Engraving Copyright Act 1734

The Engraving Copyright Act 1734 (commonly called Hogarth's Act), formally read in Parliament in March 1734/35 and in force from June 1735, was a British law granting engravers copyright protection over their original designs, shielding them from having their work copied and sold without permission or payment.

Background

William Hogarth, together with fellow engravers, lobbied for the law after unauthorized copies of his popular prints undercut his income; the resulting act is considered one of the earliest pieces of legislation to extend copyright protection to visual artists rather than only to authors of written works. Hogarth reportedly withheld publication of A Harlot's Progress until the law took effect so that the prints would be covered by its protections.

See also

• William Hogarth
• A Harlot's Progress