"Mark Twain" on Copyright.

Manawatu Herald, 31 May 1900, Page 3

" Mark Twain " on Copyright.

- ■■ ♦ "Mark Twain" (Mr Samuel L. Clements) was recently examined before the House of Lords on the Copyright Bill. He recommended the removal of the 42 years limit, and a return to perpetual copyright. He contended that there was no distinction between an author's rights and any other kind of property. He, humourously, argued that it was immoral to treat an author's property differently from any other. The State ought never to lower the standard of morality in this way •'•except after prayerful consideration of the possible results," and "after full persuasion that the money gained would be worth more than the morals." He said he would grant perpetuity on condition that a book was kept in print and a cheap tdition published. He had never known anyone in the United States to object to the perpetual theory when he came to consider how small an affair it is, and that it is useless to rob a man unless you can rob him largely. In the United States, .his own books were taxed as " gas works." He thought one-eighth of the original price would be a fair price for the cheap issue, which should be published 30 years after the author's death.