atrical exhibitions,
&c., are also of the nature of monopolies, and may be defended on
special grounds of public policy. The monopoly of authors and inventors
rests on the general sentiment underlying all civilized law, that a man
should be protected in the enjoyment of the fruits of his own labour.

LITERARY COPYRIGHT

Historical account.

2. _United Kingdom._--On the invention of printing (see PRESS LAWS) the
crown, or other sovereign powers, granted patents or licences with the
object of restricting the right of multiplying copies of literary works,
and this supervision of publication still has certain historical
results. A special kind of what amounts to perpetual copyright in
various publications has for various reasons been recognized by the laws
(1) in the crown, and (2) in the universities and colleges. The various
copyright acts, referred to below, except from their provisions the
copyrights vested in the two English and the four Scottish universities,
Trinity College, Dublin, and the colleges of Eton, Westminster and
Winchester. Crown copyrights are saved by the general principle which
exempts crown rights from the operation of statutes unless they are
expressly mentioned. Among the books in which the crown has claimed
copyright are the English translation of the Bible, the Book of Common
Prayer, statutes, orders of privy council, proclamations, almanacs,
Lilly's Latin Grammar, year books and law reports. The copyright in the
Bible is rested by some on the king's position as head of the church;
Lord Lyndhurst rested it on his duties as the chief executive officer of
the state charged with the publication of authorized manuals of
religion. The right of printing the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer
is vested in the king's printer and the universities of Oxford and
Cambridge. These copyrights do not extend to prohibit independent
translations from the original. The obsolete copyright of the crown in
Lilly's Latin Grammar was founded on the fact of its having been drawn
up at the king's expense. The universities have a joint right (with the
crown's patentees) of printing acts of parliament. Law reports were
decided to be the property of the crown in the reign of Charles II.; by
act of parliament they were forbidden to be published without licence
from the chancellor and the chiefs of the three courts, and this form of
licence remained in use after the act had expired. University and
college copyrights we