Prologue to Copyright in America: 1772
by
Rollo G. Silver
Five years after the colonies declared their independence, the Connecticut Assembly passed
the first copyright legislation—an act granting Andrew Law protection in the publication
of his Collection of the Best Tunes for the Promotion of Psalmody. Two
years later, as a result of John Ledyard's petition for the protection of his account of
Captain James Cook's last voyage, the Connecticut Assembly passed the first general copyright
act, the text of which was based upon the English "Act for the Encouragement of Learning."
Soon after Connecticut, other states passed similar laws and by 1786 twelve states had given
protection to their authors.
It would seem, therefore, that the American author awaited freedom from English rule before
pressing for protective legislation. Although this may be considered true for the great
majority of American writers, there is at least one instance of an attempt to secure copyright
before the Revolution.
In 1770, William Billings, of Boston, published his New-England
Psalm-Singer, a book of tunes which he composed during his years as singing teacher and
choir master. It was evidently a popular work, for Billings immediately started to prepare a
second volume. While engaged in this enterprise, he probably feared the prospect of a pirated
edition. At any rate, he decided to address a petition for protection to the House of
Representatives, then in session at Harvard College. The petition has been lost, but it was
duly recorded on November 7, 1770:
A Petition of William Billings,
praying that he may have the exclusive Privilege of selling a Book of Church-Musick, compos'd
by himself, for a certain Term of Years.
Read and committed to Mr.
Gardner of
Stow,
Col.
Prescott and Capt.
Dix.
[1]
On November 13, 1770:
The Committee on the Petition of William
Billings, reported.
Ordered, That the Petitioner have Leave to bring in a Bill for the
Purpose of his Petition.
[2]
Encouraged by this, Billings lost no time in preparing a bill. It was brought before the
House on November 16, 1770:
A Bill for granting to William Billings
the sole Privilege of Printing and Vending a Work of his own Composition,
consisting of Tunes and Anthems suitable to be used in Religious Assemblies.
Read the first and second Time.
Ordered, That the further
Consideration of this Bill be referred to the next Session.
[3]
Although the House postponed the decision, it did not do so because of any doubt concerning
the principle of granting copyright. The reason for the delay is stated in Billings' next
petition, now printed from the manuscript:
Province of ye Mass:tts Bay
To his Excellency Thomas Hutchinson Esq: Capt. Gen: &c the
Honorable his Majesty's Council & ye hon:ble
House of Representatives of said Province in Gen: Court assembled.
May ye 27:th 1772
The Memorial of Will:m Billings, &c.
Whereas your Memorialist in the Year 1770 prefer'd his Petition to this Hon:ble Court, therein praying for the Reasons therein mention'd, that he might have a
Patent granted him for the sole Liberty of printing a Book, by him compos'd, consisting of
Psalm Tunes, Anthems & Canons, which has been found upon Experience, to be to general
Acceptance; & which Composition is made much Use of in many of our Churches, & is more
& more used every Day.
That your Memorialist has compos'd a 2:d Vol: in Addition, to make his
Performance more compleat, tho' he is not insensible, that further Additions may be
made.—He would also inform this Hon:bl Court that he is
apprehensive that an unfair Advantage is about to be taken against him, & that others are
endeavoring to reap the Fruits of his great Labor & Cost.—That this hon:bl Court so far countenanc'd & sustain'd his Petition, as to commit the
same, & that your Committee reported in favor of your Petitioner; but it being suggested
by a worthy Member of this hon:ble Court, that they should be certain
that your Petitioner was the real Author of the Book, whereupon the Consideration thereof was
refer'd to the next Session. In answer to which your Memorialist avers that he is the sole
Author, & should have been asham'd, to have expos'd himself, by publishing any
Tunes, Anthems, or Canons, compos'd by Another; however fully to satisfy this
hon:
ble Court, your Memorialist stands very ready to be examin'd by any
Committee, or the whole General Assembly, if they think proper; tho' he doubts not, that at
this Time of Day there are sundry Members of this hon:
ble Court upon
that Head fully satisfy'd; but so it is may it please your Excellency & Honors, that your
Memorialist's former Petition is (as he is inform'd) either lost or misplac'd; he therefore
prays that the same may be reviv'd, & that he may, by the Indulgence of this Hon:
bl Court, be favor'd with the alone Privilege, of printing his own
Composition for a number of Years, as to this Hon:
ble Court shall seem
meet, & your Memorialist, as in Duty Bound, shall ever pray.
Wm Billings.[4]
Thus it appears that, in 1770, the House would have been willing to pass
the copyright bill if they had been certain that the work was original. When Billings' second
petition was received on June 9, 1772, it was "Read and Ordered, That
the Prayer be granted, and that the Petitioner have Leave to bring in a Bill."[5] Fortunately, the manuscript of the
bill remains in the Massachusetts Archives:
Anno Regni Regis Georgii tertii duodecimo
An Act for Granting to William Billings of Boston the Sole privilege of printing and
vending a Book by him Composed consisting of a Great variety of Psalm-tunes Anthems &
Canons in two Vols.
Whereas the sd. Wm. Billings has compos'd a
Great Number of psalm-tunes Anthems and Canons to which are much us'd in and esteemed by many
of our Churches, and which are daily more and more us'd and adopted by a Great number of
people—which Composition has cost him much pains and application and has also been very
expensive to him;—And whereas the said William Billings has supplicated the aid of this
Court in this his undertaking—in Order therefore to promote such a laudable
performance
Be it enacted by the Governour Council & House of Representatives— That the said
William Billings be and hereby is impower'd soley to print and vend his said Composition
consisting of Psalm-tunes Anthems and Canons and have and recieve (sic)
the whole and only benefit and emolument arising therefrom for and during the full term of
seven [fourteen (deleted)] years from the first Day of August next
during which term all persons are hereby strictly prohibited either by himself or any by for
or under him, from printing or vending his P. Composition either in whole or in part, and that
if any person or persons during sd. term shall presume to print vend or
barter the same either in whole or in part as aforesd. he she or they so
printing vending or bartering shall forfiet (sic) and pay the sum of
Ten pounds 0:0 for each and every offence and so
toties quoties; to be
recover'd by the said W
m. Billings to and for his use in any Court of
Record proper to try the same
unless the Person or Persons so printing
vending or bartering his said Composition shall be first impower'd by the said William
Billings in writing under his hand & seal.
In the House of Representatives July. 14. 1772
Read a first second & third time
& pass'd to be Engrossed
Sent up for Concurrence
T. Cushing Spkr
In
Council, July 14, 1772,
Read a first & second time & passed a Concurrence, to be
Engrossed
Jn. Cotton D.Secry.[6]
In reading the text of this bill, one cannot help wondering what motives prompted the change
in the term of copyright. The English law, the Statute of Queen Anne, permitted a copyright of
fourteen years for new books. And when, on May 2, 1783, the Colonial Congress recommended the
passage of copyright laws by the several States, it suggested a term of not less than fourteen
years. Perhaps the House of Representatives thought a term of seven years would appear to be a
fair compromise.
As the Speaker's endorsement shows, the bill was passed by the House on June 14, 1772.[7] The Council passed it, too, but
Hutchinson refused to sign it. It was returned to the House along with other bills and the
statement that "his Excellency had not given his Assent to the following Bills which had been
laid before him."[8]
Billings must have been discouraged, for his second book was not published until 1778. He
had not obtained the copyright for his proposed two-volume work; but this episode is
significant because a colonial legislative body had passed a bill for copyright, even though
it was vetoed by the representative of the Crown.
Notes
