The Handy Cyclopedia of Things Worth Knowing Part 57

The general rule is that the finder has a clear t.i.tle against every one but the owner. The proprietor of a hotel or a shop has no right to demand property of others found on his premises. Such proprietors may make regulations in regard to lost property which will bind their employes, but they cannot bind the public. The finder has been held to stand in the place of the owner, so that he was permitted to prevail in all action against a person who found an article which the plaintiff had originally found, but subsequently lost. The police have no special rights in regard to articles lost, unless those rights are conferred by statute. Receivers of articles found are trustees for the owner or finder. They have no power in the absence of special statute to keep an article against the finder, any more than the finder has to retain an article against the owner.

THE LAW OF COPYRIGHT.

The new copyright law, which went into effect July 1, 1909, differs in many respects from the law previously in force. Its main provisions are given below, but those desiring to avail themselves of its protection should write to the Register of Copyrights, Library of Congress, Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C., for full instructions and the necessary blanks. etc.

The new law provides that the application for registration of any work "shall specify to which of the following cla.s.ses the work in which copyright is claimed belongs": (a) Books, including composite and cyclopedic works, directories, gazetteers, and other compilations; (b) periodicals, including newspapers; (c) lectures, sermons, addresses prepared for oral delivery: (d) dramatic or dramatico-musical compositions; (c) musical compositions; (f) maps; (g) works of art; models or designs for works of art; (h) reproductions of a work of art; (i) drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character: (j) photographs; (k) prints and pictorial ill.u.s.trations.

Necessary Steps to Secure Copyright.

For works reproduced in copies for sale: 1. Publish the work with the copyright notice. The notice may be in the form "Copyright, 19 .....

(year date of publication) by (name of copyright proprietor)." 2.

Promptly after publication, send to the Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C., two copies of the best edition of the work, with an application for registration and a money order payable to the Register of Copyrights for the statutory registration fee of $l.

In the case of books by American authors, or permanent residents of the United States, the copies deposited must be accompanied by an affidavit, under the official seal of an officer authorized to administer oaths, stating that the typesetting, printing and binding of the book have been performed within the United States. Affidavit and application forms will be supplied on request.

Books of foreign origin in a language or languages other than English are not required to be manufactured in the United States. In the case of a book in the English language published abroad before publication in this country, an ad interim copyright for 30 days may be secured under certain conditions.

Copyright may also be had of certain cla.s.ses of works (see a, b, c, below) of which copies are not reproduced for sale, by filing an application for registration, with the statutory fee of $1, sending therewith: (a) in the case of lectures or other oral addresses or of dramatic or musical compositions, one complete ma.n.u.script or typewritten copy of the work. Registration, however, does not exempt the copyright proprietor from the deposit of printed copies. (b) In the case of photographs not intended for general circulation, one photographic print. (c) In the case of works of art (paintings, drawings, sculpture), or of drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character, one photograph or other identifying reproduction of the work. In all these cases, if the work is later reproduced in copies for sale, such copies must be deposited.

Duration of Copyright.

The original term of copyright runs for twenty-eight years, and may be renewed under certain conditions for a further term of twenty-eight years, making fifty-six years in all.

a.s.signments.

Copyrights are a.s.signable by any instrument of writing.

Every a.s.signment of copyright must be recorded in the Copyright Office within three months after its execution in the United States or within six months after its execution without the limits of the United States.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS IN VARIOUS STATES.

Jan. 1, New Year's Day. All the States (including District of Columbia), except Ma.s.s., Miss. and N. H.

Jan. 19, Lee's Birthday. In Ga., Fla., N. C, S. C., Va., Ala., Ark.

Feb. 12, Lincoln's Birthday. In Col., Conn., Del., Ill., Kans., Ma.s.s., Minn., Nev., N. J., N. Y., N. Dak., Penn., Wash. and Wyo.

Feb. 22. Was.h.i.+ngton's Birthday. In all the States and District of Columbia; in Miss., observed in the schools.

April 14, 1911, Good Friday. In Ala., Dela., Fla., La., Md., Minn., N.J., Penn., Tenn.

April 19, Patriots' Day. In Me. and Ma.s.s.

April 26, Confederate Memorial Day. In Ala., Fla., Ga., and Miss.

May, second Sunday, Mothers' Day, recognized in sixteen States.

May 10, Confederate Memorial Day. In N. C and S. C.; in Tenn., second Friday of May.

May, last Friday, Pioneer Day. In Mont.

May 30, Decoration Day. In all States and Territories, and the District of Columbia. except Fla., Ga., Ida., La., Miss., N.C., S. C., Tenn., Tex. In Va., called Confederate Memorial Day.

June 3, Jefferson Davis' Birthday. In Fla. Ga., Ala., Miss., Tenn., Tex.

and S. C. In La., called Confederate Memorial Day.

July 4, Independence Day. In all States, Territories and the District.

Sept. 4, 1911, Labor Day. In all States, Territories and the District.

except N. Dak.

Oct. 12, Columbus Day. In N. Y., Penn., Ill., Conn., N. J., Mich., Mont., Calif., O., Md., Ky., and R. I.

Nov. 1, All Saints' Day. In La.

November--General Election Day. In Ariz., Calif., Col., Del., Fla., Ida., Ill. (Chicago, Springfield and East St. Louis only), Ind., Ia., Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nev., N. H., N. J., N.

Mex., N. Y., N. C., N. Dak., O. (5:30 a. m. to 9 a. m. only). Okla., Ore. (Presidential only), Penn., R. I., S. C., S. Dak., Tenn., Tex., W.

Va., Wash., Wis., Wyo.

By act of March 3, 1875, elections of Representatives in Congress take place on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in Nov., 1876, and every second year thereafter.

Nov. 30, 1911, Thanksgiving Day, observed in all the States, Ariz., N.

Mex. and the Dist. of Col.

December 25, Christmas Day. In all the States, Territories and the District.

Arbor Day. In Ariz., Me., Md., N. Mex., Wis., Wyo., and Penn., by appointment of the Governor. Tex., Feb. 22; Neb., Apr. 22; Utah., Apr.

15; R. I., second Friday in May; Mont., second Tuesday in May; Ga., first Friday in December; Col. (in the schools), third Friday in Apr.; Okla., Friday after second Monday in March; Ark., first Sat.u.r.day in March.

Half Holidays.

Every Sat.u.r.day after 12 o'clock noon; in Calif., public offices; in Ill., cities of 200,000 or more inhabitants; in Md., Mich., N. Y., N.

J., O., Penn., R. I., Va., Dist. of Col. (for banking); New Orleans, Charleston, La. and Mo., cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants; in Tenn.

(State and county offices); in Col., for June, July, August; in Ind., from first Sat.u.r.day in June to last Sat.u.r.day in October, for public offices in counties with a county seat of 100,000 or more population.

PRINc.i.p.aL POINTS OF CONSt.i.tUTIONAL LAW.

Congress must meet at least once a year.

One State cannot undo the acts of another.