ENGLISH COPYRIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1521, 17 August 1912, Page 9

ENGLISH COPYRIGHT.

The English Copyright Act of 1911 camo into force on July 1 last, and henceforth authors, artists, writers, and musicians, who have had to see "Entered at Stationers' Hall" on their works in order to feel secure will obtain their copyright automatically. Henceforward, without registration, tho English author enjoys the copyright of his work during life and for 50 years after, with certain exceptions, irrespective of the date, or fact of - publication.'" The provisions of the Act.have been' extended to the Crown colonies, but until.they are adopted by the . self-governing Dominions copyright protection for colonial authors will still nave to be sought in this country. During 1911 5968 books and 10,1-13 paintings, drawings, and photographs were entered at Stationers'' Hall. • Tho first Stationers' Hall was built in 1553 'in Milk Street, Cheapside, but in, 1611 the Stationers' Company purchased a ducal. mansion on the site of the present hall, which stands in Ave Maria Lane. This was destroyed by tho Great Fire in 1660, in which the booksellers of London are said to have lost .£200,000 : worth of books. Tho fraternity of stationers of London is first mentioned in the ininute-books of the Corporation of London in, 1403, but as 1357 the Corporation Exempted from service on inquisitions of the Sheriffs' Court all "writers of Court hand and text letters, the-limners, and barbers." Prom the writers and limners grew tho Company of Stationers, incorporated by Royal charter in ' 1537. Printers were required to 6erve their time to a member of the company, and all publications had to be "entered" .nt .Stationers' Hall. The works of Shakespeare were all "entered at Stationers'' Hall," and there appear in the registers notices of "a book called 'Hamlett,'" tho "Taming of tho Shrew," "Romeo and Juliet," "Love's Labor's Lost," and other of the immortal plays. . ' x r Sir Philip Sidney's "Arcadia was entered in 1588. Here is an entry on a wellknown book in the Warden's accounts for 1560-61:- •. .< . "Received of Owyn Rogers for his lycense for the pryntinge .' of ' Pers Plowman, xijd." In 1564-5 there occurs the earliest entry made by authority of the Arohbishop of Canterbury:~ "Received of Thomas Marshe for bis lycense for pryntinge of a breaffo cronenaclo made by John Stowe, authorised by-my lord of Canterbury, vjd." Nor is a certain work registered in 1569 unknown to fame. In that year the records contain this significant item:— "Received of 'Master Daye for his . lycense for the pryntinge of a boke : intituled Ewclide, iiis. liijd." This is the first know.n translation of Euclid into English. The law, wjiich came into force on July 1, repealed wholly ox in part 21 previous copyriglit statutes, thus practically consolidating the wholo law. From the common law protection hitherto accorded copyright is now a monopoly created by statute, conferring upon the author of any. literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic work, and practically without the observance on his part of any legal formality, tho sole right to produce or reproduce his work or any part of it, in any material form whatever and in any language. This includes the right to make any contrivance for the production of sound or pictures, such as a "record" perforated roll,kinematograph film: - - ' ■'■ In future an author .who fears that a novel of his may bo dramatised will have no need to organise what has been known as a copyright performance.