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Code de la Librairie, Paris (1744)
Source: N/A
Citation:
Code de la Librairie, Paris (1744), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | Commentaries: [1]
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
15 translated pages
Chapter 1 Page 1
CODE
regulating the
BOOK TRADE
and
PRINTING.
Chapter 1 Page 50
TITLE II.
____________________________
Of Printers & Booksellers in
general
____________________________
ARTICLE IV.
Prohibition to undertake the commerce of Books
without qualification.
Prohibition is made against all per-
sons of whatever quality & condition they
might be, other than Booksellers & Printers,
to undertake the commerce of Books, to sell
& debit any, to display them so as to sell
them in their name, whether they claim to be
their Authors or otherwise; to keep Boutique
or Shop of Books, to buy in order to resell
in bulk & individually, in house & other pre-
mises, even under pretext of selling them at
auction, any Books unbound or bound, large or
small, new or crumpled, even old papers that
one names à la rame [by the ream] & old parch-
ments, under penalty of five hundred livres
fine, of confiscation, & of exemplary punish-
ment. His Majesty also prohibits Printers &
Chapter 1 Page 51
Afficheurs [Billposters] from printing &
placing any Posters indicating the sale of
Books other than at Booksellers & Printers,
under similar penalties; as also Authors &
all persons other than the said Printers
from having & keeping in any possible loca-
tion & under any possible title & pretext,
any Printing Press, Characters & Utensils,
under penalty of exemplary punishment, of
confiscation of Presses & Characters, & of
three thousand livres fine.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 381
______________________________
Title XV.
Of Privileges & continuations
of these for the Printing of
Books.
______________________________
ARTICLE CI.
Prohibition to Publish or Reprint
without Letters of the great Seal.
NO Booksellers, or others, can
have printed or reprinted, in the
whole of the Kingdom, any Books,
without having previously obtained
the Permission by Letters sealed by
the great seal; which can not be
requested nor dispatched, before a
manuscript or printed Copy of the Book,
for the printing of which these Letters
have been requested, has been delivered
to Mr. the Chancellor, or Keeper of the
Seals of France. [...]
Chapter 1 Page 393
[...]
_____________________________
ARTICLE CII.
Neither Booklets, nor Sheets, without
Permission of the Lieutenant of Police
.
Similarly, the said Booksellers, or
others, cannot have printed or reprinted
any Books, not even loose Sheets, without
having obtained the Permission of the
General Lieutenant of Police, & without an
approbation of Persons capable and chosen
by him for the examination; & under the
said term of Books, can only be understood.
Works whose printing does not exceed the
value of two sheets in Character of Cicero.
See Article 105.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 399
[...]
__________________________
ARTICLE CIII.
The Privileges or Permissions will be
placed in Books.
No Books or Booklets can be printed
or reprinted, without inserting at the
beginning or at the end of whole copies,
not only the Privileges & Permissions on
the grounds of which they have been
printed or reprinted, but also the
Approbation of those who have read &
examined them before the obtainment of
the said Privileges and Permissions.
See Art. 105 & the Decree of the Council
of 18th February 1715 under Art. 104.
Chapter 1 Page 401
[...]
__________________________
ARTICLE CIV.
All the Parts of a Work will be
approved. The Printing of a true
copy without any changes. The
Manuscript, or an initialled Copy,
delivered to Mr. the Chancellor.
If the Works, for the printing
of which one requests Privileges &
Permissions, contain several Treatises,
Parts or Volumes, of which only the
first ones will have been completed
when the Permissions are granted, no
Bookseller, Printer, or others may
print by virtue of
Chapter 1 Page 402
these said Permissions any parts of the
said Works, before these said Parts
which have not been examined before the
obtainment of the said Permissions, have
been examined & approved; which will be
executed even with regard to Prefaces,
Notices, Dedicatory Epistles, Supplements,
Tables & others: the Prints will be
entirely true to the Copies seen by the
Examiners, without being able to change
anything, add to or diminish the Titles of
these said Books or Booklets, in the Posters
or Placards that will be placed in the usual
locations; & to this effect the Printers,
Booksellers & others, will be obliged, once
the printing completed, to deliver into the
hands of Mr. the Keeper of the Seals, the
manuscript Copy from which it has been made,
or a printed Copy initialled by the Examiner.
Chapter 1 Page 408
_________________________
ARTICLE CV.
Penalties against offenders of the four
preceding Articles.
The four Articles here above will be
punctually executed, under penalty of
offenders forfeiting all rights granted
by the Permissions or Privileges, & to
proceed against them by the confiscation
of Copies, fine, closure of Shop, & other
greater penalties if necessary.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 409
[...]
_________________________
ARTICLE CVI.
Privileges & Transfers registered within
three months. Idem, for the Permissions.
The said Letters or Privileges of
Permission, will within three months from
the day of their obtainment, be recorded
on the Register of the Community of
Printers & Booksellers of Paris, faithfully,
throughout, without spaces, nor crossings
out, under penalty of nullity of these; &
under the same penalty, no Book can be
displayed nor exhibited for sale, before
the said Registration. The Transfers of
the said Letters will similarly be recorded
on the same Register, at the latest three
months after the date of the said Transfers,
& throughout, under penalty of nullity. His
Majesty desires that the same thing be
observed with regard to the Permissions
granted for the printing of Booklets, before
it can be started. And the said Register of
the Community of Booksellers & Printers of
Paris will be communicated to all persons,
to allow them to undertake whatever searches
& whatever excerpts they decide; by which
means the said Letters will be considered
to have been sufficiently made known,
notwithstanding all provisions contrary to
this, which His Majesty expressly overrides.
Chapter 1 Page 414
_______________________
ARTICLE CVII.
Prohibition against printing outside
the Kingdom.
Books for which Letters of Privilege
or Permission have been obtained, may be
printed throughout the Kingdom. His Majesty
prohibits the printing of any outside of
it [the Kingdom], under penalty of the
confiscation of Copies, & of the fifteen
hundred livres to be given half in profit
of the Hôtel-Dieu, & the other half in profit
of the Community.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 416
[...]
______________________
ARTICLE CVIII.
Provide eight Copies, under penalty
of nullity of Privileges or Permissions.
Likewise for the Permissions of Police.
All Booksellers, Engravers, & other
persons who obtain Privileges or Permissions
of the Great Seal for the printing,
reprinting or engraving of Books, Sheets,
Engravings, are required before being able
to display and expose them for sale, to
deliver without charge into the hands of
Syndics and Deputies five soft-bound Copies
of each of the Books, Sheets & Engravings
Chapter 1 Page 417
that they have printed or had printed
in virtue of the said Letters of Privileges
or Permissions; of which five Copies the
said Syndics & Deputies will be required to
record on a specific Register, & to make a
receipt, the said Copies to be handed over
by them within eight days, namely, two to
the Guardian of His Majesty's public Library,
one to the Keeper of the Cabinet of the
Louvre Castle; one in the Library of Mr. the
Keeper of the Seals of France, & one to the
one who has been chosen for the Examination
of the said Books, Sheets or Engravings: as
also the said Printers or Booksellers,
Engravers or others, will deliver without cost
into the hands of the said Syndics & Deputies
of the Booksellers & Printers of Paris, three
soft-bound Copies of all the prints & reprints
of Books, Sheets & Engravings; Copies which
the said Syndics & Deputies will take care of,
to be employed in the affairs & needs of the
said Community; all of which under penalty of
nullity of the Letters of Privilege or Permission,
of the confiscation of Copies & of fifteen
hundred livres in fine. Enjoin the said Syndics
& Deputies to retain & to seize all Copies of
Books,
Chapter 1 Page 418
Sheets & Engravings which have been put
on sale & displayed before all that is
prescribed by the present Article has
been satisfied, which will similarly be
observed for the Books & other Writings
printed with the Permission from the
Judges of Police.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 444
[...]
_______________________
ARTICLE CIX.
Prohibition against counterfeiting.
His Majesty PROHIBITS all Printers
& Booksellers of the Kingdom from
counterfeiting Books, for which there
has been granted Privileges or Continuations
of Privileges, & to sell & debit those which
have counterfeited, under the penalties
carried by the said Privileges or
Continuations of Privileges, which cannot
be moderated nor diminished by the Judges;
& in the event of a subsequent offence,
the offender will face corporal punishment,
& be deprived of the Maîtrise, without being
able to directly nor indirectly be involved
with the Printing & the Commerce of Books.
Translation by: Silje Normand (of pp. 50-51, 381, 393, 399, 401-02, 408-09, 414, 416-18, and 444
Source: N/A
Citation:
Code de la Librairie, Paris (1744), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | Commentaries: [1]
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
15 translated pages
Chapter 1 Page 1
CODE
regulating the
BOOK TRADE
and
PRINTING.
Chapter 1 Page 50
TITLE II.
____________________________
Of Printers & Booksellers in
general
____________________________
ARTICLE IV.
Prohibition to undertake the commerce of Books
without qualification.
Prohibition is made against all per-
sons of whatever quality & condition they
might be, other than Booksellers & Printers,
to undertake the commerce of Books, to sell
& debit any, to display them so as to sell
them in their name, whether they claim to be
their Authors or otherwise; to keep Boutique
or Shop of Books, to buy in order to resell
in bulk & individually, in house & other pre-
mises, even under pretext of selling them at
auction, any Books unbound or bound, large or
small, new or crumpled, even old papers that
one names à la rame [by the ream] & old parch-
ments, under penalty of five hundred livres
fine, of confiscation, & of exemplary punish-
ment. His Majesty also prohibits Printers &
Chapter 1 Page 51
Afficheurs [Billposters] from printing &
placing any Posters indicating the sale of
Books other than at Booksellers & Printers,
under similar penalties; as also Authors &
all persons other than the said Printers
from having & keeping in any possible loca-
tion & under any possible title & pretext,
any Printing Press, Characters & Utensils,
under penalty of exemplary punishment, of
confiscation of Presses & Characters, & of
three thousand livres fine.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 381
______________________________
Title XV.
Of Privileges & continuations
of these for the Printing of
Books.
______________________________
ARTICLE CI.
Prohibition to Publish or Reprint
without Letters of the great Seal.
NO Booksellers, or others, can
have printed or reprinted, in the
whole of the Kingdom, any Books,
without having previously obtained
the Permission by Letters sealed by
the great seal; which can not be
requested nor dispatched, before a
manuscript or printed Copy of the Book,
for the printing of which these Letters
have been requested, has been delivered
to Mr. the Chancellor, or Keeper of the
Seals of France. [...]
Chapter 1 Page 393
[...]
_____________________________
ARTICLE CII.
Neither Booklets, nor Sheets, without
Permission of the Lieutenant of Police
.
Similarly, the said Booksellers, or
others, cannot have printed or reprinted
any Books, not even loose Sheets, without
having obtained the Permission of the
General Lieutenant of Police, & without an
approbation of Persons capable and chosen
by him for the examination; & under the
said term of Books, can only be understood.
Works whose printing does not exceed the
value of two sheets in Character of Cicero.
See Article 105.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 399
[...]
__________________________
ARTICLE CIII.
The Privileges or Permissions will be
placed in Books.
No Books or Booklets can be printed
or reprinted, without inserting at the
beginning or at the end of whole copies,
not only the Privileges & Permissions on
the grounds of which they have been
printed or reprinted, but also the
Approbation of those who have read &
examined them before the obtainment of
the said Privileges and Permissions.
See Art. 105 & the Decree of the Council
of 18th February 1715 under Art. 104.
Chapter 1 Page 401
[...]
__________________________
ARTICLE CIV.
All the Parts of a Work will be
approved. The Printing of a true
copy without any changes. The
Manuscript, or an initialled Copy,
delivered to Mr. the Chancellor.
If the Works, for the printing
of which one requests Privileges &
Permissions, contain several Treatises,
Parts or Volumes, of which only the
first ones will have been completed
when the Permissions are granted, no
Bookseller, Printer, or others may
print by virtue of
Chapter 1 Page 402
these said Permissions any parts of the
said Works, before these said Parts
which have not been examined before the
obtainment of the said Permissions, have
been examined & approved; which will be
executed even with regard to Prefaces,
Notices, Dedicatory Epistles, Supplements,
Tables & others: the Prints will be
entirely true to the Copies seen by the
Examiners, without being able to change
anything, add to or diminish the Titles of
these said Books or Booklets, in the Posters
or Placards that will be placed in the usual
locations; & to this effect the Printers,
Booksellers & others, will be obliged, once
the printing completed, to deliver into the
hands of Mr. the Keeper of the Seals, the
manuscript Copy from which it has been made,
or a printed Copy initialled by the Examiner.
Chapter 1 Page 408
_________________________
ARTICLE CV.
Penalties against offenders of the four
preceding Articles.
The four Articles here above will be
punctually executed, under penalty of
offenders forfeiting all rights granted
by the Permissions or Privileges, & to
proceed against them by the confiscation
of Copies, fine, closure of Shop, & other
greater penalties if necessary.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 409
[...]
_________________________
ARTICLE CVI.
Privileges & Transfers registered within
three months. Idem, for the Permissions.
The said Letters or Privileges of
Permission, will within three months from
the day of their obtainment, be recorded
on the Register of the Community of
Printers & Booksellers of Paris, faithfully,
throughout, without spaces, nor crossings
out, under penalty of nullity of these; &
under the same penalty, no Book can be
displayed nor exhibited for sale, before
the said Registration. The Transfers of
the said Letters will similarly be recorded
on the same Register, at the latest three
months after the date of the said Transfers,
& throughout, under penalty of nullity. His
Majesty desires that the same thing be
observed with regard to the Permissions
granted for the printing of Booklets, before
it can be started. And the said Register of
the Community of Booksellers & Printers of
Paris will be communicated to all persons,
to allow them to undertake whatever searches
& whatever excerpts they decide; by which
means the said Letters will be considered
to have been sufficiently made known,
notwithstanding all provisions contrary to
this, which His Majesty expressly overrides.
Chapter 1 Page 414
_______________________
ARTICLE CVII.
Prohibition against printing outside
the Kingdom.
Books for which Letters of Privilege
or Permission have been obtained, may be
printed throughout the Kingdom. His Majesty
prohibits the printing of any outside of
it [the Kingdom], under penalty of the
confiscation of Copies, & of the fifteen
hundred livres to be given half in profit
of the Hôtel-Dieu, & the other half in profit
of the Community.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 416
[...]
______________________
ARTICLE CVIII.
Provide eight Copies, under penalty
of nullity of Privileges or Permissions.
Likewise for the Permissions of Police.
All Booksellers, Engravers, & other
persons who obtain Privileges or Permissions
of the Great Seal for the printing,
reprinting or engraving of Books, Sheets,
Engravings, are required before being able
to display and expose them for sale, to
deliver without charge into the hands of
Syndics and Deputies five soft-bound Copies
of each of the Books, Sheets & Engravings
Chapter 1 Page 417
that they have printed or had printed
in virtue of the said Letters of Privileges
or Permissions; of which five Copies the
said Syndics & Deputies will be required to
record on a specific Register, & to make a
receipt, the said Copies to be handed over
by them within eight days, namely, two to
the Guardian of His Majesty's public Library,
one to the Keeper of the Cabinet of the
Louvre Castle; one in the Library of Mr. the
Keeper of the Seals of France, & one to the
one who has been chosen for the Examination
of the said Books, Sheets or Engravings: as
also the said Printers or Booksellers,
Engravers or others, will deliver without cost
into the hands of the said Syndics & Deputies
of the Booksellers & Printers of Paris, three
soft-bound Copies of all the prints & reprints
of Books, Sheets & Engravings; Copies which
the said Syndics & Deputies will take care of,
to be employed in the affairs & needs of the
said Community; all of which under penalty of
nullity of the Letters of Privilege or Permission,
of the confiscation of Copies & of fifteen
hundred livres in fine. Enjoin the said Syndics
& Deputies to retain & to seize all Copies of
Books,
Chapter 1 Page 418
Sheets & Engravings which have been put
on sale & displayed before all that is
prescribed by the present Article has
been satisfied, which will similarly be
observed for the Books & other Writings
printed with the Permission from the
Judges of Police.
[...]
Chapter 1 Page 444
[...]
_______________________
ARTICLE CIX.
Prohibition against counterfeiting.
His Majesty PROHIBITS all Printers
& Booksellers of the Kingdom from
counterfeiting Books, for which there
has been granted Privileges or Continuations
of Privileges, & to sell & debit those which
have counterfeited, under the penalties
carried by the said Privileges or
Continuations of Privileges, which cannot
be moderated nor diminished by the Judges;
& in the event of a subsequent offence,
the offender will face corporal punishment,
& be deprived of the Maîtrise, without being
able to directly nor indirectly be involved
with the Printing & the Commerce of Books.
Translation by: Silje Normand (of pp. 50-51, 381, 393, 399, 401-02, 408-09, 414, 416-18, and 444