The tone and talent of this communication seemed to the publishers to
recommend their correspondent as himself well qualified to lead the way
in this most righteous enterprise, and the result was, the appearance
in the October number of the article "Maga in America," which has been
highly relished on both sides of the Atlantic. Of this article a proof
was despatched to Mr Jay, a solicitor of eminence in New York, who,
with the utmost promptitude, registered the copyright in his own name,
and, presenting himself to Messrs Scott, the reprinters, inquired if
they were about to publish the Magazine, as usual, that month, as he
thought it right to inform them that, by so doing, they would be placed
in a delicate position. On hearing an explanation, Messrs Scott were
considerably taken aback, and, although unwilling to acknowledge that
the game was up, they seemed to have a painful consciousness that such
was the case. The negotiation terminated in the meantime, in their
agreeing, after various letters, and not a little conversation, to
pay a sum as copyright, before they issued the October number, and a
like amount for each succeeding number, until a further arrangement
were made. It would have been very easy for the proprietors to have
brought the reprinters under heavy responsibilities, by giving them
no hint of their movements, and allowing the October number to be
published as usual, when Messrs Scott would have become liable to a
severe penalty for every copy sold. This was not done, as no blame is
attached personally to Messrs Scott, who have merely acted under a bad
system, in which any one publisher might think himself free to seize
all advantage which was open to all.
This movement has been most cordially welcomed by the American press,
and it will be a source of great pleasure and pride to the Messrs
Blackwood, if the step they have taken should in any degree, however
humble, assist in establishing, an international copyright, which
alone can effectually check a system of reprinting which is ruinous
to American authors, and only very moderately profitable to American
publishers, who are compelled, by the fear of rival reprints, to sell
at a price which leaves a narrow margin of profit, even with no expense
but paper and print. They are also in their turn afflicted with a host
of smaller weekly pirates, who select the best, or at least the most
attractive articles from all the periodicals, and serve them up in a
cheap form, not without seasoning sometimes of a very questionable
character both in taste and in morals.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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