Richardson and Copyright

Notes and Queries (2012) 59 (2): 219-224.

7 Pages Posted: 8 Feb 2013

See all articles by James R. Alexander

James R. Alexander

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

Date Written: June 29, 2011

Abstract

Samuel Richardson’s Pamela: or, Virtue Rewarded (1741) was one of the earliest of the moralizing epistolary novels that became commercially popular with the new reading middle class. It was also subject to widespread literary piracy, published in unauthorized editions, serialized in newspapers and literary magazines, and beset by sequels, satires, and parodies. As such, it became a benchmark for how the new novel form would be treated under law and equity after passage of the Statute of Anne, England’s first copyright law. Tracing Richardson’s efforts to enjoin copyright infringement of Pamela is however not an easy task, as court records are elusive, but publication history and patterns of newspaper advertising allow his one recorded claim in Chancery court to be reconstructed, revealing many of the nuances of early copyright doctrine as it evolved in the mid-18th century.

Keywords: copyright, law, equity, injunction, literary piracy, Statute of Anne

Suggested Citation

Alexander, James R., Richardson and Copyright (June 29, 2011). Notes and Queries (2012) 59 (2): 219-224., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2213278

James R. Alexander (Contact Author)

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown ( email )

Johnstown, PA 15904
United States

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