Mr. Lincoln to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
London, June 17, 1891.
(Received June 25.)
No. 475.]
Sir; Referring to your circular instruction of May
8th inclosing copies of our new copyright act for communication to Her
Majesty’s Government, I have the honor to inclose herewith for your
information copies of my note transmitting the documents in question to the
foreign office, and of the reply thereto, which I have just received from
the Marquis of Salisbury.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in 475.]
Mr. Lincoln to Lord
Salisbury.
Legation of the United States,
London, May 27,
1891.
My Lord: I have the honor, in accordance with
instructions from my Government, to transmit herewith three copies of an
act of Congress approved March 31st, 1891, entitled “An act to amend
title sixty, chapter three, of the Revised Statutes of the United States
relating to copyrights.”
Your lordship will observe that the benefits of the Statute in question
are only extended to citizens of foreign countries after a proclamation
of the President of the United States shall have been issued under
conditions specified in section 13 of the act.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in 475.]
Lord Salisbury to
Mr. Lincoln.
Foreign
Office, June 16,
1891.
Sir: In reply to your note of the 27th ultimo,
in which you inform me that the benefit of the american copyright Act,
approved March 31st, 1891, are only extended to citizens of foreign
countries by proclamation of the President issued under the conditions
specified in section 13 of the act, I have now the honor to state to you
as follows:
Her Majesty’s Government are advised that under existing English law an
alien by first publication in any part of Her Majesty’s dominions can
obtain the benefit of English copyright, and that contemporaneous
publication in a foreign country does not prevent the author from
obtaining British copyright.
That residence in some part of Her Majesty’s dominions is not a necessary
condition to an alien obtaining copyright under the English copyright
law, and that Engish law permits to citizens of the United States of
America the benefit of copyright on substantially the same basis as to
British subjects.
I have, etc.,
