200%Adam Miller.
Last updated May 2021.
British and Australian Piano rolls after 1911 (and as late as 1966) frequently show a publishers mechanical copyright stamp on the leader. These were issued under the various Copyright Acts and ensuing Regulations following the UK lead in 1911.
The stamps were also often affixed to 78 records, and some early LPs and 45s (or their sleeves).
In all this, the US was a notable exception. US records don't normally bear the stamps except for some examples of speciality labels (United, Standard Disk) pressed around 1910 by Columbia, which bear small 2c or 4c stamps.
However, in 1917-18 it appears that some serious attempt was made to use stamps to show the payment of copyrights (royalties) for lyrics on Piano Word-Rolls. This was a private commercial action by the Music Publishers' Protective Association - a collective of New York music publishers formed in May 1917. The mechanical copyright of 2 cents was also applied but no stamp was used, the 2c being included in the stamp value.
There is a generic series of green stamps, issued in coils (imperforate
top and bottom) and featuring a lyre. The publisher's name, serial number
and a code letter appear in black. The stamps are valued 6 (cents).
In two other cases with different designs - 12 (cents). In May 1919
the rate increased to 7.5cents minimum with a ceiling of 12.5cents, but
no stamps of those denominations have been seen.
The generic green coil stamps have been seen from several issuers namely
Broadway; Chappell; Forster; Jerome; Kalmar, Puck & Abrahams; Joe Morris;
Waterson, Berlin & Snyder; Remick; Shapiro, Bernstein & Co; Stasny
and Stern. Leo Feist used a similar green stamp, but it was inscribed "You
can't go wrong with any Feist song"! Sam Fox had a red fox design
stamp, so far only seen valued 12c.
A different and very colourful stamp was also used by Jerome H Remick
& Co, in both 6c and 12c values.
As the examples below show, the stamps were affixed on the roll leader
next to a stamped message relating to the publisher's royalty stamp.
The use of the stamps seems to have ceased in late 1918, and were replaced
by an auditing system. The upcoming May 1919 rate change may have been the
trigger.
Some samples are shown below.
Waterson, Berlin & Snyder.
QRS 380 A Baby's Prayer at Twilight. Code Letter B
200%
Broadway Music Co
QRS 429 My Mind's Made Up To Marry Carolina (copyright 1917) Code
Letter A
200%
Shapiro, Bernstein & Co
QRS 207 Oh Papa, Oh Papa (copyright 1917) Code letter D
200%
Jerome H Remick & Co
Don't Try To Steal The Sweetheart of a Soldier (copyright 1917)
6c
200%
Witmark & Sons
Vocalstyle 10839 There's A Long Long Trail (copyright 1913) 12c
on $1.00 roll.
100%
Sam Fox 12c red
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