THE COPYRIGHT BILL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1144, 3 June 1911, Page 5

THE COPYRIGHT BILL.

■ A NEW PROVISION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyricht London, Juno 1. ,At the instance of Sir John Simon, Solicitor-General, tho Grand Committee of tho House of Commons embodied in the Copyright Bill a new principle by which copyright reveits to authors' representatives, twenty-five years after the death of the authors. PROVISIONS OF THE BILL. The text-of the-new Copyright Bill, introduced into tho House of Commons by Mr. Sydney Buxton, was issued in April. A Bill on the same subject was introduced last session to-' provide a basis for discussion. The representations made.nin the .interval to ;tho President. :of the Board* of Trade''have brought about various changes, either as modifications or extensions.

The Bill not only sets forth amendments based on the proposals of the Copyright Convention of 1908, but codifies the common law on copyright and the existing statutes, numbering about twenty. Copyright under this amended law would be as a general rule the life of the au- ' thor and- fifty years after. Photographs, gramophone records, and perforated music rolls are to have copyTight, the term being for fifty years from the making of tho negative or plate. Foreign authors may acquire copyright by making first publication within his Majesty's dominions. But there is an intesting retaliation clause. They may be deprived of that copyright after Order in Council if the country to which they belong refuses adequate protection to British authors. ; Imprisonment is now introduced—up to two months, with or without hard labour, for second and third offences—as an alternative to a fine (which is the punishment for a first offence in dealing with, piracy), and there is a clause in this part" of the Bill giving authors protection against performances of any copyright (fork from pirated copies.