Cum privilegio: Licensing of the Press Act of 1662.

The article looks at the history of copyright, focusing on the British Licensing of the Press Act of 1662. It outlines the law, including a requirement for printed materials to be registered with the government-affiliated Stationers' Co., a limit on the number of printing presses, and the limit of copyright to the person registering a title. Topics include enforcement of the law and its replacement by a different copyright statute in 1710, proposed U.S. copyright changes, and censorship.