Paige v. Banks

APPEAL from a decree of the Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York; the case being thus:

Congress by a copyright law of 31st May, 1790, enacted that the author and authors of any book or books, 'and his or their executors, administrators, or assigns,' should have the sole right and liberty of printing, reprinting, publishing, and vending such book or books for the term of fourteen years. And if, at the expiration of the said term the said author or authors should be alive, that the same exclusive right should be continued to him or them, 'his or their executors, administrators, or assigns, for the further term of fourteen years.'

With this law in force as governing the subject of copyrights, the late Mr. Alonzo Paige, of New York, reporter of its Court of Chancery, entered, on the 7th of October, 1828, into an agreement with Gould & Banks, law publishers of that State, thus:

'That the said Alonzo during the term of five years from the 28th of April last, shall and will furnish the said Gound & Banks, in manuscript, the reports of the said court for publication, and that the said Gould & Banks shall have the copyright of said reports to them and their heirs and assigns forever.

'And the said Gould & Banks agree to and with the said Alonzo, that they will publish said reports in royal octavo volumes of between 600 and 700 pages, on paper and type suitable for such a work; that they will deliver to the said Alonzo twelve copies free of expense; that they will sell said reports to the members of the bar of New York at a sum not exceeding $6 per volume, bound in calf, for each volume they shall so sell within one year next subsequent to the publication of such volume.

'And the said Gould & Banks agree to pay to the said Alonzo $1000 per volume for every volume they shall publish, and at the same rate for less than a volume, within six months after the publication of each volume.

'It is understood that the said Alonzo is to read and correct the proof-sheets of said reports as the same are furnished him.'

Mr. Paige did accordingly furnish to Gould & Banks the manuscript of the volume known as 1st Paige's Chancery Reports; and on the 5th of January, 1830, Gould & Banks took out the copyright therefor in their own names.

On the 3d of February, 1831, that is to say, about two years and a half after the date of the agreement between the parties, Congress amended the copyright law, enlarging the rights of copy. The new statute enacted:

'That whenever a copyright shall have been heretofore obtained by an author. . . of any book, &c., if such author. . . be living at the passage of this act, then such author. . . shall continue to have the same exclusive right to his book,. . . with the benefit of each and all the provisions of this act for the security thereof, for such additional period of time as will, together with the time which shall have elapsed from the first entry of said copyright, make up the term of twenty-eight years.

'That if at the expiration of the aforesaid term of years, such author. . . be still living, and a citizen. . . of the United States, or resident therein, or being dead, shall have left a widow, or child, or children, either or all then living, the same exclusive right shall be continued to such author;. . . or if dead, then to such widow and child or children for the further term of fourteen years.'

The twenty-eight years of right given by the act of 1790, expired on the 5th of January, 1858. Gould & Banks conceiving themselves to be entitled to renewal under the act of 1831, on the 3d of October, 1857, went through the usual process to secure a copyright for the extended term. Mr. Paige, on the 3d of January, 1858, conceiving that the extension enured to his benefit, did the same, and on the 13th following informed Gould & Banks that he had thus renewed his copyright, and calling their attention to the fact, that by this renewal 'all right on their part to print, publish, or vend volume first of his reports had ceased,' and calling on them 'henceforth to refrain from printing, publishing, or vending it.' To this Gould & Banks, referring to the contract of October 7th, 1828, reply:

'First. Your manuscripts were furnished to us for publication without limit as to time, and, therefore, whatever be your rights under the law of 1831, we have an unlimited license to publish and sell.

'In the second place, where the entire interest in the copyright has been assigned, we consider the provisions of the act of 1831 to have been intended to enure to the benefit of the assignee.'

They accordingly notify to Mr. Paige that they shall themselves take out all of the renewals of the copyright, 'and hold him liable for all damages consequent on any infringement of their rights.'

Things remained in this state till March 31st, 1868, when Mr. Paige died; and in about ten months afterwards, and after some correspondence with a view to amicable adjustment, his executors filed a bill for injunction against further printing and vending, and for an account of profits after January, 1858.

The court below (Blatchford, J.) dismissed the bill, and the executors of Mr. Paige appealed to this court.