ber, 1894. If any libraries are not preserving and binding the Catalogue, it would be preferable that their stock should come to the Copyright Office to help to perfect and make up sets of this complete record of the national output of works of literature and art, sure to be desired by new libraries formed hereafter.

During the year the continuous and persistent demands mos- 14 for the copyright laws (Bulletin no. 14) and “Rules and Regulations for the Registration of Claims to Copyright” (Bulletin no. 15) required these two bulletins to be reprinted, with such bringing up to date as seemed necessary,

There has been active and continued interest in the judicial decisions construing the copyright act of March 4, 1900, sims and the previous compilations of such earlier decisions printed as addenda to my annual reports, and in the small Bulletin no. 17, have been followed by a more extended compilation by Mr. Richard C. DeWolf of the Copyright Office, printed in an octavo volume of 605 pages, as Bulletin no. 18, entitled: “Decisions of the United States Courts involving Copyright, 1914-1917." It includes, in addition to the decisions of the Federal courts from July 28, 1914, to July 2, 1917, a number of decisions of State courts and departmental decisions and opinions on the same subject or cognate subjects such as the law of literary property, the unfair use of titles, etc.-handed down between July 1, 1909 (when the copyright act went into effect), and June 30, 1916. For convenience, the table of cases has been made to include, with suitable references, all copyright cases previously printed in my annual reports and in Bulletin no. 17. The volume is sold by the Superintendent of Documents in cloth binding for 60 cents.

During the fiscal year the printing has been finally completed of the catalogue of the "Dramatic Compositions" Copyrighted in the United States, 1870 to 1916," which has been slowly coming from the Government Printing Office for several years. This work was under contemplation and was carefully planned for many years before it became possible to carry it out. The supervision of the final preparation of the catalogue was intrusted to Mr. Henry S. Parsons, chief of the Catalogue and Index Division of the Copyright Office, and he has devoted to the details of the work unre

Catalogue dramas 1870-1910

of

Subscription price, $4

Circular no. 57

mitting care and attention. The original title cards were prepared by the indexing and cataloguing force of his division, but the task of unifying the title entries, making sure of absolute accuracy, and the general editing of the printer's copy from A to Z has been the work of Mrs. Mary Wright Davis. Faithful and intelligent assistance in this task has been rendered by Dr. Woodbury Pulsifer and Mr. Earl M. Jeffrey, and the titles in foreign languages have been carefully revised by Dr. George C. Keidel, all members of the Copyright Office force.

The copyright act provides that the Register of Copyrights at stated intervals shall print complete and indexed catalogues for each class of copyright entries, and expressly provides that such consolidated catalogues and indexes shall be supplied "to all persons ordering them at such prices as may be determined to be reasonable" by the Superintendent of Public Documents. In accordance with this provision of law 1,000 copies of the catalogue of dramas is offered to subscribers at a price of $4 for the set of two volumes (3,547 pages) bound in cloth.

After copyright relations were established between Australia and the United States, the usual edition was printed of Information Circular no. 57, containing the Australian copyright order in council of March 15, 1918, and the President's copyright proclamation of April 3, 1918. 6 pp. 8°.

SUMMARY OF COPYRIGHT BUSINESS

Summary of Balance on hand July 1, 1917..

copyright business

$10, 375-33

Gross receipts July 1, 1917, to June 30, 1918... 109, 105. 87

Total fees earned and paid into Treasury during the 21

years from July 1, 1897, to June 30, 1918.. Total unfinished business for 21 years.

1, 866, 205.95

2,075.30

The greater part of the business of the Copyright Office is done by correspondence. The total letters and parcels received during the fiscal year numbered 132,073, while the letters, parcels, etc., dispatched numbered 134,720. Letters received transmitting remittances numbered 41,211, including money orders to the number of 26,955. During the last 21 fiscal years the money orders received number more than half a million (563,945).

CONDITION OF COPYRIGHT OFFICE WORK.

Correspondenc

rent work

On July 10, 1918, the remittances received up to the third Condition mail of the day had been recorded. The account books of the Bookkeeping Division were balanced for June, the financial statements were rendered to the Treasury Department, and all earned fees to June 30 had been paid into the Treasury.

Bill H. R. 5825: Government publi

cations

Bill S. 3983: Government docu

ments

Designs right

copy

acts in amendment thereof." The bill was referred to the Committee on Patents.

On August 24, 1917, "A bill regulating the issuance of copyrights, and so forth, to authors, writers, correspondents, and others who have gained certain information while in the employment of and under pay from the Government"1 was introduced in the House of Representatives by Hon. Tom D. McKeown and referred to the Committee on Patents. The text of this bill is printed on page 149 of this report. On February 28, 1918, Hon. Duncan U. Fletcher presented in the Senate 'A bill to protect Government documents by copyright, "2 which was referred to the Committee on Patents. This bill is reprinted in full on page 149 of this report.

My report of last year briefly summarized the bills then pending for the revision of the law of copyright in designs for articles of manufacture. No final action was taken on Bill H. R. 10028 these bills, but on February 19, 1918, a new bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Hon. Charles B. Smith entitled "A bill providing for the registration of designs," ,"3 which was referred to the Committee on Patents and ordered to be printed.

Trading with the enemy act

Following the declaration of war on Germany, Congress enacted “An act to define, regulate, and punish trading with the enemy, and for other purposes." It was approved on October 6, 1917. Section 10 of the act provides in part as follows:

SEC. 10. That nothing contained in this act shall be held to make unlawful any of the following acts:

(a) An enemy, or ally of enemy, may file and prosecute in the United States an application for letters patent, or for registration of trade-mark, print, label, or copyright, and may pay any fees therefor in accordance with and as required by the provisions of existing law and fees for attorneys or agents for filing and prosecuting such appli

1 1917 (Aug. 24). A bill regulating the issuance of copyrights, and so forth, to authors, writers, correspondents, and others who have gained certain information while in the employment of and under pay from the Government. Introduced by Mr. McKeown. H. R. bill 5825. 65th Cong., 1st sess. Printed, 1 p. 4°. [Referred to the Committee on Patents.]

2 1918 (Feb. 28). A bill to protect Government documents by copyright. Introduced by Mr. Fletcher. S. bill 3983, 65th Cong., 2d sess. Printed, 2 pp. 4°. [Referred to the Committee on Patents.]

3 1918 (Feb. 19). A bill providing for the registration of designs. Introduced by Mr. Charles B. Smith. H. R. bill 10028. 65th Cong., 2d sess. Printed, 22 pp. 4°. [Referred to the Committee on Patents.]

cations. Any such enemy, or ally of enemy, who is unable during war, or within six months thereafter, on account of conditions arising out of war, to file any such application, or to pay any official fee, or to take any action required by law within the period prescribed by law, may be granted an extension of nine months beyond the expiration of said period, provided the nation of which the said applicant is a citizen, subject, or corporation shall extend substantially similar privileges to citizens and corporations of the United States.

enemy copyright

The act contains detailed provisions for the grant of License to use licenses by the President for the use of patents, trademarks or copyrights owned by an enemy or ally of enemy and an Executive order was issued by the President, July 16, 1918, providing in part as follows:

1. The Alien Property Custodian shall have the power and authority. . . to grant by lease, license, or otherwise, the right to use or other rights under or in respect of patents, copyrights, trade-marks, trade secrets, and other similar rights.

II. International Copyright Relations.

On October 6, 1917, the President approved the “Act to define, regulate, and punish trading with the enemy.' Section 10 of this act provides that nothing in the act shall make it unlawful for an enemy or ally of enemy to file and prosecute in the United States an application for letters patent, or for the registration of a trade-mark, print, label, or copyright. It further provides that if such enemy or ally of enemy, on account of conditions arising out of the war, should be unable to take any action required by law during the war or within six months thereafter, he may be granted an extension of nine months, provided similar privileges are extended by enemy countries to citizens of the United States.

Copyright relations with

Ger

Copyright relations were established with Germany on April 15, 1892, with Austria on September 20, 1907, and many, Austria, with Hungary (by treaty) on October 16, 1912. Under and Hungary these treaty relations and the provisions of our copyright laws books by German, Austrian, or Hungarian authors are protected from the date of original publication of the work, provided, "promptly "after such publication, one copy of the work has been deposited in the Copyright Office, together with an application for registration. This copy

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