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Pierre-Jacques Blondel's memorandum, unknown (1725-1726)
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France : VP-545
Citation:
Pierre-Jacques Blondel's memorandum, unknown (1725-1726), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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2
by the same Rector under whose jurisdiction they fell, and who placed a tax
on books [...]
Over time, these petty merchants have transferred their wares from the
steps of churches to shops open to the public, and, taking advantage of the
divisions which unfortunate times have caused to appear within the university,
have escaped the authority of the Rector, have seized the retail of books which
does not belong to them, and have set up shop on the ruins of the university
which they refuse to recognise. Finally, with the hubris of influence acquired
at the expense of men of letters and the public, they dared to establish
themselves as a company by joining up with the Printers, and to acquire for
themselves protections which they abuse to the disadvantage of the public,
authors and their workers, whom, by their insatiable avidity, they mean to
reduce to servitude. Since there is no longer anything to constrain them, nor
to reprimand them, since they hoodwink the Religion of the Council and the
Magistrates of Police with fallacious memoranda, since they attempt to corrupt
underlings with their generosity, since all ways are closed to the complaints
which might justifiably be made against them; we must address ourselves to the
public. The wicked machinations of this insolent company must be revealed to
the public, and exposed so clearly that there will be not a word more to say.
This is what we shall attempt to do by examining in detail the vexations
caused by the Printers and Booksellers of Paris, by virtue of the impunity that
they enjoy.
[...]
No Transcription available.
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France : VP-545
Citation:
Pierre-Jacques Blondel's memorandum, unknown (1725-1726), 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
by the same Rector under whose jurisdiction they fell, and who placed a tax
on books [...]
Over time, these petty merchants have transferred their wares from the
steps of churches to shops open to the public, and, taking advantage of the
divisions which unfortunate times have caused to appear within the university,
have escaped the authority of the Rector, have seized the retail of books which
does not belong to them, and have set up shop on the ruins of the university
which they refuse to recognise. Finally, with the hubris of influence acquired
at the expense of men of letters and the public, they dared to establish
themselves as a company by joining up with the Printers, and to acquire for
themselves protections which they abuse to the disadvantage of the public,
authors and their workers, whom, by their insatiable avidity, they mean to
reduce to servitude. Since there is no longer anything to constrain them, nor
to reprimand them, since they hoodwink the Religion of the Council and the
Magistrates of Police with fallacious memoranda, since they attempt to corrupt
underlings with their generosity, since all ways are closed to the complaints
which might justifiably be made against them; we must address ourselves to the
public. The wicked machinations of this insolent company must be revealed to
the public, and exposed so clearly that there will be not a word more to say.
This is what we shall attempt to do by examining in detail the vexations
caused by the Printers and Booksellers of Paris, by virtue of the impunity that
they enjoy.
[...]
No Transcription available.