The Act also gives to the libraries of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Trinity College, Dublin, and the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, a right to a copy of every book published, but claim has to be made, and that within twelve months. Moreover, the publishers are not bound to send editions de luxe, but only ordinary copies.
The tenderness shown to provincial publishers in allowing them to deliver within three months seems a little misplaced, now that communication is everywhere so easy and rapid.
As regards the British Museum, the Act was but languidly enforced until 1850, when Mr. (afterwards Sir Anthony) Panizzi began a series of raids on recalcitrant publishers, with a severity which none of his successors have found necessary to imitate. His practice was, when a book issued by a certain publisher had not been supplied within the statutory period, to notify him of the bare fact, and leave him to find out for himself the details of his own offence. These drastic methods produced within three years an increase of fifty per cent, in the number of books sent in.
The suaver methods of the present day appear, however, to be effective enough, judging by the results set forth in the last annual blue-book of "British Museum Returns."
Books, ₰c., received under the Copyright Act, during the Year 1895-96
12,618 volumes and pamphlets (under English copyright). 999 volumes and pamphlets (under Colonial copyright).
