Partly-printed DS as president, one page, 8 x 10.5, February 14, 1853. President Fillmore directs the Secretary of State to “affix the Seal of the United States to a full power for him to treat with the French Minister of and concerning copy rights for the works of United States authors in the dominions of His Majesty the Emperor of France, and copy rights for the works of French authors in the United States.” Signed nicely at the conclusion by Millard Fillmore. In fine condition.
This document appears to relate to the future Chace Act, or International Copyright Act of 1891, the first U.S. congressional act that extended limited protection to foreign copyright holders from select nations. In the early 19th century, both American and British authors and publishers joined forces and pushed for a bilateral treaty between the United States and England, with famous authors like Charles Dickens traveling to America to show support for international copyright. There was a proposed treaty in 1853 under Millard Fillmore, and consideration of its ratification continued into an extension provided during Franklin Pierce's presidency in 1854. Nonetheless, only works published in the United States could be restricted by copyright.
The Chace Act was eventually signed into law by Benjamin Harrison on March 3, 1891. Under its guidelines, the act allowed for the protection of foreign works in the United States and granted copyright to foreign authors, or their representatives, under certain conditions, such as works had to be first published in a foreign country, the author had to be a citizen or resident of that foreign country, and the work had to be registered in the U.S. within one year of its first publication abroad.
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