Scottish Court of Session Decisions

Subject_1 LITERARY PROPERTY.

Hinton
v.
Donaldson

Date: 28 July 1773
Case No. No 2.

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Alexander Donaldson, and others, having reprinted and published, in Scotland, an edition of Stackhouse's History of the Bible, Hinton of London, who laid claim to the property of that work, not under the statute of Queen Anne, but in virtue of a supposed common-law right derived from the original publisher, brought action in the Court of Session against Donaldson and others, for damages and reparation, on account of this encroachment on his alleged right; but the Court, after a full discussion of the question, being of opinion, that such a right did not exist in authors or publishers at common law, assoilzied from the action.

Fol. Dic. v. 3. p. 388.