Mr. CHANEY. Could you not obtain that information at the office of the Librarian? Mr. OGILVIE. In regard to that as arranged at present, just to illustrate the point, I will state that I printed a book in Chicago, an English book, apparently published in England, containing no notice of American copyright. I spent several thousand dollars in getting the book out, and have spent several thousand dollars since then in lawyers' fees. The point was this: The book was published under one title in the United States and under another title in Great Britain. It contained no notice of American copyright. In an excess of caution I communicated with the Librarian of Congress asking whether a copyright existed on that particular book, by title, in either the name of the English publisher or the name of an American publisher, whose name also happened to be on the title-page of the book; and I was informed that no copyright existed. I reproduced the book. Judge Kohlsaat, in the Federal circuit court of Chicago, decided that I was strictly within my rights. The circuit court of appeals reversed his decision and has refused a rehearing, and we must, consequently, take the matter to the Supreme Court. Now, I claim that under the law a man who does that is entitled to compensation. Mr. PUTNAM. Excuse me just a minute, Mr. Ogilvie; will you permit, Mr. Chairman, the register to say a word? The CHAIRMAN. Certainly. Mr. PUTNAM. It is simply in answer to Mr. Ogilvie's intimation that he answered his inquiry, and that his inquiry was whether a copyright existed upon that book. What was the answer that he got from the office of copyright? Mr. SOLBERG. The only purpose in making any remark on that point is that there shall not be a misunderstanding as to the nature of the replies to such inquiries. Any matter of fact on record in the copyright office is always at the disposal of any inquirer, but the copyright office is very careful not to undertake to state the termination of any copyright. It simply gives facts as to the registration of title or whether it has discovered any. In fact, it is very careful not to say even that there is no registration, but that the indices of the office and the records of the office after careful search do not disclose any. Mr. CHANEY. Mr. Ogilvie is substantially right in his statement, then. Mr. OGILVIE. And at this time I wish to publicly thank Mr. Solberg and Mr. Putnam for the uniform courtesy with which they reply to all inquiries that are addressed to their office. The gentleman is quite right. That was exactly the phraseology used in his reply. But that, I beg to submit, is the only source of information that publishers have; and when they get that sort of information they are justified in proceeding along lines indicated thereby.