Anno Octavo
AnnRegin
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
-teen
page 2
teen Years, to Commence from the Day of the First Publish-
ing the same, and no longer; And that if any other Bookseller,
Printer, or other Person whatsoever, from and after the Tenth
Day of April, One thousand seven hundred and ten, within the
times Granted and Limited by this Act, as aforesaid, shall Print,
Reprint, or Import, or cause to be Printed, Reprinted, or Imported
any such Book or Books, without the Consent of the Proprietor or
Proprietors thereof first had and obtained in Writing, Signed
in the Presence of Two or more Credible Witnesses; or knowing
the same to be so Printed or Reprinted, without the Consent of
the Proprietors, shall Sell, Publish, or Expose to Sale, or cause
to be Sold, Published, or Exposed to Sale, any such Book or
Books, without such Consent first had and obtained, as afore-
said, Then such Offender or Offenders shall Forfeit such Book or
Books, and all and every Sheet or Sheets, being part of such
Book or Books, to the Proprietor or Proprietors of the Copy
thereof, who shall forthwith Damask and make Waste-Paper of
them: And further, That every such Offender or Offenders, shall
Forfeit One Peny [sic] for every sheet which shall be found in his,
her, or their Custody, either Printed or Printing, Published or
Exposed to Sale, contrary to the true intent and meaning of
this Act, the one Moiety thereof to the Queens [sic] most Excellent
Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, and the other Moiety
thereof to any Person or Persons that shall Sue for the same,
to be Recovered in any of Her Majesties [sic] Courts of Record at
Westminster, by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information,
in which no Wager of Law, Essoign, Privilege, or Protection,
or more than one Imparlance, shall be allowed.
And whereas many Persons may through Ignorance Offend
against this Act, unless some Provision be made whereby the Pro-
perty in every such Book, as is intended by this Act to be Se-
cured to the proprietor or Proprietors thereof, may be ascertain-
ed, as likewise the Consent of such Proprietor or Proprietors for the
Printing or Reprinting of such Book or Books may from time
to time be known; Be it therefore further Enacted by the Au-
thority aforesaid, That nothing in this Act contained shall be
construed to extend to subject any Bookseller, Printer, or other
Person whatsoever, to the Forfeitures or Penalties therein men-
tioned, for or by reason of the Printing or Reprinting of any Book
or Books without such Consent, as aforesaid, unless the Title
to the Copy of such Book or Books hereafter Published shall,
before such Publication be Entred [sic], in the Register-Book of the
Company of Stationers, in such manner as hath been usual,
which Register-Book shall at all times be kept at the Hall of
the said Company, and unless such Consent of the Proprietor
or Proprietors be in like manner Entred [sic], as aforesaid, for every
of which several Entries, Six Pence shall be Paid, and no
more; which said Register-Book may, at all Seasonable [sic; should be:
Reasonable] and
Convenient times, be Resorted to, and Inspected by any Book-
seller, Printer, or other Person, for the Purposes before menti-
oned,