Act of Congress, March 3, 1897
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 4963 of the Revised Statutes be, and the same is hereby amended so as to read as follows:
Sec. 4963. Every person who shall insert or impress such notice or words of the same purport, in or upon any book, map, chart, dramatic or musical composition, print, cut, engraving or photograph, or other article, whether such article be subject to copyright or otherwise, for which he has not obtained a copyright in this country; or shall import any book, photograph, chromo, or lithograph or other article bearing such notice of copyright, or words of the same purport, which is not copyrighted in this country, shall be liable to a penalty of 100 dollars, recoverable one-half for the person who shall sue for such penalty, and one-half to the use of the United States; and the importation into the United States of any book, chromo, lithograph, or photograph, or other article bearing such notice of copyright, when there is no existing copyright thereon in the United States, is prohibited: and the circuit courts of the United States sitting in equity are hereby authorised to enjoin the issuing, publishing, or selling of any article marked or imported in violation of the United States copyright laws, at the suit of any person complaining of such violation: Provided that this Act shall not apply to any importation of or sale of such goods or articles brought into the United States prior to the passage hereof.
Sec. 2. That all laws and parts of laws inconsistent with the foregoing provisions be and are hereby repealed.