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To: expat_panama

The first attempt at copyright.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensing_of_the_Press_Act_1662

The Licensing of the Press Act 1662 is an Act of the Parliament of England (14 Car. II. c. 33), long title “An Act for preventing the frequent Abuses in printing seditious treasonable and unlicensed Bookes and Pamphlets and for regulating of Printing and Printing Presses.” It was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1863.

The Act was originally limited to two years. The provisions as to importation of books, the appointment of licensers, and the number of printers and founders were practically re-enactments of the similar provisions in an order of the Star Chamber of 1637.

Printing presses were not to be set up without notice to the Stationers’ Company. A king’s messenger had power by warrant of the king or a secretary of state to enter and search for unlicensed presses and printing. Severe penalties by fine and imprisonment were denounced against offenders. The act was successively renewed up to 1679.


15 posted on 01/18/2017 6:28:15 AM PST by abb ("News reporting is too important to be left to the journalists." Walter Abbott (1950 -))
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To: abb
Hey that's interesting --thanks!

So while history doesn't exactly repeat itself it sure does rhyme a lot. New tech happens, the establishment passes laws to hobble it. That's neat! The reason I don't worry is becuase tech eventually wins out; it's what people want and it's what people do.

16 posted on 01/18/2017 6:47:56 AM PST by expat_panama
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