Then again, the new law provides that no phonograph company or any makers of musical instruments, as well as makers of self-playing pianos, can deliberately use the work of the brain of the composer as well as the property of the publisher without permission to do so or paying some remuneration for the same.
Imagine the injustice of the thing. A composer writes a song or an opera. A publisher buys at great expense the rights to the same and copyrights it.
Along comes the phonographic companies and companies who cut music rolls and deliberately steal the work of the brain of the composer and publisher without any regard for the said publisher's or composer's rights.
They sell thousands and thousands of the "hits" of the publisher, which he has worked hard to make, without paying, as stated before, a cent of royalty for them.
The new law proposed remedies this, but of course the phonographic companies are fighting the new bill tooth and nail.
In this brief outline I shall include another important statement to show how much work, and anxiety of the brain a composer must use to write something in poetry or music, and what anxiety and worry he endures until the said "hit" is an accomplished fact. Sometimes his entire family depends upon the publishing of this brain work, and when it is accepted and the publisher issues the same for the public's appreciation, behold, in the next few days every sort of instrument is playing this man's composition.
I for one have suffered this injustice and piracy. Therefore I feel how dreadful it is in general to suffer and to be deprived of remuneration for the just and intelligent inventive brain work which a man produces by his genius.
This is, gentlemen, an excellent opportunity to show fair play to a body of citizens who have been working at a disadvantage and fighting for years for their just rights and for proper and adequate protection from the Government. I conclude by appealing most earnestly and respectfully to the honorable gentlemen of the committee to do their utmost to forward the passage of this bill, and I am convinced that they will earn everlasting thanks and gratitude for creating a law which will earn for them recognition and will carry their name to history for having worked for the advancement of an industry which has been sorely oppressed by piracy and injustice.