Donaldson v Becket dealt with disputed rights over James Thomson's "The Seasons" and was in essence an appeal to Millar v Taylor.
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| Photograph of Frontispiece – The Seasons by James Thomson Printed for A. Donaldson (1768) |
In 1771, Thomas Becket filed a bill in Chancery against Alexander Donaldson, a Scottish bookseller, seeking an injunction to prevent him from printing Thomson’s work. An interlocutory injunction was granted and a year later the case was heard before Lord Chancellor Apsley. Repeated Millar, the Lord decreed that the injunction granted be made perpetual. Donaldson appealed. In January 1774, his petition was read before the House of Lords which, overturning Millar, failed to find an authoritative legal precedent in support of the perpetual rights of authors.
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| Photograph of pp. 1-2 Donaldson's print (1768) |
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| Photograph of pp. 45-46 Donaldson's print (1768) |
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| Photograph of pp. 113-114 Donaldson's print (1768) |
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| Photograph of pp. 163-164 Donaldson's print (1768) |
Full citation: Donaldson v Becket, (1774) 4 Burr. 2408
For a commentary: Deazley, R. (2008) ‘Commentary on Donaldson v. Becket (1774)', in Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
