ments of copyrights. The proposed amendment is intended to accomplish what the Committee on Patents manifestly intended to accomplish by the language in section 28. It will simplify the work of the Department of Justice in its enforcement of the copyright laws.

The House act further amends section 30 of the Copyright Act of March 4, 1909, prohibiting the importation of "any piratical copies of any work copyrighted in the United States," to prohibit the importation of "any infringing copies, matter or material of any work copyrighted in the United States."

The House report says:

The practical importance of section 30 is to authorize the officers of the customhouse to retain possession of works alleged to be infringing until the rights of the parties can be determined. It has been held, however, that the language of the section, "piratical copies," includes only textual reproductions and does not include infringing matter or material or the original in any form other than that of a textual reproduction. This construction, of which the committee make no criticism, makes section 30 ineffectual to protect the rights of the parties in a large proportion of the cases that arise. It is the opinion of the committee that the protection afforded by section 30 should be as large as the rights granted and the protection afforded by the remaining sections of the bill.

The bill (H. R. 8356) was passed by the House of Representatives on April 3, and on April 4 (legislative day, Mar. 301) it was read twice in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Patents. The full text of the House act is printed on pages 203-204, and House report No. 265, on pages 204-206 of this report.

R. 13981

The second copyright bill passed by the House (H. R. House Act H. 13981) was introduced by Hon. Woodson R. Oglesby on March 30,2 and was referred to the Committee on Patents. It proposes to amend section 12 of the Copyright Act of March 4, 1909, by adding a proviso permitting in the case of bulky, fragile, or dangerous articles, that in lieu of copies, identifying photographs or prints of such articles with writ

1 1916 (Mar. 30, calendar day, Apr. 4). An act to amend sections 28 and 30 of an act entitled "An act to amend and consolidate the acts respecting copyright," approved Mar. 4, 1909. In the Senate of the United States. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Patents. H. R. Act No. 8356. Printed, 2 pp. 4°.

2 1916 (Mar. 30). A bill to amend the copyright law. Presented by Mr. Oglesby. H. R. bill No. 13981. 64th Cong., 1st sess. Printed, 2 pp. 4°. [Referred to the Committee on Patents.]

ten or printed descriptions may be deposited. The bill also provides that deposit and registration made for motion pictures under the provisions of the act of August 24, 1912, shall be held to be sufficient. A public hearing on this bill was held before the Committee on Patents of the House on April 5, the stenographic report of which has been printed.1 report The bill was reported with verbal amendments on May 5,2 and was passed by the House on July 1. On July 3 (legislative day of June 30) it was read twice in the Senate by its title and referred to the Committee on Patents.3 House Report No. 640, which contains the text of the bill as reported, is printed in full on pages 207-208 of this report. In addition to the two bills favorably acted upon by the House, reported above, the following bills have been introduced during the fiscal year, and are still pending.

Copyright bills pending

H. R. bill 588

4

On December 6, 1915, Hon. William S. Bennet introduced a bill (H. R. 588) to amend section 15 of the Copyright Act of March 4, 1909, to except foreign periodicals from the requirement of American typesetting by inclusion in the clause in section 15 of the act, which excepts foreign books in foreign languages from typesetting within the limits of the United States. On January 7, 1916, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Patents, and a public hearing was held before that committee on April 26, the

1 Additional copyright identification-motion-picture photoplays. Hearing before the Committee on Patents, House of Representatives, 64th Cong., 1st sess., on a bill [H. R. 13981] relating to motion-picture photoplays, also providing for additional identification of works of copyright. April 5, 1916. 8 pp. 8°. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1916.

2 1916 (May 5). Copyright law. Mr. Oglesby, from the Committee on Patents, submitted the following Report (to accompany H. R. 13981). 64th Cong., 1st sess. H. R. Report No. 640. Printed, 2 pp. 8°.

1916 (May 5). A bill to amend the copyright law. referred to the House Calendar. H. R. bill No. 13981. 2 pp. 4°.

Reported with amendments, (Report No. 640). Printed,

3 1916 (June 30, calendar day July 3). An act to amend the copyright law. In the Senate of the United States. H. R. act No. 13981. 64th Cong., 1st sess. Printed, 2 pp. 4°. [Read twice and referred to the Committee on Patents.]

4 1915 (Dec. 6). A bill to amend section 15 of the act of Mar. 4, 1909, as amended by the acts of Aug. 24, 1912, and Mar. 28, 1914, in relation to periodicals. Presented by Mr. Bennet. H. R. bill No. 588. 64th Cong., 1st sess. Printed, 2 pp. 4°. [Referred to the Committee on Patents.]

5 1916 (Jan. 7). A bill to amend section 15 of the act of Mar. 4, 1909, as amended by the acts of Aug. 24, 1912, and Mar. 28, 1914, in relation to periodicals. The Committee on Printing discharged, and referred to the Committee on Patents. H. R. bill No. 588. 7th Cong., 1st sess. Printed, 2 pp. 4°.

It was ordered to be printed and was referred to the Committee on Patents. The same bill was presented in the Senate by Hon. Boies Penrose on December 17, 1915 (S. 2740), and referred to the Committee on the Library.3 On March 24, 1916, on motion of Hon. Francis G. Newlands the bill was transferred to the Senate Committee on Patents. The bill proposes to add to the schedule of copyright works in section 5 of the Copyright Act of March 4, 1909, class "(n) scenarios," and adds, in agreement therewith, the words "or scenario," in the proper places in sections 12 and 25, and a proviso in section 9, to the effect "that any person entitled thereto under the provisions of this act may secure a copyright for a scenario by typewriting the same with notice of copyright required by this act." It also amends section 11, to require the deposit “if the work be a scenario, of two typewritten copies of the title and description, with cast of scenes, without prints or other identifying reproductions thereof." No action on this bill has been reported.

On January 5, 1916, Hon. Andrew J. Barchfeld introduced a bill (H. R. 7624)* to amend section 62 of the copyright act of 1909, by adding at the end the words:

And the term "public performance for profit' shall include any public performance in any place of business operated for gain, though no

1 Amendment of copyright laws. Hearing before the Committee on Patents, House of Representatives, 64th Cong., 1st sess. A bill [H. R. 588] to amend the copyright laws relating to printing of periodicals. Apr. 26, 1916. 20 pp. 8°. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1916.

2 1915 (Dec. 10). A bill to amend sections 5, 9, 11, 12, and 25 of an act entitled "An act to amend and consolidate the acts respecting copyright," approved Mar. 4, 1909, and as amended Aug. 24, 1912. Presented by Mr. Randall. H. R. bill No. 3630. 64th Cong., 1st sess. Printed, 8 pp. 4°. [Referred to the Committee on Patents.]

3 1915 (Dec. 17). A bill to amend sections 5, 9, 11, 12, and 25 of an act entitled "An act to amend and consolidate the acts respecting copyright," approved Mar. 4, 1909, and as amended Aug. 24, 1912. Presented by Mr. Penrose. S. bill No. 2740. 64th Cong., 1st sess. Printed, 8 pp. 4°. [Referred to the Committee on Library.]

4 1916 (Jan. 5). A bill to amend section 62 of the act entitled "An act to amend and consolidate the acts respecting copyright," approved Mar. 4, 1909. Presented by Mr. Barchfeld. H. R. bill No. 7624. 64th Cong., 1st sess. Printed, 2 pp. 4°. [Referred to the Committee on Patents.]

Books transferred to other libraries

Scandinavian

books

Return of deposits to copyright. claimants

Request for copies

rejected) were promptly sent to the Periodical Division, and 1,193 magazines and periodicals, including weekly newspapers, out of the 1,589 different journals received, were also transferred to that division; while the copies received in the case of 396 of the least important publications registered under the designation "periodical," have been returned during the year to the copyright claimants.

The act of March 4, 1909 (sec. 59), provides for the transfer to other "governmental libraries" in the District of Columbia "for use therein" of such copyright deposits as are not required by the Library of Congress, and during the present fiscal year 5,452 books were selected by the librarians and thus transferred to the libraries of the following: Departments (Agriculture, Commerce, Navy, and Treasury); Bureaus (Education, Fisheries, Mines, Standards); Engineer School, Federal Trade Commission, Hygienic Laboratory, Internal Revenue Office, Pension Office, Soldiers' Home, Surgeon General's Office, and the Public Library of the District of Columbia.

A special collection consisting of 635 works by Scandina-. vian authors (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish) were transferred for use in the Public Library of the District. They were all duplicate copies.

In

Under the provisions of the act of March 4, 1909, authority is granted also for the return to the claimants of copyright of such copyright deposits as are not required by the Library or Copyright Office. The notice required by section 60 has been printed for all classes of works deposited and registered during the years January 1, 1900, to June 30, 1909. response to special requests, 13 dramatic or musical compositions and 9,917 motion-picture films have been returned to the copyright claimants, and of the current deposits not needed by the Library of Congress the following have also been so returned: 12,177 "books" (pamphlets, leaflets, etc.), 19 photographs, 13,753 prints, 8,642 periodicals, music (old) 14,735; a total of 59,256 pieces. The total number of articles thus transferred during the year or returned to the copyright claimants amounts to more than one hundred and seventy thousand pieces (177,089).

In response to inquiries during the year from the Card Section, the Order Division, and the Reading Room in re

gard to 639 books supposed to have been copyrighted but not found in the Library, it was discovered that 94 of these works were actually in the Library, 90 of the books had been deposited and were still in the Copyright Office, 94 works were either not published, did not claim copyright, or for other reasons could not be deposited, and in the case of 191 works no answers to our letters of inquiry had been received up to June 30, 1916. Copies were received of 170 works in all in response to requests made by the Copyright Office during the period of 12 months for works published during recent years.

THE COPYRIGHT INDEX AND CATALOGUE, BULLETINS, AND

CIRCULARS

The copyright registrations are indexed upon cards. The Index cards cards made are first used as copy for the printed catalogue and after printing are added to the permanent card indexes of the copyright entries. The temporary cards made for the indexes to the printed catalogue (numbering 83,351 during the fiscal year) have been eliminated, and the remaining cards (105,591 for the fiscal year) were added to the permanent card indexes, now numbering over 2,930,000 cards. By revision and condensation 520 cards were canceled and withdrawn from the indexes during the year. The printing of the catalogue of dramas copyrighted from 1870 to 1915 will permit the elimination of more than 130,000 cards and to that extent relieve the pressure for space in the index.

Copyright Entries

The Catalogue of Copyright Entries has been continued, Catalogue of as required by law, by the publication of five volumes for the calendar year 1915, containing a total of 7,320 pages of text and indexes.

Each part of the catalogue is sold separately at a nominal Subscription annual subscription rate within the maximum price estab-price of catalogue lished by law, as follows:

Part 1, Groups 1 and 2, Books and Pamphlets, etc.

$1.00

The price of the entire catalogue is $3 for the year. The subscriptions, by express provisions of the copyright act, are required to be paid to the Superintendent of Docu