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Privilege for printing music for the Indies , Seville (1559)
Source: Archivo General de Indias, AGI, Indiferente, 425, L.23
Citation:
Privilege for printing music for the Indies , Seville (1559), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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2 translated pages
Chapter 1 Page 1
For your part, Alonso Pérez,
a Presbyterian clergyman, beneficiary of
Rodilana, I have been informed that
you are the author of Church books and
on the understanding that there is a lack of
them in the Church of our Indies, with
zeal you must take advantage of this and
because many are missing, you do not wish
to do what is most convenient to the Divine
Offices. You wish to print the the above-
mentioned books on parchment and for
the cost of printing to be for your expense.
To do so, you hereby request that for ten
years, no other person should print them
in our Indies nor take them to any other
kingdom. I have been asked to issue and
grant a licence to you, or whoever you
have empowered to do so, so that you may
print these song books in parchment, or by
any other means. Moreover, I, respecting the
above, accept this as being good. Therefore,
I hereby issue a licence and authorize you,
Alonso Pérez, or whoever you have
empowered to do so, for a time and period
of ten years counted from the date of my
certificate, so that you can print the above-
mentioned song books in parchment in our
Indies, Islands and Terra Firma of the ocean.
All the
Chapter 1 Page 2
volumes that you print can be sold.
You can sell them, so that after they are
printed and before selling them,
you bring one of these books to our
Council of the Indies so that the price
at which each one can be sold is fixed.
And until they are assessed, I hereby
order that none of these books be sold.
I defend that during the said time of
ten years, no one in our Indies or
beyond these kingdoms shall dare
print or sell these books either in
the said Indies or beyond them,
except you, Alonso Pérez, or
whoever you have empowered to do
so. Otherwise, whoever has printed
or sold the above-mentioned books
shall lose all those they have printed
and still have in their hands, as said.
In addition, that person shall incur
in a fine of fifty thousand maravedís.
Half of this fine will go to you, Alonso Pérez,
nd the other half to our Chamber
and the Exchequer. Moreover, I hereby
order our Council of the Indies and the
viceroys, presidents, judges and governors
and any other members of the justice
who hold office now or in the future,
that they keep and comply with this my
certificate and everything it contains.
According to its wording, form and contents,
neither can they allow to elapse nor give their
consent in any way during the said time of ten years,
upon sentence of twenty thousand maravedís
for our Chamber.
Dated in Valladolid, at ten o’clock, on 7 June 1559.
The Princess. Countersigned in
Ochoa de Luyando. Signed by bachelor Birbiesca,
Mr. Juan Sarmiento, Bázquez, Villagómez, Agreda, Castro.
Translation by: Kay Leach
Source: Archivo General de Indias, AGI, Indiferente, 425, L.23
Citation:
Privilege for printing music for the Indies , Seville (1559), 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
2 translated pages
Chapter 1 Page 1
The King.
For your part, Alonso Pérez,
a Presbyterian clergyman, beneficiary of
Rodilana, I have been informed that
you are the author of Church books and
on the understanding that there is a lack of
them in the Church of our Indies, with
zeal you must take advantage of this and
because many are missing, you do not wish
to do what is most convenient to the Divine
Offices. You wish to print the the above-
mentioned books on parchment and for
the cost of printing to be for your expense.
To do so, you hereby request that for ten
years, no other person should print them
in our Indies nor take them to any other
kingdom. I have been asked to issue and
grant a licence to you, or whoever you
have empowered to do so, so that you may
print these song books in parchment, or by
any other means. Moreover, I, respecting the
above, accept this as being good. Therefore,
I hereby issue a licence and authorize you,
Alonso Pérez, or whoever you have
empowered to do so, for a time and period
of ten years counted from the date of my
certificate, so that you can print the above-
mentioned song books in parchment in our
Indies, Islands and Terra Firma of the ocean.
All the
Chapter 1 Page 2
volumes that you print can be sold.
You can sell them, so that after they are
printed and before selling them,
you bring one of these books to our
Council of the Indies so that the price
at which each one can be sold is fixed.
And until they are assessed, I hereby
order that none of these books be sold.
I defend that during the said time of
ten years, no one in our Indies or
beyond these kingdoms shall dare
print or sell these books either in
the said Indies or beyond them,
except you, Alonso Pérez, or
whoever you have empowered to do
so. Otherwise, whoever has printed
or sold the above-mentioned books
shall lose all those they have printed
and still have in their hands, as said.
In addition, that person shall incur
in a fine of fifty thousand maravedís.
Half of this fine will go to you, Alonso Pérez,
nd the other half to our Chamber
and the Exchequer. Moreover, I hereby
order our Council of the Indies and the
viceroys, presidents, judges and governors
and any other members of the justice
who hold office now or in the future,
that they keep and comply with this my
certificate and everything it contains.
According to its wording, form and contents,
neither can they allow to elapse nor give their
consent in any way during the said time of ten years,
upon sentence of twenty thousand maravedís
for our Chamber.
Dated in Valladolid, at ten o’clock, on 7 June 1559.
The Princess. Countersigned in
Ochoa de Luyando. Signed by bachelor Birbiesca,
Mr. Juan Sarmiento, Bázquez, Villagómez, Agreda, Castro.
Translation by: Kay Leach