Page:The copyright act, 1911, annotated.djvu/10

vi # The passing of the copyright by reason of the work having been executed on commission is confined to the cases of engravings, photographs and portraits.
 * 1) The self-governing dominions are given a free hand in copyright matters. Each dominion may adopt or reject the Imperial Act as it pleases. Similarly, each dominion may adhere to the Revised Convention or to the original Berne Convention, or it may decline to adhere to either, and so place itself in the position of a non-union country.

Taking it as a whole, the Copyright Act, 1911, is a valuable measure in the interests of literature and art. It may be said that the Government has made too many concessions, both to the socialistic demands of the members of the Labour Party, who believe that there should be no copyright, and to the demands of the makers of mechanical instruments, who appealed to the Government to save a great industry from possible bankruptcy. It was obvious, however, after the first few days in Committee, that it had become a question of passing the Bill with these concessions or abandoning it altogether. The Government were right in choosing the former course. They have carried an Act from which authors as a class will get much better protection for their work than they have hitherto enjoyed. The Act will undoubtedly simplify the law, and although there may be an increase of copyright litigation for the next few years, this will not continue after a few doubtful points have been cleared up and laymen begin to understand the salient features of the new law. The self-governing colonies have at last got their desire in the matter of copyright autonomy, and there is good reason to believe that it will not be exercised so as in any way to prejudice the market for English books either in Canada or the United States. That all this has been accomplished where so many before them have failed is due very largely to the courageous statesmanship of Mr. Sydney Buxton and Sir John Simon, to both of whom all authors must for ever owe a deep debt of gratitude for (the splendid work which they have done.

E. J. MACGILLIVRAY