Gilbert, Sullivan and Carte tried various techniques for gaining an American copyright that would prevent unauthorised productions. In the case of Princess Ida and The Mikado, they hired an American, George Lowell Tracy, to create the piano arrangement of each score, hoping that he would obtain rights that he could assign to them. See, Murrell, Pam. "Gilbert & Sullivan’s American Ally", In the Muse, US Library of Congress, 5 August 2020.
