner7" The objection has little
force The new tubs would stand Oh their
own bottoms. The branch house would soon
learn how to serve the public to which its
books were offered and TO adapt its business
to American habits ard ideas If the books
are published here they will be made to
suit the public that needs them. Instead of
becoming q dead letter. this clause of the
copyright treaty would be i'll accord with the
conditions and tendencies of American life.


| This London critic comedies that in most
cases it would be advantageous that books
should be made in the country where they
are to be sold, inasmuch as the cost of car
riage and the duties would increase the price.
But he contends that in some cases, such as
valuable classes of books for which the de-
mand Is limited 1t would be more convenient
to avoid the cost of setting up the type
twice or of taking stereotype plates, and to
ship an edition from one country to another.
In this way the demand for hgh-prced
books, which now have a narrow cir
culaton would be doubled, and the
natural effect of international copyright
upon the English trade would be to
lower the prices of books. The logic of the
London publisher is 80 shallow that the jour
nal in which his letter appears bluntiy re-
minds him that the American public will
"hardly patent him and his brethren as its
"sole purveyOIs Of English literature unless
"they commence by Offering their own cOun-
"trymen an instalment of their munificent
"promlses of reform" OF course not The
English publishers prefer to sell an expensive
and unsuitable edition by hundreds rather
than a cheaper form by thousands. The
costly editions como first and the cheaper
ones long after. For the sake of cheapen-
| ing few works of limited circulation, this
English book maker would increase the cost
! in America of the bulk of foreign publica-
| tions If George Eliot writes new novel. he
would either force American readers to take
| an edition in three or four volumes OF subject
them to the inconvenience OF waiting a long
time for q cheaper issue. Our middle classes
must have cheap books, and they want them be-
| fore they are stale. They are unwilling TO pay
81 30 instead of 81 so; or So instead of 81.


The London publishers conclusion is that
the only restriction upon international copy
| right that is essential is that books manu-
| factured IN one country shall not be exported
to the other without the sanction Of the copy
right owner. If he speaks for the English
book trade. negotiations for international
copyright are likely to prove as mavailing in
! the future as they have been in the past.
Americans will not consent to give English
publishers the monopoly of manufacturing
books for market which Is very different
| from their own. and the requirements of which
| they do not understand. Let the author, poor
or rich, have his rights and his earnings, but
let the books be made, the editions shaped
and the prices regulated for the reading pub
| lie Oh each side by those who know from ex.