I am now publishing my operas, terms and prospects being alike advantageous. My publisher, Meser of Dresden, advises me to safeguard my copyright in France and England in view of future contingencies, although for the moment there seems no probability of these arising. The only way of doing this as regards France would be as follows. Someone would have to be found in Paris to whom I could send a few copies of a pianoforte arrangement before its actual publication here, with the understanding that he should display it there, under his own copyright, on a given date corresponding with that of its publication here. It would not matter if the text were German, so long as a French title had been affixed. Naturally this dummy copyright-holder would have to be a trustworthy person willing to forward my interests, one who would not some time or other make use of the copyright without compounding with me for it. See if that would be all right and if you could perhaps yourself assume this provisory copyright. My publisher is already making similar arrangements for London. Anders can best give you information about the little ways of the music publisher.
Richard Wagner
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Volume 1, ed. Altmann/Hull (London: Dent, 1927), No. 105