§ MR. MACFARLANEasked Mr. Attorney General, If his attention has been called to a case decided in the Court of Appeal, and reported in the "Times" of the 3rd, where it has been held that under the Acts 25 and 26 Vic. the operator or person who "placed the people in position" is the only one entitled to copyright in a photograph; and, if, as the effect of this decision will be to permit wholesale piracy of valuable property, and render it impossible, without forfeiture of the copyright, for proprietors of photographic establishments to employ paid servants to carry on their business, he proposes to amend the Law?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES), in reply, said, that his attention was only called to this subject by the Question. He believed there was a case decided; but he was not capable of judging, at the present moment, whether any inconvenience or injustice would arise. But even if legislation should be necessary, nothing could be effected this Session.
§ MR. MACFARLANEasked whether the effect of the decision would not be to invalidate the copyright in every photograph taken up to the present?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES)said, he had only seen a newspaper report, and had not had time to form any judgment.