Source: National Archives of Denmark, Danske Kancelli: Sjællandske tegnelser (1572-1660) B57G: 1590 - 1596 mm.
Citation:
Total Ban on Book Imports, Denmark–Norway, Copenhagen (1596), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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We urge you to seriously instruct them to swear an oath, with their finger raised, that they will not import any books, whether newly published or translated from German or Latin into Danish and then printed abroad, and that they will not sell any such books in this realm. This must be done so as not to spread misleading or false information to the public who might read these books. If anyone still dares to import such books in this way, you can charge them with breaking the law, and they will lose possession of any books they have with them. If any of them have such books in their book stores, they must dispose of them immediately and not sell or give them to anyone else, and they must abide by this so as not to be held accountable.
deris ed med opragte fingre bepligter dennom, at de aldelis ingen bøger, enten de, som af nye udgiørris eller och af tydske och latinne paa danske udsettis och blifve trøgt uden lands och igen achte at selge, skulle indførre her (der) udi riget, paa det at icke nogen irring eller vildfarelse skulle indføris eller udspredis eblant almuen, som bøger hender at lese. Saa frampt nogen dennom heremod tilfordrister sig udi saa maade slige bøger at indførre, at i da dennom derforre tiltaller och straffer som meneder, och derhos skulle de hafve forbrut hvis bøger, de hafve med at farre. Dersom och nogen dennom hafver slig bøger udi deris boglade, at de daa dennom strax afskaffer och ingen selger eller afhender til nogen, och i alfvorligen holder her ofver, saa frampt i sielf icke ville stande os derforre til rette.
Christianus IV.