A BILL TO AMEND SECTIONS 1 (E) AND 25 (E) OF THE
ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO AMEND AND CONSOLIDATE
THE ACTS RESPECTING COPYRIGHT," APPROVED

REPEAL OF PRICE-FIXING CLAUSE FOR MECHANICAL

REPRODUCTION

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON PATENTS,
Tuesday, April 3, 1928

The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. Albert H. Vestal (chairman) presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order.

We will take up H. R. 10655, I understand because of some conferences with interested parties another bill has been drawn but not introduced, and the folks that are interested desire to address themselves to the bill that is not formally introduced.

Mr. LANHAM. Mr. Chairman, are witnesses present representing both sides.

The CHAIRMAN. I think there is no one except one gentlemanMr. SMITH (interposing). I have three gentlemen with me. You understand that this new bill is not the result of this conference. We did not know anything about it until we got the bill yesterday.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Buck, if you will take charge of the testimony for those in favor of this measure or this principle, we will be glad to hear from you.

STATEMENT OF GENE BUCK, PRESIDENT AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHERS; MEMBER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AUTHORS' LEAGUE OF AMERICA; DIRECTOR AMERICAN DRAMATISTS

Mr. Buck. My name is Gene Buck. I am president of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, a member of the executive committee of the Authors' League of America, and a director of the American Dramatists.

Gentlemen, representing the authors and composers of this country, I respectfully urge and request that you afford us assistance and relieve the authors and composers of America of what we term the most radical innovation in the history of the copyright.

The authors and composers of this country suffer under a mechanical clause which we call the compulsory license clause in the act of 1909. To give you a brief résumé of how it came about, in 1905, one of the greatest Presidents this Nation ever had, with a sympathetic understanding and a knowledge of the modern trend of invention, Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, recommended to Congress and urged them to pass legislation to protect the authors and creative workers of America. As a consequence, the copyright office drafted a bill.

1