The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-07-09 00:00:00

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rot In its 'Pfister, as seat from the Stationms' Company soh.
segued to the expiration of that Act;" but it is probable
!lilt this delivery was by no mean. general, an there are no
tarn of it at Stationers 11811, and as Hearne, is the prrf..ce
to the Iluilleiame," printed in 1703, presses (or
Inmefactimit to that library as peculiarly desirable, " since
the Art of Parliament for sending', copies of Moths, printed
by the London booksellers, is expired, and there are divers
II Anting for several years past "
ntirme this period, the claim of anilines and psiblisbers
to she perpetual Copy richt of their publications, rested
iipou what was *hero...dm itt !remitted to hove beets the com-
mon law, by a majority of nine to three of the Jokes, un
the of Millar and Taylor in 1769. and Donaldson and
It. ckrt to 1774. Large estates hail been vested in Cioy-
oglits ; Ouse l'opyri4ht• hail here assigned from hmid to
hand, had biro the subject of family settleniesits, lead in
pow. instances WV'S primes had been infest for the 'purchase
of diem (relation being hail Si. the eminparatiyr 'aloe of
money) than at say time subsegoent to the Acta the fhb of
Queen Atom. ry this Act. which is the lard of these two
cm..., basaltic* been determiarl to have destroyed the fer-
nier perpetual Copyright, sad to have solnitituted otte fur a
more limited periol, but protected by additional penalties
sill those who should infritite it. it is directed, that nine
copies of each book that shall be printed or published, or
trpi ;uteri and published with additioor.shall. by the printer.
100 delivered to the warehouse-keeper of the Company of
-

St ssss cis, before such publication iniarie, for the vie oi she
Itri)al binary, the libraries of the Universities of Oxford
sold Constwirler, she libraries of she four Uoirreisities of
Scotland, the library of Rion College ih Lumina, mid she
4•tsrary helirogiog to the Fetidly of Advocates at Eribabssrgh.
'Front the passing of this Art until the decision of she own
'of Reckf.ord and Hood, in 1798, and of the University of
Cambridge and Bryn-, in 1613, it was universally muter-
flood. that Neither the 'emersion of Copyright, nor the obli-
mot to deliver the eleven copies attached to the publica-
tion of any book, milers it Vss registered al Stationers'
Hall, an Art which was conaidend as purely optional and
wioirressery, where it was intended to abandoo the claim fur
Copyright ; and in renfornsity to this coartructims. the Act
of 41 Geu. 111. expressly entitled the libraries of Trinity
College, ■nd the king's los. Dublin, to copies of such
books trollies should be mitered at Steamier.' Hall.
In 11-ckfurd Tetsuo Hood, she (tort of Knifes Bench de-
co:col, Hod she omission of the entry only perorate.' a pro.
►ee..tion foe the penalties inflected by the Statutes, but it did
snot ioo any degree impede the recovery of a satisfaction for
tbe s iolation of the Copyright. The same Court further de-
troisio.e.l, in the case of the University of Cambridge against
Boyer ins 1612, that she eleven copies were equally claimable
by the public libraries, where books had sot been entered at
Shot ion's s' Hall as whore !be) had.
The bouden oof the delivery, which by the latter decision
was for she fir.t time established to be obligatory upon pub.
produced in die folios iug year a great variety of
P. lit ions to for House of CoMmosta fo.r redrew. which were
veferord to a Commuter, whose Iteport will he found in time
A prendix; slid in 1814 the last Act on this subject was pass.
rol. which directed the inoliseriminate delivery of one large
rime copy of every honk which should be published (at the
tube s f Its being entered at Siatiouera. Hall) to the British
Moo rim, but limited the claim of the either ten libraries to
►uch hooks as they should demand in writing within twelve
mouth. aft.' publication ; sod directed that a copy of the
brt of hooks entered al Stationers' Hall sliiiiild be trans.
11,111111 to tie librarians once in three months, if not required
aft user

it P pray., so far as yonr Committee have been enabkd
to procure information► that there is no other country in
aloe', a demand eir this nature Is carried to a similar ex-
tent. In America, Prussia, Sammy, and Bavaria, one copy
only is required to be deposited ; in France and gastrin
too, and in the Netherlands three; but in several of
these countries this is not necessary, enkas Copyright is in-
truded to be claimed.

Th► Committer having directed a statement to hr pre.
Land by our. of the witutsees, tin rxperi.•ucrd bookseller, of
the retail price of one copy of every book entered at Sta-
.l/0 Hall, between the 301111•Iy11114, and the 141 of April
1817. find that it amounts in the whole to 1,4101. 34,
..hich w,Il give an average 05321 4s. per annum ; lust the
prier of the books recrited into the, Cambridge University
Library. from July ISIS is) !imp Iftlf, mutest. 161,1451. 10s.
qtr average of which is 31111 Ida. Sd. per annum.
In the coorse of the inquiry committed to them, the Com-
mittee bare p.oecrdcd to examine ■ variety of evidence,
which, as it is already laid before the (louse, they think it
unt-misery here to recapitulate; but upon a full considera-
tion of the subject, they have come to the following Resolu-
tions:—

.....
1. Resolved—That it is the opinion of this Committee,
shat it is desirable that en winch of the Copyright Act as re-
givers the gratuitous delivery of eleven copies shoeld be re.
jostled, except in au far as relates to the British Museum,
ond that it is desirable that • fixed allowance shook, be
granted, iii lien Oho refit, to son h of the other public libra-
iies, es may he thought expedient.
2. R.a•dvrd—Thal it is the opinion of this Committee,
that if it abo•ld not be thought expedient by the House to
a comply with the above recommendation, it is desirable that
the number of libraries entitled to claim such delivery should
be ro-btsicted to the British llusenne, and She Libraries of
()sterol, ('anstoricloze, Edinburgh snot Dublin Universities.
3. Resolved—That it is the opinion of this Committee,
'Plat all books of prints. wherein the feller-press shall nut
acct..' a certain very small proportion to each plate, skull
be exempted from delivery, except to the Museum, with an
ryes pt tugs of all books of mathematics.
4. Resolved—That it is the opinion of this C.onsatittee,
that all books in reopert of which claim to Copyright shall
bet a pressly and effectually abandoned, be also exempted.
b Resolved—That it is the opinion of this Committee,
ilia the uhligatiou imposed on printers to retain one copy
oof each work printed by them, shall cease, and the copy of
the Museum be made tvidruce in lieu of it.
June 6, 18113.