§ Mr. Davies Giddy presented a Petition from the booksellers and publishers of London and Westminster, setting forth,
309§ "That, by an act of 8 Anne, for the encouragement of learning, by vesting the copies of printed books in the authors or purchaser of such copies during the time therein mentioned, it was enacted, amongst other things, that if any person should reprint any book without the consent of the proprietor, as therein mentioned, the offender should forfeit such book, and also one penny for every sheet found in his custody; but it was provided, that no one should be subject to such penalty unless the title to the copy of such book should be entered in the register book of the Company of Stationers; and it was further provided and enacted, that nine copies of each book, upon the best paper, that should be printed and published as aforesaid, or reprinted and published with additions, should, by the printer thereof, be delivered to the ware housekeeper of the said Company of Stationers before such publication made, for the use of the royal library, the libraries of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the libraries of the four Universities in Scotland, the library of Sion College, in London, and the library belonging to the faculty of advocates in Edinburgh; and that, by an act of 41 Geo. 3, for the further encouragement of learning in the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, by securing the copies and copyright of printed books to the authors of such books, or their assigns, for the time therein mentioned, it was, amongst other things, enacted, that, in addition to the nine copies then required by law to be delivered to the warehouse-keeper of the said Company of Stationers, and each and every book which should be entered in the regular book of the said company, one other copy should be in like manner delivered for the use of the library of the college of the Holy Trinity in Dublin, and one other copy for the library of the society of the King's Inn, Dublin, of every book that should be thereafter printed and published, and entered in the said register book of the said company; and that it was the general persuasion of authors and booksellers, that, by the said act of queen Anne, copies of those books only were required to be delivered which the proprietors chose to enter at Stationers' Hall to entitle themselves to the protection of the said forfeiture of one penny a sheet of the pirated copies, and therefore, when by the increased expences of publication, the said forfeiture of one penny a sheet be- 310 came an inadequate protection, the practice of entering the books gradually lessened; and that the University of Cambridge, having lately contended that copies of all books, whether registered or not at Stationers' Hall, should be delivered, commenced an action against a printer of a recent publication for not delivering the several copies thereof, upon which case it has been determined that the said act of queen Anne enjoins the delivery of copies of all works printed and published, whether registered at Stationers' Hall or not; and that this determination will subject the petitioners to great expence, and operate very seriously to discourage literature; and that the best paper copies, at the period of the passing of the said act, were not similar to the expensive fine paper copies now printed, nor were any works of that costly description, which now issue from the British press, at that time known, many of those works are now printed by authors at their own expence, and many others upon their sharing the profits after the deduction of all expences; and the petitioners humbly submit that to enforce a delivery of eleven copies of all books will, in the cases in which, from the nature of the works, and limited sale, a small number only is printed, operate as a great discouragement to the undertaking of such works; and that, by the said act of queen Anne, the term of twenty-eight years' copyright is secured to the author, and his assigns, in case he should be alive at the end of the first fourteen years, but, in case he should then be dead, the copyright ceases at the end of the first fourteen years; and the petitioners humbly submit that this distinction is, in many cases, productive of great hardships to the families of authors, and is not founded upon just principles; and that the petitioners could state innumerable instances of works lately published and now publishing, to prove the heavy burthen which will be thrown upon authors and publishers, by enforcing the delivery of the copies required on best paper; upon ten works published by one bookseller, the amount would be 5,698l.; upon twelve works published by another bookseller, the amount would be 2,990l; and the petitioners need only add to this statement some single works on best paper, viz. Daniel's Oriental Scenery 2,310l.; Sibthorpe's Flora Greca 2,500l.; British Gallery of Engraving 1,065l.; Mr. Johnes's Froissart and Monstrelet Chronicles 1,100l.; Dibdin's Typography 311 426l.; Lord Valentia's Travels 577l.; Costumes of the World 532l; Hodges's Views in India 462l.; Salt's Views 300l. 6s.; the new editions of Dugdale's Monasticon will be 1,430 guineas; the new editions of Wood's Athenæ Oxonienses770 guineas, Daniel's Voyage to India 132l., taken from an infinite number of works of great expence lately published and now publishing, of the best copies of which, such as required by the statute and the determination, frequently only fifty copies, and in some instances even a less number, are printed, prove to the House! that the petitioners are not complaining upon frivolous grounds; and praying, that leave may be given to bring in a Bill for granting relief to the petitioners."
§ Ordered to lie upon the table.