Browse Documents By...
Original Language...
Documents For...
Browse Commentaries By...
Browse Referred Persons By...
Venetian Decree on Privileges for New Books and Reprints, Venice (1603)
Source: N/A
Citation:
Venetian Decree on Privileges for New Books and Reprints, Venice (1603), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | No Commentaries
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
And because it is above all on the intelligence and competence of the Revisers
and Proof-readers that the perfection of Prints depends, and that works do not
come off the press which have been altered or corrupted, either due to malice or
ignorance, in future this task of revising and correcting may only be carried out by
those persons who have been approved by the Reformatori of our University of
Padua; the latter shall also have the authority (if they deem it necessary) to regulate
the standard fees of these Proof-readers and to sentence offenders to the penalties
which they consider to be appropriate for violations of what has been specified
above.
They are obliged to preserve the original copy of all new and old works, as
well as the original prints, so that instances of counterfeit can be assessed, and, above
all, so that, if after the revision has been done and before the licence is granted to
print the work, something is added or removed, or something different put into it,
these may be cancelled or struck off by the deputy Revisers (who shall consist of
the Reverend Inquisitor and one of our Secretaries) with the usual requisites, and
after taking an oath, all this being entrusted to them for the greater relief of the
Printers and Authors of the works, excepting those cases where the authors are
university professors or revisers themselves, whose inspection is to be deemed
sufficient.
And the obligation of this same revision is to be in force in all the lands of
our State where books are printed, with the express prohibition that none of these
may be printed unless beforehand a certificate has been obtained not just from the
Reverend Inquisitor of the City in question, but also from one of our Secretaries,
which licence must also be undersigned by at least two of the aforesaid Reformatori;
failing which counterfeiters are to be punished both by the Rulers of this our
City and by the aforesaid Reformatori in accordance with their discretion.
That to books which have been printed outside of Venice no one must dare
to add a title page with the inscription of a Printer from the City of Venice, so
as to make it seem that they have been printed in this City, on pain of a fine of
at least 25 ducats and, in some cases, some even greater penalty, depending on
the nature of the offence, such as it is assessed by the aforesaid Reformatori, and,
in particular, of confiscation of the books, which penalties are also to be applied
to the denouncer [if he should fail to keep the denunciation secret?]
Those who would like to arrange for books to be printed must engage the
services of Master Printers who are recognized as suitably qualified by the officials
of the Guild and who, moreover, have good-quality types and ink, so that the books
No Transcription available.
Source: N/A
Citation:
Venetian Decree on Privileges for New Books and Reprints, Venice (1603), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | No Commentaries
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
And because it is above all on the intelligence and competence of the Revisers
and Proof-readers that the perfection of Prints depends, and that works do not
come off the press which have been altered or corrupted, either due to malice or
ignorance, in future this task of revising and correcting may only be carried out by
those persons who have been approved by the Reformatori of our University of
Padua; the latter shall also have the authority (if they deem it necessary) to regulate
the standard fees of these Proof-readers and to sentence offenders to the penalties
which they consider to be appropriate for violations of what has been specified
above.
They are obliged to preserve the original copy of all new and old works, as
well as the original prints, so that instances of counterfeit can be assessed, and, above
all, so that, if after the revision has been done and before the licence is granted to
print the work, something is added or removed, or something different put into it,
these may be cancelled or struck off by the deputy Revisers (who shall consist of
the Reverend Inquisitor and one of our Secretaries) with the usual requisites, and
after taking an oath, all this being entrusted to them for the greater relief of the
Printers and Authors of the works, excepting those cases where the authors are
university professors or revisers themselves, whose inspection is to be deemed
sufficient.
And the obligation of this same revision is to be in force in all the lands of
our State where books are printed, with the express prohibition that none of these
may be printed unless beforehand a certificate has been obtained not just from the
Reverend Inquisitor of the City in question, but also from one of our Secretaries,
which licence must also be undersigned by at least two of the aforesaid Reformatori;
failing which counterfeiters are to be punished both by the Rulers of this our
City and by the aforesaid Reformatori in accordance with their discretion.
That to books which have been printed outside of Venice no one must dare
to add a title page with the inscription of a Printer from the City of Venice, so
as to make it seem that they have been printed in this City, on pain of a fine of
at least 25 ducats and, in some cases, some even greater penalty, depending on
the nature of the offence, such as it is assessed by the aforesaid Reformatori, and,
in particular, of confiscation of the books, which penalties are also to be applied
to the denouncer [if he should fail to keep the denunciation secret?]
Those who would like to arrange for books to be printed must engage the
services of Master Printers who are recognized as suitably qualified by the officials
of the Guild and who, moreover, have good-quality types and ink, so that the books
No Transcription available.