PRIMARY SOURCES

ON COPYRIGHT

(1450-1900)

Pütter: The Reprinting of Books, Göttingen (1774)

Source: Max-Planck-Institut für Europäische Rechtsgeschichte, Frankfurt Dt 15 Li 1

Citation:
Pütter: The Reprinting of Books, Göttingen (1774), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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Record-ID: d_1774

Permanent link: https://copyrighthistory.org/cam/tools/request/showRecord.php?id=record_d_1774

Full title:
The Reprinting of Books Examined in the Light of True Principles of Law

Full title original language:
Der Büchernachdruck nach ächten Grundsätzen des Rechts

Abstract:
Johann Stephan Pütter's work is the most comprehensive and detailed of all German eighteenth-century treatises on the reprinting of books. In Pütter's view an intellectual property is originally vested in the author for 'works which a scholar has newly written and which are now to appear in print for the first time'. On the basis of this property the author can either himself publish his books or sell or give away his 'property in the manuscript'. The publisher 'thus avails himself, if he should afterwards have the work printed, not just of a general, natural liberty, but, rather, of a duly acquired right which is proper to him.' Copyright should be perpetual for as long as the original publishing house continues to exist. Pütter was a leading law scholar of his time, and thus his book was often cited even throughout the nineteenth century. Numerous references to earlier writers also mean that his book is an important secondary source on the history of copyright. The commentary provides an outline of Pütter's life.

1 Commentary:
commentary_d_1774

Bibliography:
  • Schwab, Dieter, 'Das Geistige Eigentum zwischen Naturrecht und Positivierung. Zugleich einige Amerkungen zu Pütters Schrift gegen den Büchernachdruck', in Louis Pahlow and Jens Eisfeld (eds), Grundlagen und Grundfragen des geistigen Eigentums (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 35-49

  • Neusüß, Wolfgang, 'Gesunde Vernunft und Natur der Sache' (Berlin: Duncke & Humblot 1970)

  • Füssel Stephan, 'Studien zur Verlagsgeschichte und zur Verlegertypologie der Goethezeit' (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1999)

  • Berg, Günter, 'Die Selbstverlagsidee bei deutschen Autoren im 18. Jahrhundert', 'Archiv für Geschichte des Buchwesens' 6 (1966): 1371-1396


Related documents in this database:
N/A

Author: Johann Stephan Pütter

Publisher: Widow of Vandenhoek

Year: 1774

Location: Göttingen

Language: German

Source: Max-Planck-Institut für Europäische Rechtsgeschichte, Frankfurt Dt 15 Li 1

Persons referred to:
Bohn, Johann Carl
Buchenröder, Johann Nicolaus Carl
George III
Pütter, Johann Stephan
Trattner, Johann Thomas von
Vandenhoeck, Abraham
Vandenhoeck, Anna, née Parry

Places referred to:
Göttingen
Hamburg
Nuremberg

Cases referred to:
N/A

Institutions referred to:
Estates of the Holy Roman Empire
Parliament
Royal Ministry of Hanover
University of Göttingen

Legislation:
Constitution of the Holy Roman Empire
Nuremberg Printers' Ordinance 1673
Saxonian Statute (1773), on regulation of the book trade

Keywords:
Enlightenment, the
authors, self-publishing
book trade
free trade
learning, the advancement of
piracy
reprints
reputation
scholarly writing
subscription

Responsible editor: Friedemann Kawohl


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