Down at the Copyright Office

 

“Many American writers did not bother to file for copyright protection, and even titles from people like Edgar Allan Poe and Benjamin Franklin have so far not been found. But Samuel L. Clemens did. He was regularly victimized by book piracy and was a fierce proponent of copyright protection

 

“In 1875, he sent in the title page for ‘Tom Sawyer’ with a subtitle — ‘a tale of a bygone time’ — that was later discarded.

“The next year he sent in a handwritten copyright application for a play, ‘Ah Sin,’ he was co-writing with fellow author Bret Harte.

 

“‘PS: Please find $1 enclosed,’ Clemens added. Registration fees varied over the years.” 

 

—Michael E. Ruane, reporter, “Cascade of title pages, and one squashed fly, help mark 150 years of the U.S. Copyright Office,” The Washington Post, Oct. 2, 2020. Image: U.S. Copyright Office around 1900. The Copyright Act of 1790 predated the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. First things first.

  

• Editorial Comment: Bygone, indeed.

 

 

PeezPIX

 

Fleet at Rest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard