, the Imperial Parliament set at rest a question which had existed
in reference to the copyright in books first published in Canada, by
providing that the British Copyright Acts should apply to such works in
the same manner as they apply to works first produced in the United
Kingdom. They now occupy exactly the same footing.

In 1900, the Imperial authorities again yielded to Canadian demands, and
permitted the Fisher Act to come into force, which prohibits the
importation of copies of a work printed in the United Kingdom, when the
Canadian publisher produces in Canada an edition of the work under license
from the copyright owner.

The Canadian author who publishes his work in Canada secures copyright not
only in the whole British Empire, but obtains protection in all the
countries comprising the Copyright Union. If he comply with the provisions
of the Chace Bill, and print and publish contemporaneously in the United
States, he secures the whole market of the States as well, which was a
loss to him prior to 1891. Sir John Bourinot thus obtains protection for
his property in his valuable historical productions, and is reaping
splendid returns from the United States market. Mr. Seton-Thompson and Dr.
Drummond are doing the same. Yearly the authors of Canada are gathering a
harvest from this great market. Secured by the Berne Convention, Mr.
Frechette's "La Noel au Canada," printed in Toronto, goes to France safe
from continental piracies. Not a year passes that Canadian editions of
books are not shipped to Great Britain, and the trade is increasing.
Examples of such books are Professor Clark's "Paraclete" and Colonel
Denison's "Soldiering in Canada."

The Canadian publishers are now secured in the possession of their own
market when once they have acquired a license from a British copyright
owner, and have reproduced the work in Canada. Canadian printed editions
of Rudyard Kipling, George Eliot, Francis Parkman, and of scores of others
may now exclusively be dealt in by the Canadian book-selling trade.
Prominent American publishers have told me repeatedly that our Canadian
Copyright Law as it stands, is superior to anything they have had in the
United States for the benefit and encouragement of publishing.

It was once the custom for the English author, when dealing with the
American publisher, to throw in Canada as an inducement to complete the
deal. Mr. Thomas in his address to which I have referred stated that this