PlsLory of prlnLlng

1he hlsLory of prlnLlng sLarLed around 3000 8C wlLh Lhe dupllcaLlon of lmages 1he use of
round cyllnder seals for rolllng an lmpress onLo clay LableLs goes back Lo early
MesopoLamlan clvlllzaLlon before 3000 8C where Lhey are Lhe mosL common works of arL
Lo survlve and feaLure complex and beauLlful lmages ln boLh Chlna and LgypL Lhe use of
small sLamps for seals preceded Lhe use of larger blocks ln LgypL Lurope and lndla Lhe
prlnLlng of cloLh cerLalnly preceded Lhe prlnLlng of paper or papyrus Lhls was probably also
Lhe case ln Chlna 1he process ls essenLlally Lhe same ln Lurope speclal presenLaLlon
lmpresslons of prlnLs were ofLen prlnLed on sllk unLll aL leasL Lhe sevenLeenLh cenLury

LA8L? C8An1S Cl 8ln1lnC 8lCP1S C8 8lvlLLCLS


1he advenL of relaLlvely qulck and lnexpenslve book prlnLlng and Lhe blrLh of bookselllng ln
Lurope fueled Lhe need Lo saLlsfy Lhe demands of a large new markeL of readers and Lo
emphaslze Lhe need Lo proLecL auLhors publlshers and booksellers from plraLes benL on
sLeallng LhaL new markeL
3

1hese developmenLs were Lhe prlmary drlvlng force behlnd prlnLers auLhors and Lhelr helrs
peLlLlonlng for granLs of excluslve prlnLlng prlvlleges 1he 1496 peLlLlon of 8ernardlno
8asma ls a good example

lor when a prlnLerpubllsher shall have seL hlmself Lo produce a book of rare beauLy
whlch enLalls Lhe absorpLlon of all hls caplLal ln lLshould hls broLher merchanLs come Lo
hear of lL Lhey use every cunnlng devlce Lo sLeal Lhe proofs of Lhe new work and seL Lo
prlnL Lhe book before Lhe orlglnal deslgner of Lhe book can flnlsh hls edlLlon whlch when
lL ls ready for lssue flnds Lhe markeL spolled by Lhe plraLed edlLlon"
6

ln anoLher example from 1497 Cabrlel of 8raslchella and hls parLners peLlLloned for
a granL sLaLlng LhaL Lhey had

spenL a greaL deal of money ln Lhls admlrable and mosL useful enLerprlse efforLs Lo brlng
Creek and LaLln LexLs Lo prlnL and because Lhe debL was heavler Lhan Lhelr own
resources could bear
7

1he flrsL granLs were lssued by Lhe SenaLe of venlce ln 1469 Lo a Cerman prlnLer !ohannes
de Splra Lo prlnL Lhe leLLers of Clcero and llny for 3 years8 ln 1486 auLhor AnLonlo
Sabelllco Lhe hlsLorlan Lo Lhe republlc was glven Lhe sole rlghL Lo publlsh hls uecade of
veneLlan Affalrs wlLh a flne for lnfrlngemenL seL aL 300 ducaLs and no Lerm seL for Lhe
duraLlon of Lhe rlghL ln 1491 Lhe SenaLe gave a slmllar rlghL Lo eLer of 8avenna Lo prlnL
and sell hls work 1he hoenlx Pelrs were also granLed excluslve prlnLlng rlghLs ln 1328
AlbrechL uurer's wldow obLalned an excluslve rlghL Lo publlsh hls works and ln 1493
uanlele 8arbaro was granLed a 10year prlvllege by Lhe College (or CablneL) of venlce Lo
publlsh a work wrlLLen by hls deceased broLher Permolao
9

ln 1476 Wllllam CaxLon esLabllshed a movable Lype prlnLlng press aL WesLmlnsLer 1hls
effecLlvely broughL Lhe prlnLlng Lrade Lo Lngland and Lngllsh prlnLers began seeklng Lhe
granL of prlvlleges for excluslve prlnLlng rlghLs for Lhe same flnanclal reasons as Lhelr
counLerparLs LhroughouL Lurope 1he flrsL prlvllege was granLed ln 1318 Lo 8lchard ynson
Lhe klng's prlnLer and successor Lo CaxLon for a Lerm of Lwo years
10

Penry vlll granLed a royal charLer Lo Cambrldge unlverslLy on !uly 26 1334 for Lhe perpeLual
rlghL Lo prlnL Lhere all manner of books approved or hereafLer Lo be approved" ln
exchange for LoL and ScoL Laxes Lallages and all oLher cusLoms and lmposlLlons none
oLherwlse and ln no oLher manner Lhan our falLhful sub[ecLs and lleges pay and render Lo us
"
11

A granL lssued by Lhe !ewlsh communlLy of venlce ln 1623 lllusLraLes Lhe lmporLance placed
on proLecLlng Lhe lnvesLmenL of Lhe prlnLers and Lhe early granL of copyrlghLs

We have agreed Lo Lhe reasonable and proper requesL of Lhe worLhy and honored MasLer
Salamon 8ossl of ManLua (may hls 8ock keep and save hlm) who has become by hls
palnsLaklng labors Lhe flrsL man Lo prlnL Pebrew muslc Pe has lald ouL a large dlsbursemenL
whlch has noL been provlded for and lL ls noL proper LhaL anyone should harm hlm by
reprlnLlng slmllar coples or purchaslng Lhem from a source oLher Lhan hlmself 1herefore
havlng seen Lhe llcense granLed by Pls Lxcellence Lhe CaLLavero (may hls glory by exalLed)
we Lhe underslgned decree by Lhe auLhorlLy of Lhe angels and Lhe world of Lhe holy ones
lnvoklng Lhe curse of Lhe serpenL's blLe LhaL no lsraellLe wherever he may be may prlnL Lhe
muslc conLalned ln Lhls work ln any manner ln whole or ln parL wlLhouL Lhe permlsslon of
Lhe abovemenLloned auLhor or hls helrs for a perlod of flfLeen years from Lhls daLe"
12

8eglnnlng ln 1317 ln whaL mlghL be regarded as Lhe flrsL acLual copyrlghL sLaLuLe
venlce adopLed a serles of general regulaLlons governlng prlnLlng and prlnLlng llcenses Cf
Lhese perhaps Lhe mosL lnLeresLlng ls Lhe 1343 decree of Lhe Councll of 1en whlch
prohlblLed publlcaLlon of an auLhor's work wlLhouL proof of Lhe auLhor's permlsslon

none of Lhese granLs of prlnLlng rlghLs were relaLed Lo censorshlp buL Lhls soon would
change

8eferences
3 Wllllam l aLry CopyrlghL Law and racLlce (2000) ChapLer 1 Lngland and Lhe SLaLuLe
of Anne
6 PoraLlo l 8rown 1he veneLlan rlnLlng ress 14691800 (1891) 33
7 venlce A uocumenLary PlsLory 14301630 372
8 8oLh wellknown oraLors from anclenL 8ome
9 aLry CopyrlghL Law ChapLer 1
10 8rlLannlca ubllshlng PlsLory of
11 uavld McklLLerlck A PlsLory of Cambrldge unlverslLy ress vol 1 (Cambrldge
unlverslLy ress 1992)
12 aLry CopyrlghL Law ChapLer 1clLlng 1he rlnclples of !ewlsh Law 34443 (M Llon
ed 1973 Lncyclopaedla !udalca !erusalem lsrael)
hLLp//wwwhlsLoryofcopyrlghLorg/pb/wp_27fa9cd0/wp_27fa9cd0hLml?03