Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
52
ONE OF THE POPULAR BALLADS
SEEKING NEWCWYRIGHT LAW
'It's Never Too Late to Be Sorry" One of the
Features of Stasny Catalog
Authors' and Composers' Association of Canada
Carry on Campaign for a Copyright Act That
Will Afford Protection in Mechanical Repro-
duction—Measure Has Long Been Needed
In the advertising campaign inaugurated re-
cently by the A. J. Stasny Music Co. in which
they are featuring four songs, they have included
the ballad "It's Never Too Late to Be Sorry."
The efforts of the music publishers of the
United States covering a period of several years
to bring about changes in the Canadian copy-
right laws, calculated to give protection to the
publishers of this country in the matter of me-
chanical reproduction, will in future apparent-
ly have the support of the Canadian authors and
composers. That the Canadians have taken an
active interest in the demand for a new and more
comprehensive copyright law for the Dominion
is indicated in the following article which ap-
peared in the Toronto Globe recently:
"A movement has been started by a number
of lyric writers and composers, who have or-
ganized the Authors' and Composers' Associa-
tion of Canada, to secure the passage of a new
Copyright Act. This is the result of the new
mechanical means of disseminating ideas, which
have been invented since the present laws are
framed—namely, the phonograph and the mov-
ing picture. The authors and composers whose
ideas are appropriated without compensation
present a good case for protection.
"It may not be generally known that there
are two separate and distinct copyright laws in
force in the Dominion. First, there is the Im-
perial copyright law under the acts of 1842 and
1846, by virtue of which copyright is acquired
by publication anywhere in the British Empire,
and in aid of which the assistance of our Cana-
Title Page of Stasny Ballad
dian courts can be invoked. Secondly, there' is
This song while several months old is still hav- a copyright law of a local character under the
ing a large sale, and the publishers expect it to Dominion Act of 1875 as amended, which con-
go well over the million mark. Herewith is fers copyright in Canada only, and in order to
shown a reproduction of the title page of the obtain this printing and publication must take
number, which is among the best title page place in Canada, and entry must be made at the
works which have been issued this season. It Department of Agriculture.
The only prac-
lends itself readily to both window and counter tical advantage which the local copyright pos-
display and the dealers seem to immediately sesses over the Imperial is that it enables the
sense its value for such purposes because it has proprietor to invoke the aid of the customs au-
been featured prominently by a large number of thorities to stop the importation of piratical re-
music stores.
prints in the customs house. This assistance
is not granted by the Canadian customs author-
"Forever Is a Long, Long Time" is being fea- ities to the proprietor of Imperial copyright,
tured at the Strand Theatre this week by Red- who is left to seek his remedy through the
ferne Hollingshead, the well-known Canadian courts. Canada as part of the British Domin-
tenor. This is one of the successes from the ions was bound by the Berne convention of 1887,
catalog of Artmusic, Inc.
but when this was revised and enlarged by the
Berlin convention of 1908 it was arranged that
the Imperial Government should not ratify it
on behalf of a self-governing Dominion until
the assent of the latter was obtained. The Brit-
ish Parliament then passed the British Copy-
right Act of 1911, but this does not apply to
Canada. Hon. Sydney Fisher introduced into
the House of Commons that year a bill to em-
body the provisions of the British Act of 1911,
hut owing to the change of Government it was
'THERE'S AN ANGEL MISSING FROM
never passed.
HEAVEN"
"KEEP YOUR FACE TO THE SUNSHINE"
" O N THE SIDEWALKS OF BERLIN"
'WHEN AUNT DINAH'S DAUGHTER HANNAH
BANGS ON THAT PIANO "
"YOU CAN HAVE IT, I DON'T WANT IT"
" 0 KIDDO"
"WILL THE ANGELS GUARD MY DADDY
OVER THERE ? "
"OLD GLORY GOES MARCHING ON"
"THERE'S A LITTLE BLUE STAR IN THE
WINDOW"
'I'M HITTING THE TRAIL TO NORMANDY"
1
WHEN THE KAISER DOES THE GOOSE STEP
To a Good Old American Rag"
"WAY DOWN IN MACON, GEORGIA
I'll be Makin' Georgia Mine"
"MOONLIGHT BLUES WALTZ"
"HAWAIIAN MOONLIGHT VALSE"
"LET'S KEEP THE GLOW IN OLD GLORY "
" L E T THE CHIMES OF NORMANDY BE
OUR WEDDING BELLS "
"SWEET HAWAIIAN MOONLIGHT "
Tell H«r of My Love
"Our copyright laws are therefore very much
out of date. The author of a Canadian book
cannot prevent moving picture companies from
reproducing his ideas without payment of roy-
alty. Phonograph companies and player roll
manufacturers are reproducing songs by Cana-
dian writers without the payment of any roy-
alty whatever, whereas the American Act of
1909 calls for the payment of 2 cents per record
or roll to the owner of the copyright, and the
"Back in My
Mother's
Loving Care"
Song by O. J. THARP
A hit when you hear it
O. J. THARP
Kamptville, 111.
Dealers' price 7c
J. H. STAUFFER
Mansfield, Ohio
MARCH 8, 1919
British Act of 1911 the payment of 5 per cent.
oi : the retail price.
Moreover, the United
States music publishers are now refusing to con-
sider a song by a Canadian writer on account
of the fact that they cannot collect any mechan-
ical royalties under their Copyright Act, be-
cause Canada, of course, has no such provision
in her act. It happens that most of the patri-
otic songs popular during the war were written
by Canadians, and they do not altogether sub-
scribe to the belief of a very wise man 'that
if a man were permitted to make all the ballads
he need not care who should make the laws of
a nation.' The association feels that the Gov-
ernment at the coming session should adopt the
British Copyright Act of 1911 in order to pre-
vent the abuses under which they suffer and to
counteract conditions which tend to drive Cana-
dian authors and composers to the United States,
where they can secure protection for their
work."
DENNINGTON WITH ATLANTA CO.
Prof. T. W. Dennington, one of the oldest and
best-known singing teachers in the South, has
joined the staff of the Atlanta Music Printing
Co. He will compile a series of books on the
rudiments of music and aids to the study of
the art at home.
Among the books published by the above com-
pany is a Sunday School song book entitled
"Joy Bells 2," which the company is giving pub-
licity.
"HAVE A SMILE" A BIG SELLER
"Have a Smile" (For Everyone You Meet and
They Will Have a Smile for You) is probably
the biggest selling number in the catalog of M.
Witmark & Sons at the present time. This
number made itself probably as quick as any
popular song in recent seasons, and it is under-
stood it has passed the three-quarter of a million
point in sales. The lyrics are by J. Keirn
Brennan and Paul Cunningham, and the music
is by Bert Rule.
OPEN NEW PROFESSIONAL ROOMS
T. B. Harms & Francis, Day & Hunter have
opened up professional offices on the sixth floor
of the Exchange Building, 145 West Forty-fifth
street. Harold Dillon, who was recently ap-
pointed professional manager, will be in charge,
and it is understood they will immediately fea-
ture "Arabian Nights," which has been quite
popular as an instrumental selection.
"Poor Little Heart Broken Doll" is the name
of a new song by Harry Pease, Ed. G. Nelson
and Fred Mayo, which the Meyer Cohen Music
Co. is placing on the market.
Artmusic Gems
Forever Is A Long,
Long Time"
Oh! You Don't Know
What You're Missin'"
Waters of Venice"
(Instrumental)
"Floating Down the
Sleepy Lagoon"
(Song version "Waters of Venice")
ARTMUSIC, Inc.
145 West 45th St.
NEW YORK