The Statute of Anne

Repetition of last words on pages eliminated, Latin intro and extro translated into English. End of line hyphenations removed for searching. Typo of "peny" for "penny" has been corrected, with the elimination of the accompanying sic. Also "seasonable" replaced by "reasonable" with the removal of that sic, as well. "Queens" is replaced with "queen's", and "majesties" would become "majesty's", "entred" becomes "entered" and these typos were often in multiple places.

"Vice-Chancellors" and "Vice Chancellors" both appeared so I chose "Vice Chancellors" just to make searches more simple.

I have not changed any of the apparently quite random capitalizations [random in comparisons, I should say to German, etc.], nor changed any of the more different spellings, as inhaunced.

I would like to comment just how obvious it is that the rights of the authors was an "add on" to this document, taking place only on a sixth sheet containing only two small paragraphs, as this makes it even more obvious just how every right was originally for "The Stationers," who are now descended as by The World Intellectual Property Organization through various means.

This law was proposed and defeated 250 years-- from its first draft by The Stationers just as The Gutenberg Press got going to this period.

All monarchs, and Oliver Cromwell, refused it, on grounds it gave too much to The Stationers, and left too little to the public, as per:

Henry VI 1 Sep 1422 4 Mar 1461 Edward IV 4 Mar 1461 9 Apr 1483 [Henry VI - restored 9 Oct 1470 to c. Apr 1471] Edward V 9 Apr 1483 25 Jun 1483 Richard III 26 Jun 1483 22 Aug 1485 Henry VII 22 Aug 1485 21 Apr 1509 Henry VIII 22 Apr 1509 28 Jan 1547 Edward VI 28 Jan 1547 6 Jul 1553 Mary 6 Jul 1553 24 Jul 1554 Philip & Mary 25 Jul 1554 17 Nov 1558 Elizabeth I 17 Nov 1558 24 Mar 1603 James I 24 Mar 1603 27 Mar 1625 Charles I 27 Mar 1625 30 Jan 1649 Commonwealth 30 Jan 1649 29 May 1660 Charles II [30 Jan 1649] 6 Feb 1685 James II 6 Feb 1685 11 Dec 1688 William & Mary 13 Feb 1689 8 Mar 1702 [Mary died 27 Dec 1694] William III 27 Dec 1694 8 Mar 1702 Anne 8 Mar 1702 1 Aug 1714

Please note that this 250 year span included reigns from the son of Henry V of Shakespearian fame and a greater Shakespearian epic of Richard III, to those six wives of Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scots, and a host of the most turbulent reigns of UK history and in all this time not one of these rulers would give The Stationers such great power that has now passed down, not only unchecked, but greatly enhanced over the next 300 years. The average copyright moved to about 100 years in length in that time from 15 year average original terms [nearly none were renewed].

My own words are mine alone, though I appreciate it when people offer corrections, advice, etc., though I don't always take it. However, I do always offer to publish their own version along with mine.

Michael S. Hart Founder Project Gutenberg, Inventor of eBooks

A Modern Formatted Statute of Anne

The Statute of Anne

Page 1

In The Eighth Year Of The Reign Of Queen Anne.

An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by Vesting the Copies of Printed Books in the Authors or Purchasers of such Copies, during the Times therein mentioned.