Theodore Roosevelt Assures Richard W. Gilder, Editor of the Renowned “Century Magazine”, That He and Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge Will Personally Try to Assure Passage of the Copyright Act: Their efforts were successful in 1891, when the new law offered protection to foreign copyright holders

The International Copyright Act of 1891 was originally introduced in January 1890, and in May Representative William McKinley introduced a Special Order by which the copyright bill could be debated. Getting enough support was not easy, the Senate being especially difficult to line up in support. The bill did not pass until March 3, 1891, and it went into effect on July 1, 1891. It was the first U.S. congressional act that offered copyright protection in the United States to citizens of countries other than the United States. The act extended limited protection to foreign copyright holders from select nations. It was also important for American creators since they were more likely to have international copyright protection in countries that were offered the same protection by the United States. The Act empowered the President to extend copyright to works of foreign nationals. An English author wrote, “The passing of the American Copyright Bill is a fact of the highest import for English playwrights and for the future of the English drama…Hitherto the publication of an English play would have incurred the forfeiture of the American stage-rights, in many cases a very serious pecuniary loss.”

In 1889, Roosevelt became US Civil Service Commissioner and moved to Washington. He favored copyright laws, and with his friend Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge, was a primary supporter of the 1891 act. Indeed, Lodge worked tirelessly for the passage. Showing TR’s continued interest, as president he would sign the Copyright Act of 1909 that granted protection to works published with a valid copyright notice affixed on copies.

Autograph letter signed, on his letterhead, Washington, April 3, 1890, to Richard W. Gilder, editor of the revered “Century Magazine”, who was much interested in the new law, and who was in touch with both Lodge and TR. In this letter, TR reports on the bill’s progress. “I went at once to Lodge about the copyright bill. He will take hold and do all he can; he is heartily bent on getting it through. If it takes much longer, I will go to [Speaker of the House] Tom Reed myself.”

Their efforts were apparently successful, as the next year, 1891, saw passage of the bill.