The History of Copyright: A Critical Overview With Source Texts in Five Languages (a forthcoming book by Karl-Erik Tallmo) Home | E-mail | Quotations The Statute of Anne, 1710 (1/6) (transcription below image) This is the first copyright act in the world, the British Statute of Anne, from 1710. This facsimile is taken from British Library, 8 Anne c. 19. Several monographs on copyright date this text to 1709. However, 1710 is the correct date, see John Feather, The Book Trade in Politics: The Making of the Copyright Act of 1710, "Publishing History", 19(8), 1980, p. 39 (note 3). Transcription from fraktur is available below the image. Words in roman type in the original are formatted here as italics. Anno Octavo

Annæ Reginæ. An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by Vest-

ing the Copies of Printed Books in the Authors or

Purchasers of such Copies, during the Times therein

mentioned. Whereas Printers, Booksellers, and other

Persons, have of late frequently taken

the Liberty of Printing, Reprinting,

and Publishing, or causing to be Print-

ed, Reprinted, and Published Books,

and other Writings, without the Con-

sent of the Authors or Proprietors of

such Books and Writings, to their

very great Detriment, and too often

to the Ruin of them and their Fami-

lies: For Preventing therefore such

Practices for the future, and for the

Encouragement of Learned Men to Compose and Write use-

ful Books; May it please Your Majesty, that it may be En-

acted, and be it Enacted by the Queens most Excellent Majesty,

by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and

Temporal, and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled,

and by the Authority of the same, That from and after the

Tenth Day of April, One thousand seven hundred and ten, the

Author of any Book or Books already Printed, who hath not

Transferred to any other the Copy or Copies of such Book or

Books, Share or Shares thereof, or the Bookseller or Book-

sellers, Printer or Printers, or other Person or Persons, who

hath or have Purchased or Acquired the Copy or Copies of any

Book or Books, in order to Print or Reprint the same, shall

have the sole Right and Liberty of Printing such Book and

Books for the Term of One and twenty Years, to Commence

from the said Tenth Day of April, and no longer; and that

the Author of any Book or Books already Composed and not

Printed and Published, or that shall hereafter be Composed, and

his Assignee, or Assigns, shall have the sole Liberty of Printing

and Reprinting such Book and Books for the Term of four-

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