25 January 1883 • Hartford, Conn. (MS: IaHi, UCCL 09242)
No, if my ten years of effort have taught me any valuable lesson, it is to consider all time given to trying to get our copyright laws put into proper shape, wasted. From that line of endeavor, I have retired permanently.
But if I can get the protection of the existing trade-mark laws, ex Ⓐemendation authors (& literature of all kinds) will then be sheltered utterly from injury—(foreign books & authors included.) I have won two trade-mark suits & lost a third. I will not believe that the U. S. Supreme Court will decide against me until I ◊f Ⓐemendation have tried. If I can get a favorable Supreme Court decision, the thing aimed at in your proposed law is accomplished; & while one can get a one copyright law through Congress he can try ten Supreme Court cases, & give the usual four years to each case.
MS, IaHi.
MicroPUL, reel 2.