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132 TECHNIQUE OF THE PHOTOPLAY they know perfectly well that it is not copyrighted, thereby ren- dering themselves liable to punishment. It is one of the kinks of the law that if you announced that your story was copyrighted and then went into court with a suit it would be thrown out under copyright law because it was not copyrighted and thrown out under common law because you said that it had been. In any case all copyright means to you is that you can sue under a definite enactment instead of common law. Unlike the Patent Office, the Copyright Office does not guar- antee against the registration of an infringing claim. Two or more persons may register the same book, but since there can be but one legal registration, if you can prove that you are the original author the rights lie with you, only you must go to court and submit to the usual delays and adjournments if you would prove your case. CHAPTER XXIII. CENSORSHIP OF FILMS National Board of Censorship—Police Censorships—what is forbidden, and why—when crime is permissible. At present most American-made pictures as well as those made abroad and released on regular dates are submitted to the Na- tional Board of Censorship, which is in no sense an official body, being composed of delegates from the various civic societies form- ing The People's Institute, of New York City. The Board derives its sole power from the manufacturers whose films are thus submitted. There is absolutely nothing to prevent the dis- tribution and exhibition of a film not passed by the Board save the common sense reason that experience has shown that a pic- ture so disapproved will be stopped by the police in many cities, not so much because it has not been passed by the Censors as because it is unsuitable for display in theaters so largely fre- quented by young people. The Board was brought into being at the request of the ex- hibitors of New York City and has been maintained, largely through the contributions of the manufacturers because it has been found that the Board renders valuable service in checking ultra sensationalism that eventually must react against the maker of such films.