Moving Picture World (Mar-Dec 1907)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. 291 Published Every Saturday. The World Photographic Publishing Company, New York. Alfred H. Saunders, Editor. WHO IS PIRATING FILMS? Apropos our last week’s editorial on the above subject, we are gratified with the comments we have received and feel constrained to refer again to the subject, owing to its importance. We were conversing with an English manufacturer, who commented upon the copyright laws of the United States and their uselessness in protecting the manufacturer. His contention is that, take 1,000 feet of film having 16,000 pictures, each must be copyrighted at a cost of 50 cents each ; total, $8,000. Who pays this ? No one! What is done? The negative and title is copyrighted, at a cost of 50 cents for a citizen of the United States and $1.00 for a non-citizen. And at this copyright the film pirate laughs, and pirates, well knowing that to get a conviction or injunction the law-costs will be more than the film is worth. Is this the law? Our informant J. P. Chalmers, Associate Editor and Business Manager. Vol. 1., JULY 13th. No. 19. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: Two dollars a year in advance. Postage free to all subscribers in the United States, Canada, Mexico Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Phillipine Islands. FOREIGN SUBSCRIPTIONS: Three dollars per year, in advance, postpaid. TO PREVENT loss or delay of mail, all communications should be addressed to P. O. Box 450, New York City. ADVERTISING RATES: Whole Page . . ; $50.00 Half Page Quarter Page 12.50 Single Column (next reading matter) . 20.00 One-Eighth Page .... 6.25 One-Sixteenth Page 3.25 One-Thirty-second Page 2.00 MISCELLANEOUS ADVERTISEMENTS will be accepted at the following rates: SALE OR EXCHANGE, Private, per line 10c.; minimum, 50c. per issue. Dealers or Manufacturers, 15c. per line; minimum, fl.00 per issue. HELP WANTED: 10c. a line; minimum, 25c. EMPLOYMENT WANTED : (Operators only) No Charge. TO ADVERTISERS : The MOVING PICTURE WORLD goes to press Thursday morning of each week. No advertisements can be inserted and no changes can be made in standing ads unless the copy reaches us by 10 A. M., Thursday. Please remit by express money order, check, P. O: order or registered letter. All cash enclosed with letter is at the risk of sender. EUROPEAN AGENTS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS COMPANY Breams Building, Chancery Lane, London, E. C. spoke with force, and practical experience ot the subject. What can be done to stop the pirate or faker? A trenchant letter from a valued correspondent touches the point, and we have pleasure in quoting him : “Touching again on your editorial regarding pirates, I want to say to the legitimate manufacturer in general that they could easily stop the pirates, if, instead of antagonizing each other, they would fraternize and help one another; this could be accomplished, with possibly one or two exceptions. “They know full well who the pirate is and who the fakers are, and if they would refuse to sell their films to these, and place restrictions on those who do buy them, it might not drive the pirate out altogether, but it would make him hustle for a living. “One foreign firm of manufacturers^ when they first engaged in business in this country, stipulated that those who bought their goods were not to deliver them to those who duped or copied films, and they positively refused to sell direct to any such dealers. Their attention has been called to the matter on numerous occasions, and evidence has been offered, but silently rejected, because they see nothing before them at the present time but the almighty $. “Keep up your good work. . . . With the stand you have taken, your paper is bound to succeed. . . . It is, doubtless, a factor in the trade at the present time, and the mere mention of a faker’s name may be the means of inducing some innocent person to invest in what must prove disastrous to him as an exhibitor.” Comment on these extracts is superfluous, and he who runs may read. But is it not a fact that unanimity of purpose exists in the ranks of the manufacturers, each is ready to belittle his fellow? Jealousy of another’s success is engendered, and if it is possible to give a slur