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Whereas printers Booksellers and
other persons have of late frequently taken the
liberty of printing reprinting and publishing
or causing to be printed reprinted and published
Books and other writings without the consent
of the authors or proprietors of such books
and writings to their very great detriment and
too often to the Ruin of them and their families
For preventing therefore such practices for
the future and for the encouragement of learned
men to compose and write useful books May
it please Your Majestie that it may
be enacted And be it Enacted by the Queens
Most Excellent Majestie by and with the advice
and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal
and Commons in this present Parliament assembled
and by the authority of the same That from and
after the tenth day of April One
thousand seven hundred and ten the Author of
any Book or books already printed who hath not
transferred to any other the copy or copies of such
Book or Books share or shares thereof or the
Bookseller or Booksellers printer or printers
or other person or persons who hath or have
purchased or acquired the copy or copies of any
Book or Books in order to print or reprint the
same shall have the sole right and liberty of
printing such Book and Books for the term of
One and twenty years to commence from the said
tenth day of April and no longer
And that the Author of any Book or Books
already composed and not printed and published
or that shall hereafter be composed and his assignee
or assignes shall have the sole liberty of printing
and reprinting such Book and Books for the term
of fourteen years to commence from the day of the
first publishing the same, and no longer And
that if any other Bookseller printer or other person
whatsoever from and after the tenth
day of April One thousand seven hundred and
ten within the times granted and limited by this Act
as aforesaid shall print reprint or import or cause
to be printed reprinted or imported any such Book
or Books without the consent of the proprietor or
proprietors thereof first had and obtained in writing
signed in the presence of two or more credible
witnesses or knowing the same to be so printed or
reprinted without the consent of the proprietors
shall sell publish or expose to sale or cause to be
sold published or exposed to sale any such Book
or Books without such consent first had and
obtained as aforesaid Then such offender or offenders
shall forfeit such Book or Books and all and every
sheet or sheets being part of such Book or
Books to the proprietor or proprietors of the
copy thereof who shall forthwith damask and