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Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance, Frankfurt (1660)
Source: Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt Ffm W 554
Citation:
Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance, Frankfurt (1660), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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New Printing Regulation
/ pledging themselves to observe above all the principles of
decency, / honesty, and this our Regulation, / and that they will see to it /
that others too adhere obediently to the latter, /
and that any violators of it, irrespective of who they may be, / are
named at the next session / and made to pay the required penalty.
Of these two superintendents, every year the older one of the two
is to resign on the feast day of St John the Baptist / and someone else
is to be elected to take his place.
Concerning the printing-offices, / publishers, / printers
and journeymen, in general.
First of all: since everyone must surely recognise /
that the praiseworthy art of printing is a special grace
and gift of God - / for thanks to it, not only is it
the Word of God [i.e. the Bible] which can be brought to light /
but also all the liberal arts and many
good things which are necessary for human life, /
and which after coming to light in this way have not ceased to bear new fruits
- it is only reasonable that for such work and business / honest persons
of whom no one has ever spoken ill are given preference over all other
artisans / and employed in this trade. They are subsequently also to endeavour to conduct
themselves sensibly, modestly, and honestly in their ways and doings -
/ both inside and outside of the printing-works, / so that not only
is God honoured / but every such person has no need to fear for his own part
any malicious and punishable slandering, and then the dishonourable conduct
of one or the other printer / cannot bring the rest of the guild
into disrepute.
Since the constitutions and laws of the Holy Empire
enjoin and prohibit each and every one of the estates, / and consequently the
printers first and foremost, / from secretly or publicly printing any infamous
libellous or insulting works, / as well as from selling any such works that have
been printed elsewhere, We would herewith like to earnestly remind and admonish /
each and every printer and printer's assistant - / as has been done on a number of occasions already - /
by means of repeating the earlier
No Transcription available.
Source: Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt Ffm W 554
Citation:
Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance, Frankfurt (1660), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | Commentaries: [1]
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
/ pledging themselves to observe above all the principles of
decency, / honesty, and this our Regulation, / and that they will see to it /
that others too adhere obediently to the latter, /
and that any violators of it, irrespective of who they may be, / are
named at the next session / and made to pay the required penalty.
Of these two superintendents, every year the older one of the two
is to resign on the feast day of St John the Baptist / and someone else
is to be elected to take his place.
Concerning the printing-offices, / publishers, / printers
and journeymen, in general.
First of all: since everyone must surely recognise /
that the praiseworthy art of printing is a special grace
and gift of God - / for thanks to it, not only is it
the Word of God [i.e. the Bible] which can be brought to light /
but also all the liberal arts and many
good things which are necessary for human life, /
and which after coming to light in this way have not ceased to bear new fruits
- it is only reasonable that for such work and business / honest persons
of whom no one has ever spoken ill are given preference over all other
artisans / and employed in this trade. They are subsequently also to endeavour to conduct
themselves sensibly, modestly, and honestly in their ways and doings -
/ both inside and outside of the printing-works, / so that not only
is God honoured / but every such person has no need to fear for his own part
any malicious and punishable slandering, and then the dishonourable conduct
of one or the other printer / cannot bring the rest of the guild
into disrepute.
Since the constitutions and laws of the Holy Empire
enjoin and prohibit each and every one of the estates, / and consequently the
printers first and foremost, / from secretly or publicly printing any infamous
libellous or insulting works, / as well as from selling any such works that have
been printed elsewhere, We would herewith like to earnestly remind and admonish /
each and every printer and printer's assistant - / as has been done on a number of occasions already - /
by means of repeating the earlier
No Transcription available.