LORD,CHIEF JUSTICE ON COPYRIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 693, 18 December 1909, Page 9

LORD , CHIEF JUSTICE ON COPYRIGHT.

lr Tho Lori: Chief-, Justice,; who was entertained tho,.other-.night;at .tho :■ a.uth6rs ,: Club; said he was.told:he'Was;going;to' talk'about a ; subject .upon >which ■ nine-tenths ■; of his!;hearers knew more.-thahvhe.did.! -They :knew':it from the : guileless■,lawyer, 'as,one who-'had■'endeavoured from, the outside- in days ; gbne by -to .present or ;-views -of.' the law according';to 'the 'side : on''which' he found -him- ' self-engaged, : ;' f JFor;.nine,,pr. ] tDn,jears," he con- ! timied, ..'ii.nave. abandoned^the claiming' and , lucrativo amusement,' the; cheapest :--form of amusement--I >.haver : ever : i : kno.wn : ,4and':'have'-'en- 1 ideayourou .to administer -indifferent -justice." (laughter;.)..-His father,'■ ae'j.saidjvwas--ond 'of those: :who.first wrote' in "support ofVthe duty of protecting intellectual'aid'other- v discoyeries. ; (Hear,-; heary) i. .He >had ■ great:deal .to ;do, with' .:thO'.Act:of'lß42, and. it ;Wa!s'> which :,they :dear,' that. We shquldrprotect in the ;best-!ppssibleiwaj"Men's brains, - so that thcy.shouldiget'theifiili .benefit of their;work; Wo:,were^a^,avvery,.-jnteresting-stago.:of. ; .tho question. v'fHearßhear.);:;.The;Berne 'Conyention received,the .'.support-- of many -civilised- nae .tions. :,: That :(was; an improvement Act : of : 1896;'and-;he.iWas;pleased- to say'that, 'an at-'- : tempt; had- beent made' to-extend 'it: by- the cori- > cress which' jnet - recently ', at Berlin.: He hoped ho wouldilivp itofsee civilised nations recognise . He regretted; that .the ■■United" States ;pf.. America should 'not have '■ approachedv-this subject from a more ■;■ cosmopolitan .s standpoint, ■-: and ■■ should , - not be willing'tp-.make-more-advancestowards' our ! policy; and.'abandra'what'he , mustvcall the : - insular t policy:',which- ; they :had '.adopted. 7 ; The restrictions .prevailing:"at -present ; in : America were great After referring to ;the tirnev limits.' which^ -'M\ trusted," .would.sopn-be'increasedfor-.tho beheflt-of tho- . authors he appealed;f 01 uniformity,": - and hoped that, in future a Copyright work .would-be- inoro : . ■■ generally: ; recognisca: : .in:rall-'cpuntries if' registeredfin :any'couhtry"pf: t.he.TJnion.:(AT)plause.) A-.question -had arisen. since the- Copyright Acts : wore',brought.out'■ and;>yhich'•■ was ;a■ hardship "■upon :-musiciaiis—that;\vas-the-production of , music, by. mechanical mkns.'-He referred to the. ; roll and:so forth.;:i(Cheers : ;)'>Tn .conclusion;: he. 6aid;"tho:,whole.' subject, of copyright ; .was. one •which; might-be, approa'chedfrom many points of view, but he trusted that thb discussion that had taken place at Berlin-andibefore decommission over which Lord GoreUpreside'd would' tend'-to Our'rccbmition'vof: the, rights of the - author and would induce "other nations to be'como parties .to'..the/iunibnV,: He desired the .'fullest.-recognition.' of :the.'rights' .'of the."author, ..but atftthe -saiae. : ,tirae':the :fullest. enjoyment .of their.works by .the.p'ublic;' '(Applause. , ).. ■■-'..