§ MR. BOULNOIS (Marylebone E.)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General whether his attention has been called to the increase which has recently taken place in the sale of pirated copies of copyright songs by hawkers in the streets of London and other towns; and, seeing that the remedy by action given to the owner of the copyright by the existing law has been found in practice inadequate to stop sales of this nature, whether the Government will consider the advisability of bringing in a Bill to make the sale of pirated copies of copyright songs an offence punishable summarily by fine.
§ SIR ROBERT FINLAYMy attention has been called to the subject, and undoubtedly the present state of the law is unsatisfactory. I may refer my hon. friend to the manner in which the point was dealt with in the Copyright Bill of 1900, in case he should himself propose to take any action in the matter, but I am not prepared to give any promise on be half of the Government.