PRIMARY SOURCES

ON COPYRIGHT

(1450-1900)

Bach v. Longman, London (1777)

Source: Lincolns Inn Library

Citation:
Bach v. Longman, London (1777), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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Record-ID: uk_1777

Permanent link: https://copyrighthistory.org/cam/tools/request/showRecord.php?id=record_uk_1777

Full title:
Bach v. Longman (1777) 2 Cowp. 623

Full title original language:
N/A

Abstract:
A case, initiated by two composers, Johann Christian Bach and Karl Friedrich Abel, concerning whether or not printed music fell within the protection of the Statute of Anne (uk_1710). Lord Mansfield holds that published music is protected as 'writing' within the terms of the legislation. The commentary explores attitudes to the protection of music throughout the eighteenth century on the part of publishers, composers and musicians, and in particular the use of the printing privilege by some composers to secure the right to publish their work, and the efforts of the music publishers to secure legislative protection in the mid-eighteenth century.

1 Commentary:
commentary_uk_1777

Bibliography:
  • Sanjek, R., American Popular Music and Its Business: The First Four Hundred Years, 3 vols. (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988)

  • Hunter, D., 'Music Copyright in Britain to 1800', Music & Letters, 67 (1986): 269-82 (273)

  • Carroll, M., 'The Struggle for Music Copyright', Florida Law Review, 57 (2005): 907-61


Related documents in this database:
N/A

Author: N/A

Publisher: N/A

Year: 1777

Location: London

Language: English

Source: Lincolns Inn Library

Persons referred to:
Bach, Johann Christian
George III
Longman, James
Mansfield, William Murray, 1st Earl
Robinson, Charles
Wood, Sir George

Places referred to:
N/A

Cases referred to:
Bach v. Longman (1777) 2 Cowp. 623

Institutions referred to:
Court of King's Bench

Legislation:
Statute of Anne, 1710, 8 Anne, c.19

Keywords:
authorship, theory of
music publishing
music, protected subject matter
privileges, printing

Responsible editor: Ronan Deazley


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