Page:Copyright, Its History And Its Law (1912).djvu/419

 BRITISH EMPIRE 387

United States and with preferential relations toward Great Britain in view. Americans can scarcely criti- cize, however, the logical application in Canada of legislation on this side of the border. Copyright is to "subsist in every original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work the author of which was at the date of making the work a bona fide resident in Canada," not first published outside Canada (simultaneous publication being defined as within fourteen days), conditioned on registry before publi- cation, and the manufacture of every copy within Canada. One registration of a periodical is to protect all future issues. Copyright it is proposed to define broadly, as in the new English bill, including the right "if the work is unpublished, to publish the work," thus bringing unpublished works within the statute law and probably excepting them from com- mon law protection ; and protection against mechani- cal music reproduction is also to be included. The term is to be for the life of the author and fifty years thereafter, with the new British proviso as to works of joint authorship, that the term is to be for the life of the author who dies first and fifty years thereafter, or the life of the author who dies last, whichever period is the longer. Assignment of copyright must be in accordance with the acts, and be registered. Importa- tion of copies made out of the British dominions is prohibited. In case of a license for a Canadian edition of a book, copies printed elsewhere may be prohibited importation, except two copies for library use. Copy- right may also be extended to foreign citizens under arrangements made by the governor in Council. British subjects resident elsewhere than in Canada may be brought under the act by Order in Council. The Imperial and Canadian copyright laws, appar- ently a complexity of complexities, are construed with