Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Montgomery was here yesterday; I think he will be here a little later. I think it might be helpful, if you will permit me to suggest, Mr. Chairman, as pertinent (it goes beyond your question, but is relevant in connection with it), as to whether such importation is, according to the register's information of foreign legislation, customary abroad--such privilege of importation of an unauthorized foreign edition of a book printed in the foreign country under domestic law there? Mr. CURRIER. My purpose in seeking this information is to establish the fact, if it be a fact, where you provide that the importation must be an authorized edition, whether that is a change in law or not, a change in practice, whether it is an additional restriction. That is what I was trying to get at. I have asked a number of times whether subdivision E, at the top of page 16, "To any book published abroad with the authorization of the author or copyright proprietor," etc., changes existing law and is an additional restriction upon importation; that is all. Mr. SOLBERG. You see, the question is difficult of answering categorically, Mr. Chairman, because it is a question of the interpretation of a complex statute. Senator SMOOT. From the present interpretation of the law there is not any doubt in the world, then, but what this is a restriction? Mr. SOLBERG. I should say that this act attempts to make clear that all fraudulent copies are barred. Senator SMOOT. That is a restriction, then? Mr. SOLBERG. As a protection of the copyright. (The following communication from the register of copyrights is printed in connection with his above remarks by direction of the chairman:) LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, COPYRIGHT OFFICE, _Washington, D.C., June 15, 1906_. DEAR SIR: I ask to be allowed to file for the printed report of the hearing on the copyright bill the following, in addition to my answers to the questions you asked me on Friday, June 8, in relation to the importation of copies of unauthorized editions of American books: 1. It is fundamental to the protection of copyright that all unauthorized reprints of copyrighted books shall be prohibited importation into the country of origin. It is therefore provided in all foreign copyright legislation that such unauthorized copies shall be prohibited importation. Such copies are treated as fraudulent copies, and I know of no provisions in any foreign legislation which permit importation of unauthorized copies either by individuals, educational or other institutions, or libraries. In the copyright legislation of the United States prior to 1891, the provisions prohibiting importation dealt only with unauthorized copies and these were prohibited importation, except with the direct consent in writing of the author or copyright proprietor.