PRIMARY SOURCES

ON COPYRIGHT

(1450-1900)

Swedish Freedom of the Press Ordinance, Stockholm (1812)

Source: Kongl. Maj:ts Och Riksens Stånders Faststälde Tryckfrihets-Forordning; Dat. Örebro den 16. Julii 1812. Cum Gratia & Privilegio S:æ R:æ Maj:tis. Stockholm, Tryckt i Kongl. Tryckeriet, 1812.

Citation:
Swedish Freedom of the Press Ordinance, Stockholm (1812), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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            Chapter 1 Page 9 of 12 total



consider themselves justified, to lodge a submission with the King, in the Chancellor of Justice's Revision Office, within 15 days in Stockholm and within one month in localities, after receiving the decision from the Lord Chancellor. Otherwise, matters of order refer only to economic matters that may come under the Lord Chancellor's jurisdiction according to future regulations for printing houses and bookstores and do not contravene any provision in this Law.

5. As soon as any violation of this Law has been reported to the Lord Chancellor by the Chancellor of Justice, it is the duty of the latter to promptly prosecute the offense through a duly appointed legal representative in the appropriate court. Furthermore, he should, on his own part, exercise proper supervision over the lawful use of freedom of the press through the respective agents. Likewise, the Ombudsman of Justice has a duty to provide his official action regarding offenses against this Law in accordance with the principles stipulated in the instructions regarding his involvement in other cases. In the case of personal offenses, the aggrieved party has the right to bring a prosecution themselves or through a representative.

6. Once six months have passed after a writing has been submitted to the Lord Chancellor or his agents according to the preceding 2nd paragraph, and an official certificate has been promptly issued, public prosecutors shall not bring charges regarding the matter. An individual has the right, in accordance with common law, to pursue their case in lawsuits in which they have been personally offended by the publication. If a publication has been subject to quarantine, prosecution shall be initiated against the publication within eight days in the capital city and, in other locations, eight days after the quarantine has been approved by the Lord Chancellor; otherwise, the quarantine ceases, and the publication's sale proceeds unobstructed.

7. Publishers of daily newspapers and periodical publications, which, as stated in Section 1, Paragraph 7, are solely subject to the author's responsibility, even before others are reminded of the correct use of freedom of the press, and if the publisher's offense is remedied through such a publication, the fine shall be doubled in all cases where fines are imposed with money.

8. If the Lord Chancellor deems a daily newspaper or periodical publication to be moderate for public safety or offensive to personal rights without reason and evidence, or of a persistently defamatory nature, he may immediately cease the further publication of the newspaper or periodical in Stockholm through the Office of the High Steward and in the provinces through the King's Governor, until, after a humble report to His Majesty, which should take place within eight days after the Lord Chancellor has been informed of the suspension, and after the Lord Chancellor has also been heard, His Majesty's gracious ordinance decides whether the continuation of the suspended publication should be allowed. It is incumbent upon His Majesty in the Council of State to decide whether the publisher of a newspaper or periodical publication that has been thus withdrawn may publish any other newspaper or periodical publication in the future.

9. Censorship or confiscation shall not apply to a larger part of a publication than the sheet, half-sheet, or volume upon which the charge is made.

10. Anyone found to have sold or distributed a publication that has been legally censored or confiscated, in all cases where they had knowledge of the censorship or should have had such knowledge, shall be subject to the same penalties as the author and shall be liable for the offense under the same grounds. Disruption of censorship, where no subsequent sale or distribution has occurred, shall be punishable under the provisions of Chapter 8, Section 9 of the Enforcement Code.

11. With regard to the sale and distribution of publications that have come from abroad in the Swedish language, the Lord Chancellor shall have the same rights and responsibilities as with publications printed within the realm, and the vendors of such publications shall be subject to the same duty and liability as stipulated in the second paragraph of this section for printers.

12. If the Lord Chancellor finds that a publication authored in a foreign language and imported from abroad contains something contrary to Sections 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 13 of this section, it shall be his duty to leave it under further embargo. For this purpose, anyone authorized to engage in the book trade through notification to the Lord Chancellor shall be obliged to submit a list of imported foreign publications to the Lord Chancellor or his representatives.

 



    


finner, hos Konungen, i Dez Justitiæ Revisions Expedition, underdåniga Beswär anföra, i Stockholm inom 15:de dagen och i Landsorterne inom en månad, sedan han af Hof-Canzleren Utslag bewislig del undfätt. För öfrigt äro Ordningsmål ej andre, än sådane Oeconomiska, som enligt något framdeles tilgörande Boktryckeri och Bokhandels Reglemente til Hof-Canzleren pröfning kunne höra, och til rubbning af något stadgande i denna Lag icke leda.

5:o Så snart någon förbrytelse emot denna Laf blifwit af Hof-Canzleren hos Justitiæ-Canzleren anmäld, åligge den sistnämnde, at ofördröjligen låta förbrytelsen, genom tilförordnad Actor, wid behörig Domstol åklaga; Och bör han dezutom, för egen del, genom wederbörande Ombud, öfwer tryckfrihetens laglige bruk, tilbörlig upsigt hafwa. Ware likaledes Justitiæ Ombudsmannen pligtig, at, i afseende på förbrytelser emot denna Lag, lemna sin Embets åtgärd, enlig de i Instructionen, rörande hans befattning med andra mål, föreskrifne grunder. Enskildt förolämpande äger målsäganden, at sjelf eller genom Ombud åtala.

6:o Sedan Sex månader förlupit, efter det en Skrift til Hof-Canzleren, eller hans Ombud, enligt näst föregående 2. Mom. inkommit, hwaröfwer Embets betyg genast afgifwas bör, må ej af publique Actor, åtal derå äga rum. Enskildt man njute enligt Almän Lag til godo sin talan uti mål, genom hwilkas tryckning han är personligen förolämpad. Är någon Skrift med qwarstad belagd, då skal åtal ske å Skriften, inom åtta dagar i Hufwud-staden, och i orterne, åtta dagar efter det Hof-Canzlerens gillande af qwarstaden blifwit kunnigt; i annat fall uphöre qwarstaden och ware Skriftens försäljning obehindrad.

7:o Utgifware af Dagblad och Periodiska Skrifter, hwilka, såsom i 1. §. 7. Mom. stadgadt är, ensamme äro underkastade Författare answar, ware framför andre erindrade om et rätt bruk af Tryckfriheten, och umgälles Utgifwarens förbrytelse, genom sådant blad, dubbelt i alla de fall, der med penningar pliktas.

8:o Anser Hof-Canzleren et Dagblad eller Periodisk Skrift, mådlig för allmän säkerhet, eller utan skäl och bewis förnärmande personlig rätt, eller af en fortfarande smädlig egenskap, må han äga, at i Stockholm genom Öwer Ståthållare Embetet, och i Landsorterne, genom Konungens Befallningshafwande, genast låta inställa Dagbladet eller Periodiska Skriftens widare utgifwande, intil dez, efter underdånig anmälan hos Kongl. Maj:t, hwilken sist inom åtta dagar bör äga rum, sedan Hof-Canzleren om qwardstadens merkställande blifwit underrättad, och sedan Justitiæ-Canzleren äfwen blifwit hörd, Kongl. Maj:ts Nådiga förordnande, huruwida den instälda Skriftens fortsättning må widare tillåtas; och ankommer det på Kongl. Maj:t i Stats Rådet förordnat, huruwida Utfigwaren af et sålunda indragit Dagblad eller Periodisk Skrift, må något annat Dagblad eller Periodisk Skrift framdeles kunna utgifwa.

9:o Qwarstad eller confiscation gälle ej för större del af en Skrift, än det eller de blad, häften eller tomer, hwarå åtal göres.

10:o Hwar som beträdes at hafwa försäldt eller utspridt en i laga ordning med qwarstad belagd eller confisquerad Skrift, ware wid alla sådana tilfällen, då han om qwarstaden kunskap ägt eller bordt äga, til samma answar, som Författaren forbunden och umgälle förbrytelsen efter enahanda gruner. Rubbning af qwarstad, hwaruppa försäljnin eller utspridande icke följt, umgälles efter 8. Cap. §. Utsöknings Balken.

11:o I afseende på försäljning och utspridande af utifrån inkomna Skrifter på Swenska språket, äge Hof-Canzleren lika rättigheter och åligganden, som i afseende på inom Riket tryckte, og ware föryttrare af sådane Skrifter underkastad samma skyldighet och answar, som i 2. Mom. denna §. för Boktryckare stadgade äro.

12:o Finner Hof-Canzleren, at Utrikes ifrån inkommen, på främmande språk författad, Skrift, innehåller något stridande emot 3. §.s 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 och 13 Mom. åligge honom at, efter tils widare derå lagd qwarstad förblifwa. Til den ändan åligge hwar och en, som genom gjord anmälan hos Hof-Canzleren, är berättigad at Bokhandel idka, at til Hof-Cantzleren eller hans Ombud inlemma förtekning på inkomne Utländska Skifter.

 



    


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