I have something to say on this Bill, and I would rather say it to-day, because I will not find it convenient to be here on Friday. The section in the Bill to which I wish to draw the attention of the House is Section 4. This Bill has been introduced as the result of a decision by the Supreme Court in a case known as the Performing Rights Society versus the Bray Urban District Council. At one time I was puzzled to know what the Performing Rights Society was; I thought it had something to do with performing animals, but it is really a society which has for its purpose the protection of copyright, a society formed to protect against the infringement of copyright on behalf of authors, and naturally it performs a very important service on behalf of the literary profession. A certain case arose on which the point was whether any copyright existed between the years 1921 and 1927, roughly speaking, the years of the interregnum after the Treaty. The Bill dealing with copyright was not introduced until 1927, and it was a question whether the copyright that had existed prior to the Treaty was valid under the Adaptation of Enactments Act or not during the period between 1921 and 1927. The court of first instance—the High Court— decided that it was, but the Supreme Court decided to the contrary. According to the judgment of the Supreme Court there was no copyright at all in the Saorstát during the five years, roughly from 1921 or 1922 to 1927, and that anybody so inclined was at liberty to pirate what he wished. Apparently this issue of infringement arose, and the position is, as I said, as laid down by the Supreme Court.
I think the House will agree with me that this is not a domestic issue at all, that it is an issue so wide as to be almost of international importance. It involves, in effect, the sanctity of an agreement under the Treaty of Berne, a Treaty to which all the leading powers except the United States are parties, and to which the Irish Free State is now a party. Being an issue of that wide and international kind, leave to appeal to the Privy Council was sought and was granted, and so far as Section 4 is concerned the effect of this Bill is to render nugatory the power of appeal, to prevent appeals and to give the decision of the Supreme Court the full and final force of law. That is the actual effect in Section 4. Senator Brown shakes his head. Would he correct me, because it would save me a good deal of time on my argument if I am wrong?