The C. law did not extend to Ireland till after the union with that country, when (1801) the whole United Kingdom was included by the act 41 Geo. HI. c. 107. to this time, many of the most salable of the British C. works were freely reprinted in Dublin, and occasionally found their way across the channel to the annoyance of English authors and publishers. The next act concerning copyrights was that of 54 Geo. III. c.
156, in 1814, by which the period of C., instead of being 14 years, and contingently for 14 years more, was fixed to he 28 years certain, and for the residue of an author's if he were living at the end of the 28 years.
The impetus given to literature during the early part of the present century, by the popular and voluminous writings of Scott, Byron, Moore, Wordsworth, and others, along with the growing taste for reading among the middle and less affluent classes, greatly increased the market value of C. in every species of literary production. As a natural consequence, that kind of disinterestedness so strikingly demonstrated in Robert Burns, who could hardly be prevailed on to accept a few pounds complimentarily in requital for hundreds of the most beautiful lyrics, was no longer seen, on the contrary, it became a recognized principle that an author was entitled to regard the product of his brain as purely a mercantile commodity. At length, under an impulse communicated by the assigns of sonic valuable copyrights about to expire, and on the assumption of benefiting the families of certain popular writers, the legislature was induced to extend the term of copyright.
By the act 5 and 6 Viet. c. 45, called Talfourd's or lord Mahon's act, 1st July, 1842, the term of C. was extended as follows: " And be it enacted that the copyright iu every book which shall after the passing of this act be published in the life-time of its author shall endure for the natural life of such author, and for the further term of seven years, commencing at the time of his death, and shall be the property of such author and his assigns: provided always, that if the said term of seven years shall expire before the end of 42 years from the first publication of such hook, the copyright shall in that case endure for such period of 42 years; and that the copyright in every book which shall be published after the death of its author shall endure for the term of 42 years from the first publication thereof, and shall be the property of the proprietor of the author's manuscript from which such books shall be first published, and his assigns." In the
case of subsisting copyrights, the term was to be extended to 42 years, except when they belonged to an assignee for other consideration than natural love and affection; in which case they were to cease at the expiration of the 28 years, unless their extension were Agreed to between the proprietor and author. In this act, there is a remarkable clause giving power to the judicial committee of the privy council to license the publication of books of importance, which the proprietor refuses to republish after the death of the author. Formerly, there was an obligation on publishers to deliver 11 copies of new works to certain universities and other public institutions; the obligation was now modi fied to five copies. The importation of English C. works printed in foreign countries is prohibited. C. is declared to be personal property, and may be bequeathed as such; In case of intestacy, it is to be subject to the same law of distribution as other personal or movable estate. The old obligation to register the C. of new works at stationers' hall was also modified; registration is no longer obligatory, but the practice of registering is still requisite for the sake of evidence in making good claims of copyright. Forms of registration and assignment are given by the act. but the use of them is not indispensable. The law of C. makes no distinction between British subjects and aliens. A foreigner may own the C. of a work printed first in Great Britain; but neither he nor any other person could maintain a claim of C. in a work which had been previously issued in a foreign country with which there is no international treaty of copyright. Attempts are sothetimes made to evade this, by issuing editions of a work simultaneously in The United States and England on the same day, so as to secure both British and American copyrights.