Copyright Privileges, Intellectual Property and Image Ownership: The Role of Law in the Art of Renaissance Venice
Creators: name: Rabinowe, Sarah Alexis
Publisher: name: Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: Copyright
subject: Privileges
subject: Trademark
subject: Patent
subject: Intellectual Property
subject: Law
subject: FOS: Law
subject: FOS: Law
subject: Legal History
subject: Legal
subject: Renaissance
subject: Early Modern
subject: Venice
subject: Italy
subject: Art
subject: Artwork
subject: Images
subject: Image
subject: Printing
subject: Printing Press
subject: Engraving
subject: Etching
subject: Woodcut
subject: Privilegio
subject: Luca Bertelli
subject: Antonio Floriano
subject: Cartography
subject: Maps
subject: World Maps
subject: Enea Vico
subject: Titian
subject: Tiziano Vecellio
subject: Benedetto Bordon
subject: Benedetto Bordone
subject: Giovanni Ostaus
subject: Paolo Veronese

description: 'Copyright Privileges, Intellectual Property, and Image Ownership: The Role of Law in the Art of Renaissance Venice' examines the origins of copyright and intellectual property law in relation to the production of artwork and cartography in Early Modern Venice. The modern conception of art copyright, intellectual property and image ownership began as result of a convergence of several factors. Innovations in the Venetian printing press and advances in papermaking technologies enabled rapid production of less expensive and higher quality prints. In quick succession, the print industry became increasingly concerned that the high cost of designing a new print was at considerable risk if competitors decided to replicate the image soon after the product was released. Meanwhile, the Inquisition raged throughout Italy and the Papacy was troubled that printed materials would propagate morally and religiously questionable material. As a result of these independent yet interrelated influences, the Council of Ten and Senate of Venice passed legislation to appease both parties. This judicial reform required all circulated prints to possess a license and provided the opportunity to request optional exclusive reproduction rights known as a 'privilegio'. Initially intended to be applied to printed books, the law used terminology literally translated as ‘works on paper’. Artists, printmakers and publishers soon adapted legal privileges to printed art and cartography. The Venetian government enacted a succession of edicts in an attempt to restrict the ever mounting number of supplications, while the artistic community sought to capitalize on the economically lucrative and innovative moral rights advanced by the existence of the 'privilegio'. Privilege holders granted permission by the Venetian government include: Luca Bertelli, Antonio Floriano, Nicolo Nelli, Enea Vico (Parmigiano) and Titian. The PhD dissertation draws on primary evidence such as original artwork (paintings, sculptures, preparatory drawings and prints), official privilege decrees, correspondence from artists, printmakers and print shop owners, applications for licenses and privileges, letters of inspection by inquisitors from the Riformatori dello Studio di Padova, and secondary decrees from the Council of Ten and Senate of Venice, to conduct a comparative art-legal analysis that places case studies pertaining to picture print and map 'privilegi' within their broader socio-political context.