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Venetian Decree on Press Affairs, Venice (1517)
Source: Scanned from the manuscript held in the Venetian State Archives: ASV, Senato, Terra, reg. 20, fol. 58v-59r.
Citation:
Venetian Decree on Press Affairs, Venice (1517), 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
1517, the month of August
there has been such an increase in the number of these privileges that it has been
necessary for many of said printers to go elsewhere, and because of which such
production has been greatly reduced: from which both a loss, public and private, and
also communal inconvenience has followed: further problems of an even greater
nature will undoubtedly follow, it seems, unless necessary provision is made;
Wherefore: it has been decreed that, by the authority of this Council, all privileges
which have been conceded by Our Majesty up to this day, to printers of books and to
others, whether they are able to print themselves, or put these works to print, in
addition to those which this Council has granted, shall hereby be revoked, and by
these revocations, let it be held, that those [revoked] privileges shall be of no binding
power, and let the printing of books or the putting of books to print be free from any
prohibition to all: and thus it is fair and equal without any other discrimination.
Following this, verily, let no privilege of any sort be able to be granted furthermore,
and let nothing be able to happen by any means, unless through this Council, and only
for books and works which are new and have never been printed before, and not for
others; and if it should happen otherwise, let [these privileges] be and be understood
to be of no validity. Moreover, if a [new] privilege has been granted in place of these
[revoked], this shall be understood not to be counted, unless two-thirds of the votes of
this Council have carried it.
And the present decree shall be published on the steps of Saint Mark and Rialto.
In favour 187 Published on the following day of the aforementioned month
Against 21 on the steps of Rialto and Saint Mark: proclaimed by Nicolaum Ricius
Non sincere 2
[Left margin:]
Ser Paulus Capellus eques
Ser Andreus Gritj proc
Ser Franciscus Bragaderim
Ser Franciscus Foscarus eques proc
Ser Andreas Triuisan eques
Absent: Ser Luca Trono
The wise Councillors
Ser Philippus Bernardus
Ser Aloysi Gradonic
Ser Pandolfus Maurodon
Ser Marcus Foscarus
Absent: Ser Benedicto del physio
The wise of the Terra Ferma
M. D. XVII: Demense Augusti
quaedam opera: quarum gratiarum numerus adeo est auctus ut plerisque dictorum impressorum aliò
migrare necesse fuerit, atque ob id hujusmodi artificium valde imminutum sit: unde et jactura
publica privataque, et communis incommoditas successit: multoque magis successura esse proculdubio
videtur nisi necessaria provisio fiat; Icciro;
Vadit pars, quod Auctoritate hujus Consilii, omnes gratiae à Dominio nostro concesse ad hanc diem usque,
impressoribus librorum aut aliis: ut quisque soli possint imprimere, aut imprimi facere opera
quaedam, praeter illis: quas hoc consilium concesserit revocentur, et pro revocatis habeantur ita
ut deinceps nullius sint vigoris, et omnibus liberum sit, illa imprimere, sive imprimi facere
absque ulla contradictione: et sicuti aequum est, sine discrimine aliquo. Post hac vero hujusmodi
gratiae amplius concede: et fieri nequeant ullo modo: nisi per hoc consilium, atque solum pro libris
et operibus novis nunquam antea impressis, et non pro aliis; et si aliter fierent: sint, et intelligantur
esse nullius valoris: Pars autem, siue gratia: quae pro illis posita fuerit: non intgelligatur capta, nisi
tulerit duo tertia suffragorum hujus consilii.
Et publicatur presens pars supra scalis sanctj Marci, et Riuoaltii
De parte 187 Publicata sint die rectio mensis suprascripti supra
De non 21 Scallis Rx.ti, et sancti Marci: per Nicolaum Ricius proclamem.
Non sinceri 2
[Left margin:]
Ser Paulus Capellus eques
Ser Andreus Gritj proc
Ser Franciscus Bragaderim
Ser Franciscus Foscarus eques proc
Ser Andreas Triuisan eques
Absente: Ser Luca Trono
Sapientissimi Consilii
Ser Philippus Bernardus
Ser Aloysi Gradonic
Ser Pandolfus Maurodon
Ser Marcus Foscarus
Absente: Ser Benedicto del physio
Sapientissimi Terrae Firmae
Source: Scanned from the manuscript held in the Venetian State Archives: ASV, Senato, Terra, reg. 20, fol. 58v-59r.
Citation:
Venetian Decree on Press Affairs, Venice (1517), 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
there has been such an increase in the number of these privileges that it has been
necessary for many of said printers to go elsewhere, and because of which such
production has been greatly reduced: from which both a loss, public and private, and
also communal inconvenience has followed: further problems of an even greater
nature will undoubtedly follow, it seems, unless necessary provision is made;
Wherefore: it has been decreed that, by the authority of this Council, all privileges
which have been conceded by Our Majesty up to this day, to printers of books and to
others, whether they are able to print themselves, or put these works to print, in
addition to those which this Council has granted, shall hereby be revoked, and by
these revocations, let it be held, that those [revoked] privileges shall be of no binding
power, and let the printing of books or the putting of books to print be free from any
prohibition to all: and thus it is fair and equal without any other discrimination.
Following this, verily, let no privilege of any sort be able to be granted furthermore,
and let nothing be able to happen by any means, unless through this Council, and only
for books and works which are new and have never been printed before, and not for
others; and if it should happen otherwise, let [these privileges] be and be understood
to be of no validity. Moreover, if a [new] privilege has been granted in place of these
[revoked], this shall be understood not to be counted, unless two-thirds of the votes of
this Council have carried it.
And the present decree shall be published on the steps of Saint Mark and Rialto.
In favour 187 Published on the following day of the aforementioned month
Against 21 on the steps of Rialto and Saint Mark: proclaimed by Nicolaum Ricius
Non sincere 2
[Left margin:]
Ser Paulus Capellus eques
Ser Andreus Gritj proc
Ser Franciscus Bragaderim
Ser Franciscus Foscarus eques proc
Ser Andreas Triuisan eques
Absent: Ser Luca Trono
The wise Councillors
Ser Philippus Bernardus
Ser Aloysi Gradonic
Ser Pandolfus Maurodon
Ser Marcus Foscarus
Absent: Ser Benedicto del physio
The wise of the Terra Ferma
quaedam opera: quarum gratiarum numerus adeo est auctus ut plerisque dictorum impressorum aliò
migrare necesse fuerit, atque ob id hujusmodi artificium valde imminutum sit: unde et jactura
publica privataque, et communis incommoditas successit: multoque magis successura esse proculdubio
videtur nisi necessaria provisio fiat; Icciro;
Vadit pars, quod Auctoritate hujus Consilii, omnes gratiae à Dominio nostro concesse ad hanc diem usque,
impressoribus librorum aut aliis: ut quisque soli possint imprimere, aut imprimi facere opera
quaedam, praeter illis: quas hoc consilium concesserit revocentur, et pro revocatis habeantur ita
ut deinceps nullius sint vigoris, et omnibus liberum sit, illa imprimere, sive imprimi facere
absque ulla contradictione: et sicuti aequum est, sine discrimine aliquo. Post hac vero hujusmodi
gratiae amplius concede: et fieri nequeant ullo modo: nisi per hoc consilium, atque solum pro libris
et operibus novis nunquam antea impressis, et non pro aliis; et si aliter fierent: sint, et intelligantur
esse nullius valoris: Pars autem, siue gratia: quae pro illis posita fuerit: non intgelligatur capta, nisi
tulerit duo tertia suffragorum hujus consilii.
Et publicatur presens pars supra scalis sanctj Marci, et Riuoaltii
De parte 187 Publicata sint die rectio mensis suprascripti supra
De non 21 Scallis Rx.ti, et sancti Marci: per Nicolaum Ricius proclamem.
Non sinceri 2
[Left margin:]
Ser Paulus Capellus eques
Ser Andreus Gritj proc
Ser Franciscus Bragaderim
Ser Franciscus Foscarus eques proc
Ser Andreas Triuisan eques
Absente: Ser Luca Trono
Sapientissimi Consilii
Ser Philippus Bernardus
Ser Aloysi Gradonic
Ser Pandolfus Maurodon
Ser Marcus Foscarus
Absente: Ser Benedicto del physio
Sapientissimi Terrae Firmae