A COPYRIGHT CASE

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1571, 29 September 1905, Page 1

A COPYRIGHT CASE

Several months ego a firm of printers Johnson and Cci.. were muloted in £IOO damages by the stipebdiftcy magistrate at Wellington for having printed for one Donoven a raoe book, whioh, in its contents, was adjudged. to be matter pirated from the ofSoial raoe book issued by the Wellington Racing Clnb in connection with its January meeting. An appeal against this deoision was made to the Chief Justice and Mr Justice Cooper, who some weeks ago heard argument. ,On Friday afternoon' Mr Jußtico Cooper read the judgment of the Chief Justice, whioh set out that the magistrate had' properly found that the unauthorised book contained information that was got from the official-book, but inasmuch as there was : not sufficient proof that the authorised book was published (in the legal sense) before the unauthorised one appeared, the protection of copyright did not apply, and, further, that the book did not sufficiently resemble the authorised book to be misleading to the observant public. Therefore, His Honor was of opinion that the appeal must be allowed. Mr Justice Cooper’s judgment was that it couldnot be said that the appellants had at any time published or offered the books for sale. They were merely printers, and Donovan was the publisher.