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'Pezzana e Consorti' case: supporting documents, Venice (1780)
Source: N/A
Citation:
'Pezzana e Consorti' case: supporting documents, Venice (1780), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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and which because of the taxes [aggravi] cannot be sold by the shops
at prices comparable to those that are sold furtively and under hand, as it were.
Fourthly: In order to reduce this abundance of books in circulation, we
submit to the wise consideration of the Excellent Magistracy to decided whether
it would be appropriate to issue a prohibition, whereby books which have been
rendered common property upon expiry of their privileges may not be reprinted
other than by two matriculated members of the Guild at most, namely by the
first one who undertakes this task and by only one more apart from him, since
it has become habitual that in such a case three or four printers take possession
of it, which leads to a quadruple number of copies of a book coming out and is
then the reason why they have to be exchanged with people who do not
belong to our Guild and with foreign booksellers.
Fifthly: Another disorder which emerged but a few years ago is that now
some printers, now some booksellers print books containing few sheets, and,
being endowed with privileges, assign a very high price to them, so that in their
bartering they can exchange them for books of great value, thanks to the
excessive price they have set for their books (which actually cost very little),
and so they can sell very cheaply the books they have received, to the detriment
and dishonour of shops which cannot offer their books to sellers at such prices.
Sixthly: We are finally compelled to inform Your Excellencies of the
utmost difficulty which our poor Guild is confronted with in having to cover
the expenses to which it is obliged by the public laws; a difficulty which would
cease if all colleagues were, and this is something which is quite easy for
them, to contribute to the Tanse, Taglioni, and Luminarie* eight
grossi per bale, these contributions being currently demanded, according
to the Decree of 1603, of printers who publish books at the authors' expense,
and also if all colleagues had to provide the free copy of every book which
is due to the Guild.
_____
*) Special contributions which had to be paid by the members of Venetian
guilds for public festivities, such as fireworks (luminarie).
No Transcription available.
Source: N/A
Citation:
'Pezzana e Consorti' case: supporting documents, Venice (1780), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | No Commentaries
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
and which because of the taxes [aggravi] cannot be sold by the shops
at prices comparable to those that are sold furtively and under hand, as it were.
Fourthly: In order to reduce this abundance of books in circulation, we
submit to the wise consideration of the Excellent Magistracy to decided whether
it would be appropriate to issue a prohibition, whereby books which have been
rendered common property upon expiry of their privileges may not be reprinted
other than by two matriculated members of the Guild at most, namely by the
first one who undertakes this task and by only one more apart from him, since
it has become habitual that in such a case three or four printers take possession
of it, which leads to a quadruple number of copies of a book coming out and is
then the reason why they have to be exchanged with people who do not
belong to our Guild and with foreign booksellers.
Fifthly: Another disorder which emerged but a few years ago is that now
some printers, now some booksellers print books containing few sheets, and,
being endowed with privileges, assign a very high price to them, so that in their
bartering they can exchange them for books of great value, thanks to the
excessive price they have set for their books (which actually cost very little),
and so they can sell very cheaply the books they have received, to the detriment
and dishonour of shops which cannot offer their books to sellers at such prices.
Sixthly: We are finally compelled to inform Your Excellencies of the
utmost difficulty which our poor Guild is confronted with in having to cover
the expenses to which it is obliged by the public laws; a difficulty which would
cease if all colleagues were, and this is something which is quite easy for
them, to contribute to the Tanse, Taglioni, and Luminarie* eight
grossi per bale, these contributions being currently demanded, according
to the Decree of 1603, of printers who publish books at the authors' expense,
and also if all colleagues had to provide the free copy of every book which
is due to the Guild.
_____
*) Special contributions which had to be paid by the members of Venetian
guilds for public festivities, such as fireworks (luminarie).
No Transcription available.