Treloar Copyright Bill
Encyclopedia
The Treloar Copyright Bill was a revision of the United States
copyright
laws introduced February 13, 1896, in the first session
of the 54th United States Congress
as House of Representatives
(H.R.) Bill No. 5976 by Missouri
9th District Representative William M. Treloar
. The bill was then extensively revised, and was later reintroduced as H.R. 8211.
The bill incorporated two other pending bills (which were ultimately passed on their own) to create a register of copyrights
(called a "commissioner" in the Treloar Bill), and to expand protections for public performance of copyrighted works, including music
, for the first time. The bill would have also extended the term of copyright by 22 years, from 24 years and a 14 year extension (38 years) to 40 years and a 20 year extension (60 years). The law would have extended the manufacturing clause
of the 1891 International Copyright Act
to include most items excluded in 1891, including music, maps
, etc.
The bill was extensively criticized in the press, especially for extending the manufacturing clause, and was strongly opposed by copyright leagues formed by authors and publishers. It never made it out of the House of Representatives' Committee on Patents.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
laws introduced February 13, 1896, in the first session
Session
-Bureaucracy:*Executive session, a portion of the United States Senate's daily session*Legislative session*Session *Session , a governing body in Presbyterian polity*Court of Session, the supreme civil court of Scotland...
of the 54th United States Congress
54th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :...
as House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
(H.R.) Bill No. 5976 by Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
9th District Representative William M. Treloar
William M. Treloar
William Mitchellson Treloar was an American music professor, composer, music publisher, and U.S. Representative from Missouri....
. The bill was then extensively revised, and was later reintroduced as H.R. 8211.
The bill incorporated two other pending bills (which were ultimately passed on their own) to create a register of copyrights
Register of Copyrights
The Register of Copyrights is the director of the United States Copyright Office within the Library of Congress, as provided by . The Office has been headed by a Register since 1897...
(called a "commissioner" in the Treloar Bill), and to expand protections for public performance of copyrighted works, including music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, for the first time. The bill would have also extended the term of copyright by 22 years, from 24 years and a 14 year extension (38 years) to 40 years and a 20 year extension (60 years). The law would have extended the manufacturing clause
Manufacturing clause
The Manufacturing clause is a clause specifically stating that all copies of a work must be printed or otherwise produced domestically, even if the copyright was held by a foreigner. This was a feature of the International Copyright Act of 1891, covering books, maps, photographs, and lithographs...
of the 1891 International Copyright Act
International Copyright Act
- Purpose of the Act :The International Copyright Act of 1891 is the first U.S. congressional act that extended limited protection to foreign copyright holders from select nations....
to include most items excluded in 1891, including music, maps
MAPS
Maps is the plural of map, a visual representation of an area.As an acronym, MAPS may refer to:* Mail Abuse Prevention System, an organisation that provides anti-spam support...
, etc.
The bill was extensively criticized in the press, especially for extending the manufacturing clause, and was strongly opposed by copyright leagues formed by authors and publishers. It never made it out of the House of Representatives' Committee on Patents.