Het Statuut van Koningin Anna
100 jaar ROW, 30 jaar commercieel portretrecht, 85 jaar Overeenkomst van ’s-Gravenhage, 5 jaar Richtlijn Oneerlijke Handelspraktijken en de festiviteiten voor 100 jaar AW zijn ook al in voorbereiding. Voor wie in de juiste stemming is valt er altijd wel iets te vieren. Zo was het op 10 april, afgelopen zaterdag, 300 jaar geleden dat het Statute of Queen Anne in werking trad, “considered to be the first fully-fledged copyright statute”. Mogelijk dus de de 300e verjaardag van het auteursrecht, maar in ieder geval een hele mooie tekst ("to their very great Detriment, and too often to the Ruin of them and their Families!"):
"An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by Vesting the Copies of Printed Books in the Authors or Purchasers of such Copies, during the Times therein mentioned.
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 Majesty, that it may be Enacted, and be it Enacted by the Queens most Excellent Majesty, 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 Assigns, 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;”
