THE ENGLISH COPYRIGHT COMMISSION. 173 



think that a couple of generations would probably be as much as in 

 practice is really needed ; but, if you ask me what I think is his ab- 

 stract right, I should certainly say that the man should have the prop- 

 erty in perpetuity, and be able to hand it down to his children like 

 any other property. 



Q. Then on what theory is our present copyright law framed, if 

 that is your opinion ? 



A.. I would rather decline to have to justify the existing copyright 

 law at all ; I am not concerned in doing so ; I think that it is not easily 

 justifiable. 



Q. That brings us to a practical question : how would you practi- 

 cally embody in legislation your idea of the principles of a just copy- 

 right law. 



A. That would really be a matter requiring very grave considera- 

 tion. 



Q. Let us take it in stages. First of all, at all events, you would 

 insist upon the absolute right of the author to a property in his book? 



A. Yes. 



Q. In perpetuity ? 



A. I do not insist upon perpetuity. 



Q. I mean simply for the moment, abstractedly ? 



A. For the present. 



Q. Then you would recognize that there might be reasons of public 

 policy why it should not be granted in perpetuity ? 



A. I would rather say that it is not worth while practically to at- 

 tempt to get a thing which it is hardly likely you will be able to get 

 under the present state of the public feeling. If we had to begin de 

 novo, I should certainly insist upon the perpetuity of the property, but 

 at present I think that it would be impracticable and hardly worth 

 while. 



Q. Still, going upon your principle that, abstractedly, the author 

 ought to have it in perpetuity, of course it would only be a reservation 

 on the ground of public policy, or something of that sort, which would 

 justify a limitation ? 



A. I think that there is another justification, namely, that it is not 

 worth while in real life to attempt to get things which it is impossible 

 to get. 



Q. We are really looking at the matter for the moment from differ- 

 ent standing-points : I am not asking you to consider it from the point 

 of view of an author who is willing to take what he can get ; I am ask- 

 ing you, if you will do so for the moment, to look at it simply from the 

 point of view of a statesman who is considering what ought to be the 

 principles of the law. First of all you lay down a very wide and gen- 

 eral principle, namely, that an author is entitled to the ideas which he 

 embodies in a book as much as any other person who owns property, 

 whether it is a table or an acre of land, is entitled to it ? 



