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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
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A. J. NICKLIN,
GEO. B. KELLER,
AUGUST J. TIMPE,
BOSTON OFFICE:
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B. BRITTAIN WILSON,
WM. B. WHITB.
E
CHICAGO OFFICE:
- p - V A M HARLINOEN, 37 South Wabash Ave.
Telephone. Main 6950
P BILADELPHIA:
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Telephone^Centt.l 414.
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Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenne, New York
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SCCtlmt
k*^x*uvmia
A n
> m P ort « n t feature of thia publication is a complete sec
tion devoted to the interests of music publishers and dealers.
PljlVt>r II fill
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
l lajci auu
t l o n s o f a technical nature relating to the tuning,
T t w h n i P l l l IW>nai*f n i D n t c regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
1 C U I l l l i m w p a i IIUCUIS. a r e d f l a l t ^ ^ wl fi b e f o u n d i n a n o t h e r section of this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable teonnical works, Information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prim
Paris Exposition, 1000
Silver Medal. Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma.. Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal... St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Oold Medal
Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS 4«77 a n d 4678 GRAMERCY
Connecting a l l Department*.
Cable a d d r e s s : " ElblU. N e w York."
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NEW YORK. SEPTEMBER 16, l t l l
EDITORIAL
A
BOUT the best news of the week is the announcement that
80,000 mill operatives have resumed work in New England.
That ought to help out trade in the East; and, New England has
been dull for a long time past. Then, we should not overlook the
fact that the steel corporation reports a heavy increase in unfilled
orders. The great copper producers have sold their metal weeks
ahead, and the American Railway Association notes a heavy decrease
in the number of idle cars.
Bank clearings throughout the country indicate a marked in-
crease. The staple crops will fully equal if not exceed the five-year
average.
Then according to the mercantile reports business troubles
show a decrease. Money is cheap and plentiful. That certainly
makes a very pretty picture to look at and there is something sub-
stantial about it—reassuring—because it encourages business plans.
Of course we may say that prices have gone down in Wall
Street; but Wall Street no longer dominates, and a look at the mer-
cantile and industrial worlds must convince the careful observer that
Wall Street's troubles reflect conditions abroad rather than at home.
The war scare between Germany, France and England is de-
pressing conditions abroad very materially and the money markets
in Germany particularly are in a very uncertain state and business
conditions are becoming uncertain; but in this country there is
nothing to alarm investors or to cause merchants the slightest worry.
Our reports during the past ten days show clearly that piano
men are beginning to realize that there are good opportunities ahead
for the fall, and the orders arc coming in in a substantial manner,
REVIEW
S
OME of our friends have sent in a number of queries concern-
ing copyrights and the general impression seems to be that a
name or title can be easily copyrighted. This is not so.
Copyright attaches to the thing itself—a drama or book, for
example. The title of a copyrightable work is recorded merely for
the purpose of identification. The copyright laws contain no pro-
vision under which protection can be obtained upon a more name
or title.
Entry cannot, therefore, be made in the Copyright Office for
coined names—names of articles of manufacture—names of prod-
ucts, etc., stage names or names of theatrical combinations—profes-
sional or business names—names of companies or corporations.
Names for series or for libraries cannot be registered for the purpose
of securing the exclusive right to names.
While these conditions may seem hard yet the records would
seem to show that the law of unfair competition provides safety
when it can be shown that copyrighted names are being used to de-
fraud or mislead the public. But one must usually resort to the law
to protect copyright works when men desire to appropriate them.
A case in point: Some time ago we put forth a book entitled
"The Player-Pianist." The name was coined by us. We adver-
tised it extensively and the book is acquiring a steadily increased
sale among the dealers.
After we thoroughly established the name along comes a party
imbued with high and ambitious motives who puts forth a publica-
tion under precisely the same title and endeavors to cater to the
users of player-pianos.
It is unnecessary for us to emphasize the unprofessional atti-
tude of the individual who deliberately performs such an act, but
the copyright law provides us no protection. We must proceed
under the law of unfair competition.
It would seem as if this were a weak point, too, in the law, be-
cause it encourages all kinds of piracy, and the man who has worked
up a name and reputation for a particular product is forced to de-
fend it in an expensive manner else his work of years will be les-
sened in value by reason of the appropriation of his name by others.
In the book world there has been scores of instances where
there has been the most flagrant piracy indulged in. Names have
been stolen indiscriminately and the reading public misled and de-
frauded.
Publishers and authors have been put to great expense in de-
fending themselves against the encroachment of conscienceless
pirates but, the copyright law affords no name protection.
OW to get up momentum for the fall business, after the re-
laxation of the summer, is a problem that confronts nearly
every concern about this time of the year. It is often hard to keep
the summer spirit from lapping over into the early fall, which is
the very time when things ought to be getting wound up for serious
business activity. In this connection Printer's Ink tells of a certain
concern that found a tendency among its men to come back from
their vacations and sit around on the tops of the desks and swap
stories, and carry the summer relaxation over into the fall. The
manager came upon a group of high-salaried men taking it rather
easy in one of the offices about eleven o'clock one morning early in
September. He said nothing, but went back to his office and dic-
tated the following bulletin, which he sent around to be signed by
all the principal men in the organization:
H
Now that the vacation season is over it is important that we all get settled
down to work as promptly as possible. -The early fall is the time that we
must prepare many of the plans that are to govern our work through the
heaviest months of the year. During the summer, when tilings are slack,
it is customary to take on a spirit of relaxation, and without our knowing
it this enters into everything we do. Last year we noticed a tendency to
let this spirit extend into the fall, and it was not until after the first of
October that this organization got its real gait of doing things with a vim.
End of utilizing time and opportunity to the utmost. We feel sure that all
will admit that this is not as it should be, and that we should now put aside
the summer holiday spirit and get right down to serious business. We have
a great year before us, and there are so many opportunities to take advan-
tage of that we now ask every member of this organization to consider Sep-
tember 4 as the formal end of the summer season, and September 5 as the
real beginning of our active fall work. Let every one come down to work
Tuesday morning with the full determination to get the fall momentum
well under way before noon.
The effect was magical. The whole organization seemed to
respond as one man, and within a few days there was enough fall
momentum to satisfy the most strenuous of dynamic managers.