But as I understand it, it is in the interest of the consumer just because it is in the interest of the producer that copyright laws were originally designed and were called for by the Constitution; and if this proposed one fails fairly to regard that interest of the consumer, its defects will surely be brought to your attention by the third great estate which is jealous of those interests--the newspaper and periodical press; for the bill is now before the public.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, notwithstanding the labor put upon it, the bill is doubtless still imperfect in expressing its intentions; and I have no doubt that while it is under consideration those especially concerned will ask leave to submit to you some amendments of phraseology. I understand that any such amendments proposed by participants in the conferences will be communicated first to the copyright office, so that they may be formulated by the register for your convenient consideration; and the office will gladly do the same for any that may reach it from any other source.
The relation of the office to this project has been peculiar, Mr. Chairman, and that alone has excused me in introducing the bill to you. But having introduced it, the office will, with your permission, relapse into its more normal position of informant to your committee on matters of fact, and an adviser when its opinion is asked. With the general structure of the bill, including its phraseology, the office will of course have especial concern. Upon the general principles involved and upon matters of practice the office will naturally have some opinions, and may not avoid ultimately expressing these, even though in doing so it incidentally supports a provision which concerns particularly a particular interest. It can not avoid this where a bill is referred to it by your committee for its opinion, and still less can it do it in the present case where it is itself in possession of the reasons which induce the various provisions and the principles supposed to underlie them. It must, as occasion requires and you think necessary, expound the bill. Mere advocacy, however, Mr. Chairman, of any particular provisions it must leave to others.