> The point was to promote the creation of new creative works for profit, profit of money and profit of learning. The first copyright law in the world, the Sta

> The point was to promote the creation of new creative works for profit, profit of money and profit of learning. The first copyright law in the world, the Statute of Anne[1] specifically mentions money in the preamble: > Whereas Printers, Booksellers, and other Persons, have of late frequently taken the Liberty of Printing, Reprinting, and Publishing, or causing to be Printed, Reprinted, and Published Books, and other Writings, without the Consent of the Authors or Proprietors of such Books and Writings, to their very great Detriment, and too often to the Ruin of them and their Families: For Preventing therefore such Practices for the future, and for the Encouragement of Learned Men to Compose and Write useful Books; (As an aside, I'm so glad English moved away from German or we'd still be using capital letters everywhere!) Authors of the time were arguing against censorship, monopolies formed by powerful printers, and to make money they felt they were owed. As Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, is quoted as saying in that article: > One Man Studies Seven Year, to bring a finish'd Peice into the World, and a Pyrate Printer, Reprints his Copy immediately, and Sells it for a quarter of the Price ... these things call for an Act of Parliament Let's not misrepresent history to fit our own dispositions today. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statute_of_Anne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statute_of_Anne