美国国家公共电台 NPR Bookstore Owner Sues California Over Law Regulating Autographed Items

 

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

A new law in California requires anyone selling an autographed item for more than $5 to certify¹ that item's authenticity². The law expands regulations that were originally meant to deal with fake sports memorabilia, only now it covers anything with an autograph. NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports on the angry reaction of dealers³ and bookstore owners.

MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE⁴: At the Sausalito store Book Passage recently, fans of author W. Bruce Cameron crowded around as he signed his new novel, "A Dog's Way Home."

W BRUCE CAMERON: Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: If you can make this out to my mom Sandra.

CAMERON: I will.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: Thank you.

CAMERON: She's a dog lover, right?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: Yeah.

DEL BARCO: Events like this are essential for many independent bookstores hoping to serve and attract loyal customers. Book Passage co-owner Bill Petrocelli says his three Bay Area stores host as many as 800 book signings every year for fans.

BILL PETROCELLI: The fact that they can buy an autographed book is what makes the whole thing financially feasible for us to do.

DEL BARCO: Under the new law, he and other booksellers must carefully notate the time and date of the sale, the names of the buyers and even witnesses. Then the bookkeeping would have to be saved for seven years.

PETROCELLI: We'd have to take down everyone's name, get bonded⁵, have this long, elaborate process we'd have to go through. We'd have to triple our staff in order to - just to do that. And the autograph lines would be so long and so slow and so intrusive⁶ that, you know, people wouldn't show up.

DEL BARCO: Petrocelli says he could be sued for selling an autographed book if he doesn't have this documentation. But he says the law poses a more fundamental concern.

PETROCELLI: You have to get the names and the details of everyone who buys the book. And we think that's, you know, a major intrusion on our customers' privacy and on their First Amendment⁸ rights. People should be able to walk into a bookstore, meet the author, buy the book, have a conversation and leave.

DEL BARCO: So Petrocelli continues to host book signings, and he's filed suit against the state attorney general's office on privacy and First Amendment grounds. The California autograph law was written by former Republican Assembly member Ling Ling Chang. When she was crusading for consumer protection, she was joined by a force from "Star Wars," actor Mark Hamill.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MARK HAMILL: I've heard a couple of stories that just break your heart.

DEL BARCO: On KNBC TV in Los Angeles last year, Hamill warned fans that almost all of the autographs of him for sale are phony. He even went on Twitter offering to verify his signature on memorabilia.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

HAMILL: There's always been scam artists and con⁷ men. And you're not going to change that. But if you can try and maybe make the public a little more aware of it, that's what this legislation's about.

DEL BARCO: Hamill may not have realized how the law could affect independent booksellers. Chang is no longer in office, but told NPR she still stands by the bill that passed unanimously. The law has sparked concern from comic book and rare book dealers. Several, including Newbury Comics, have already stopped shipping¹⁰ autographed books to California. Now another Assembly member in San Diego, Todd Gloria, is proposing a new bill that would amend⁹ Chang's law.

TODD GLORIA: An autographed collectible would be defined as anything worth $50 or more where there is a signature that increases the value and the product itself has to deal with sports, music, television or film.

DEL BARCO: The new bill already has the support of the Comic Book Legal Defense¹¹ Fund, the Horror Writers Association and the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, among others.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: I can't wait to read this.

DEL BARCO: Meanwhile, bookstore owner Bill Petrocelli's lawsuit¹² is proceeding¹³ through the courts. Mandalit del Barco, NPR News.

1 certify   

vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给

参考例句：

• I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
• This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。

2 authenticity   

n.真实性

参考例句：

• There has been some debate over the authenticity of his will. 对于他的遗嘱的真实性一直有争论。
• The museum is seeking an expert opinion on the authenticity of the painting. 博物馆在请专家鉴定那幅画的真伪。

3 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 bonded   

n.有担保的，保税的，粘合的

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee.威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• This adhesive must be applied to both surfaces which are to be bonded together.要粘接的两个面都必须涂上这种黏合剂。

6 intrusive   

adj.打搅的；侵扰的

参考例句：

• The cameras were not an intrusive presence.那些摄像机的存在并不令人反感。
• Staffs are courteous but never intrusive.员工谦恭有礼却从不让人感到唐突。

7 con   

n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的

参考例句：

• We must be fair and consider the reason pro and con.我们必须公平考虑赞成和反对的理由。
• The motion is adopted non con.因无人投反对票，协议被通过。

8 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

9 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

10 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

11 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

12 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

13 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。