William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield

William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield (March 2, 1705 - March 20, 1793), was a British judge and politician who reached high office in the House of Lords.

Lord Mansfield and copyright law

Lord Mansfield's role in an important decision in formation of copyright law is seen as uncharacteristicly short-sighted. In Millar v. Taylor, Mansfield held in favor of an English publisher, who argued that a common law right to copyright continued after the limited term granted under the Statute of Anne expired. While his decision in the case is seen as a logical deduction, it is criticized for ignoring the context of the Statute of Anne as a response, following the English Civil War, to the monopolies of the Crown. By upholding a common law right to copyright, Mansfield ruled in favor of a copyright that would never expire and sidesteped the intent of the Statute of Anne to create a public domain. Mansfield's ruling was overruled in a later decision by the House of Lords, Donaldson v. Beckett.

Related Topics:
Copyright - Millar v. Taylor - Common law - Statute of Anne - English Civil War - Public domain - House of Lords - Donaldson v. Beckett

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