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The changing value of Shakespeare
Auction values for the publishing rights to Collected Works of William Shakespeare:
1709: "a small fraction of" 200 pounds
1734: "less than" 675 pounds
1741: 1,630 pounds
1765: 3,462 pounds
1774, End of perpetual monopoly copyright: Nil
That is from William St. Clair's recent The Reading Nation in the Romantic Period. Many books deal with the rise of print culture and the commercial revolution, but in terms of thoroughness and data work, this marvelous work is a clear number one. Here is more on the book. I am learning just how much early British copyright law kept the price of literature high, and kept books out of public hands.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on September 17, 2005 at 07:39 AM in Books, History | Permalink
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» The Changing Value of Shakespeare from School Information System
Tyler Cowen takes a quick look at William St. Clair's new book: The Reading Nation in the Romantic Period. This book, so interesting on many levels looks at:During the four centuries when printed paper was the only means by which... [Read More]
Tracked on Sep 17, 2005 8:30:07 AM
» The Changing Value of Shakespeare from Zmetro.com
Tyler Cowen takes a quick look at William St. Clair's new book: The Reading Nation in the Romantic Period. This book, so interesting on many levels looks at:During the four centuries when printed paper was the only means by which... [Read More]
Tracked on Sep 17, 2005 8:32:03 AM
» Perpetual copyright ends, 1774 from Mike Linksvayer
Tyler Cowen writes:
I am learning just how much early British copyright law kept the price of literature high, and kept books out of public hands.
The curious story of how perpetual copyright survived until 1774, 64 years after the Statute of Anne l... [Read More]
Tracked on Sep 19, 2005 12:53:05 AM
