Draft Report on Copyright. 
 
DRAFT REPORT ON COPYRIGHT. 
 
 riiu Cuuiuiittii- to whicli «its iffi'M-fd the sulijrct 'il' C'opyi'ijflit, willi instructions to ii'piivl to h 
 geiicTiil iiiei'i'tinir of till- ]ii'rs()ns intcrestcil in t'oniiiiiL; i < 'iiii.iiliiin S<H'ii'lj' of Atitlioi-s. hcitu ifiivcto 
 rt-jxii'l ns follows .— 
 
 Your I 'oiiiMiiltii' Im.s ciirefully considiTcd the various stops i«l<i'ii h\ the ( iovcnnncnt of tlir old 
 Frn\ iiicrs of (.'aniuld, iis will n.s liy tlir Doniiniun Oov^rniMrnt with iv»iii ct to the piissiijjo of n ^^'opy- 
 ri<;lit Act. wliidi would mci't thv \ iuws of the linpcrnii (lo\ rninu'nt, and ;it the siinii' liiiic lie 
 iirci plnlili- to uutliors ,ind ]iulilislioi-s in (laimdii l'"rorn the uicnioranduni submitted liy tln' dcpiirl- 
 niiMilHl rrprisi'Mtiitiv.'s of the Colonial Otiici', diilcil 2(ith May, 1-Sit"2, it is ex iili'nt thui ihe Kon-iiiu 
 Uipiiiils Act wii.s not siitisfiictory to the puMishers t)f (Jro.il Uritain A persuid of tin- ilcspattlii's 
 which passiMJ lictwccn Sir John 'I'honip.son and the Colonial OHice, with re<,'rtrd to the JJill of \HH\), 
 aUi) shews that a license for a republication of a Itritish Co|)yrijjlit on the payment of a 10 |iercent. 
 royalty was reyfarded as inaile<|uate and unsatisfactory Hence the ref'isal of IK-r Majesty's a.ssent 
 t<i Sir Anhu Tii'^npHon's Hill. It is ni>t within tln' province of the Cai.adian S(H"'ety ol' Authors to 
 proffer any opinion oti the constitutional questions involri'd in the contlictin;; clituns of jurisdiction 
 Iwtwe'.n tlie brilisli uid Dominioh Parliauients on th<' suhjiwt of copyrit;ht legislation. But we may 
 be. |x>nnTtt(Hl Uj urf^.'iliitt as the aim of iKith L »p tiiitu>1ii nt>ke is t he <;oo<l of fler Majesty's sulijrcts and 
 t'w* tnujn^a -Hit. «rf j«wt J*(f!sU^«f«" tj^' khjit "lid. it siH'ius I'WsihI.' to attain this practical ivsult without 
 e'Mii|M«<Hiimii<e; the poHttioii of cither (iovurnmmit upon the abstract (piestion of jurisdiction. The 
 sitbstance of the legislation boiiiK aj^ri'ced uixni. its enactmenl hy cither Lejiislature, or in identical terms 
 by both, will dispense witli tfe jfiouml for controversy on this subject. 
 
 If it is to III a.ssiinied Unit Lord IbischeH's Hill fur coiisolidatillf^ the t 'oiiyrifjht Acts of Oreat 
 Britain represents llie policy of the lloiin' (tpvwniiienl with ii'f{ard to (Jopyriiiht, it becomes evident 
 that such a solution of the Canailian tJof^pijAlP^ohlem mu.st be looked for as will not antaf{onii!e the 
 principle of that Bill The ipiestion that confronts your CiMumittee, therefore, is: Ciui the Imperial 
 poliev ill this respect be maintained and at the same time Colonial authors and publishers be 
 piTiniltid to enjoy a reasonable preference in their own markets > 
 
 Vour t'ommittei' is of the opinion that iKith an- possible. Vour Cominitli'o, theretoie. does not 
 rwominetid any aineiidiiKMit to l^ird lierschell's Bill wdiich would exclude any Britisii Copyright from 
 the Catmdian market, except with the consent aiel a|)proval of the author or thf holder of the 
 copyright. By virtue of thc> right of |tronerty wdiich an author has in his works, he can .sell his 
 copyright to. any publisher in any part of the Kmpire. and conversely any publisher shoidd have the 
 right of purchase aiul ail thi^ privileges wh.ch this right iinplie.s. But as the law now stands, the sale 
 to a pufilishi-r in the Unit.ed Kingdom carries with it the right of entry to the Canadian market, uot- 
 witlistaiiding any coutrat't entered into between the .iutlioi- and the Canadian publisher Your 
 committee considers this unjust to the (,'anadian author and publiHhur. and would therefore 
 respectfully submit, that where an author enti-rs into an arrangement with a (^'anadian publisher foi' 
 till- copyright and sale of his works in (lanada the (.'anadian Copyright shotild carry v ith it the 
 exclusive control of the Canadian market, except as to individual copies of the work which might lje 
 imported for the use of Public Kree Jjibraries I'niversilies or other .schools ol learning. The 
 
atl villi tii;,'r Ui till' author in this ciiw woulil l* by im imiins iiK-diisidcral)!!-. Your comiiiitti't' is of 
 thf ijpiiiioii thiit th(; Canadian jnihlishiT hy his tviuiwlt'dgt- of (hi' imiiket nini l)y his fuciliticH t'oi 
 pliioinj; works lii'forc thi- puUic would lie at)U' to dispose of a much liirijcr (ilitioii of such authors' 
 works liiHii «n\i)d ever ri?ach thi' puoplu of Canada under tin' pn'Si'iit Britisli I 'opyiif^ht arrantfc- 
 nienls, and \ciur CoiniuittiT Ihifcfore, has no hesilation in .sayiny tlittt thr iiiiii'iidnii*iits herein- 
 after su{;i;ested woidd (greatly lieiutit lK>tli thc' author puhlishinj; in (ireat Britain, and the Canadian 
 pnhlie. 
 
 Your coniniittei- would, liowever, fail in its duty to Canadian louhors and pulilishers if it did not 
 also i-niphasize the Canadian view of tlie eiuse. Many < 'anadian lUllhor^ (nefer puhlishin;; tliejr works 
 in London rather tliuii in < anada imisniucli as this jrives them a larf;e market at tin- outset. The 
 consiM|iieia'e of this is tliat they are little known ti' the ('anadian pul)lie, as the Urilish ]Hil)lisher lias 
 little intiTesl in what he rcf^ards as oiu' eoniparatively limited nnirkii. If the reciMnmendation of 
 viair Comndttee is adopted, the tlanadian author who publishes in LoihIoii, ecnild also arranfje with 
 a Canadian )iuhlislii-r for a Canadian eijuion of his works, and in this w;iy --eenre, in additinn to the 
 British market, tin- full ad vantiire of the Caiiiidian market. 'I'lie hi'ie-lit t" the author under the.se 
 circiunstauces. is .-,0 apparent ,ms to render all further eineidalion uinicM-eNsary. 
 
 A similar lieuelit would acernc to tin' Can.idi.-m pnhlisher. ']'<' him ihc' miirkrl id' his own enuntry 
 is of the lirst imporliin<-e lamited as it is, eomjiared with the market of (oeal Hritain, it iie\ ertheU»s 
 aflords a reasoiiahle sidpe for enterprise imd as le- cainiol hope to win a foothold in any other, he 
 n)i"ht reasonalily l»- expeeti>il to haM' a stroiiir elaim up(Mi th«' vmiv market fairly op.Mi t<i him. It is 
 also to he remi'mtiered. if he is suecessful, dial he share's his prosperity, in i'\ery instance, with the 
 author Indeed, it is well kunwn that many authors owe mueh of thi'ir siu;eo,ss to the euterpri.se and 
 juili.'inent of their pidilishers 
 
 It is the opinion of \ om- C'ommiltee, therefore, that Uird Hi'rseh.ll's Uiil woulU cwuthjee l»rx"li' to 
 tf,.- U.imtit .f Canadian authors and publisher-, and the public ■,'eneri»llj , if aineiiiM hjrn*W»l^ * 
 clause to the followiui; etfeet which inisht appear a,s n subsection t<i seetit'U 'V) of the Hill : — 
 
 ((1 1 I'luvidi'd. also, that untwithstandiitjj nnythiui; in this Act it shall lie lawful. foK Uut LNtp^tMtni'u 
 in aii\ British colony or jiossossion to pass an Act or (iidinance providiiifr that if and when there be 
 reiristi'iecl at the otlice fm' tlie re^fislry of eopyri^dits in literary and artistic works ke[>t under the 
 authority of thc t loverioni-nt of such British eolony nr possessioiL a reprint of any literary or artistic 
 work first publishe'l in any other pai't of He; iMajesty's Dominions or simultaneously published in 
 xome other part of Hei Majesty's Doininioiis. and in the said British colony or possession, with a 
 C'ltiticati' that thi' owner of the copyright Under tins Act in such work s,inctious such reprint, then 
 and thcniifter nn eop\ of the said work so copyrijrhte<l un<h'j' this Act shall br imported int>.i such 
 British colony or possession save and except copii.'s of such work spicially imi)oited for tile Immi t'uh 
 visi' of Public Kree Lilnaries and University and Collef;v bil.raries ami Law Libiaries of ,iny duly 
 oriraiiized Law .^sstK'iation or Society for the u-i' of its members, such copies so imported, howexii-, 
 not to e.\ci'ed more than two for each of such i,ibraries. 
 
 2 That a cop\ of this report be transmitted to the Minister of .Instice, with an ur;_'eiil reipiest 
 thai a despatch bused ttiereon Iw sent to the Colonial SecretAry 
 
 ;H. That a deputation be appointed to confer witli the Cantwiian ( 'opyriglit A.sHociation with a view 
 tn their acliiit! in concert with this Society to obtain the ailoption of the above ameiidiuelit, 
 
 ■«, That rt t^oimuittee In appointed to represent the vieWK of this Sm'iety before tln' .Members of 
 the Dominion Government it deiMuei I desirable 
 
 .'). Tliat your Coiuniittee be authorized to Coiuuiuuicute with the British and th' American Asso' 
 cislions of Authors, to secure, if ptssible,' their co-operation in advancing the recoiinuendations of your 
 i.\)ioiuitt«e.