Engraving Copyright Act 1734
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An act for the encouragement of the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints, by vesting the properties thereof in the inventors and engravers, during the time therein mentioned. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 8 Geo. 2. c. 13 |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 15 May 1735 |
| Commencement | 24 June 1735 |
| Repealed | 1 July 1912 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | Statute of Anne |
| Amended by |
|
| Repealed by | Copyright Act 1911 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Engraving Copyright Act 1734 or Engravers' Copyright Act 1734 (8 Geo. 2. c. 13) was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain first read on 4 March 1734/35 and eventually passed on 25 June 1735 to give protections to producers of engravings. It is also called Hogarth's Act after William Hogarth, who prompted the law together with some fellow engravers. Historian Mark Rose notes, "The Act protected only those engravings that involved original designs and thus, implicitly, made a distinction between artists and mere craftsmen. Soon, however, Parliament was persuaded to extend protection to all engravings."
This act was one of the Copyright Acts 1734 to 1888.