Page:Copyright, Its History And Its Law (1912).djvu/180

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148
COPYRIGHT

despite the ad interim registration. When an American-made edition with notice of copyright can be published in America simultaneously with its publication abroad, ad interim protection is of course rendered unnecessary; and such simultaneous publication is the simplest and best practice for publishers to adopt.

Omission of
copyright
notice
It may also be emphasized here that the notice of copyright can be omitted only from foreign-made copies and must be included in the American-made edition. The American publisher desiring to reprint a book published abroad in the English language within sixty days after publication, without consent of the copyright proprietor, must therefore assure himself, by inquiry from the Copyright Office, whether the work has been registered ad interim. The printing of an American copyright notice on the foreign edition in anticipation of the publication of an American-made edition and the deposit of copies thereof within the statutory requirements is a questionable practice, as a failure to publish American-made copies in the United States, because of defective publishing arrangements or a printers' or binders' strike, would make such notice a false notice of copyright. The copyright term in the case of such foreign work in the English language dates, it would seem, from the date of publication abroad rather than from the date of publication of the American-made edition ; but this would be of importance only toward the expiration of the original term and in connection with the renewal term.

Books only
ad interim
Ad interim protection seems to be confined exclusively to a book as such, and therefore does not apply to articles in periodicals.

It should be noted that an American author publishing his work abroad is not benefited by either of these provisions respecting foreign works. The pro