# Primary Sources on Copyright - Record Viewer
Beaumarchais's petition, Paris (1791)

Source: Bibliothèque Universitaire de Poitiers (SCD) : Oeuvres complètes de Beaumarchais, tome sixième, Paris, Furne, 1826.

Citation:
Beaumarchais's petition, Paris (1791), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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            Chapter 1 Page 2 of 26 total


196                        PETITION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PETITION

TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,

BY CARON DE BEAUMARCHAIS

Against the usurpation of authors’ properties by theatre directors, read by the author to
      the committee of public instruction, the 23rd of December 1791, and printed
      immediately thereafter.
________

      Up until now the directors of theatre troupes in the towns of the departments of the
kingdom have opposed only sophisms and insults against the imprescriptible right of
dramatic authors to the property of their works, recognised and assured by two decrees of
the constituent National Assembly, and against the claims that they have not ceased to
make against their usurpation. I will, disdaining the insults, refute the sophisms with the
ardent zeal that I have devoted to the progress of the dramatic art and to the pressing
interests of the men of letters who exercise it. You will forgive me, Sirs, if slightly harsh
terms strike you during the course of this petition: they are disagreeable; but, regarding the
act that we all complain of, I know of none



    

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