Venice Patent Law

Dear Friends

working at the European patent Office, I was glad to receive from our Alexei the information that yesterday 19/03/2014 was the "540th year since when the Venetian senate passed the first known written law with the aim of granting patents and establish their enforcement as a means of protection.  It was a law which recognised the public interest in innovation, granting exclusive rights for a period in exchange for the full disclosure". In looking to the document sent by Alexei (see the image) it is possible to see that it is written neither in Latin, nor in Italian, but rather in a cultivated “Vulgar”. Surprisingly, I arrived to read its passages. In particular this one that

Summarize the document: “Stando prohibido a chadun altro, i alguna tezza e luogo mo far algun altro artificio a imagine e similundine a quello senza consentimento e grazia del auctor, fino a ani X” i.e.: Being prohibited to any other else, to a third or in a place to make an-

Other artefact in image and likeness of that one without consent and grace of the author, for ten years. However, thanks to Alexei here is the complete document both in Vulgar and in English translation. Any comment from your sid is welcome.

Salutations

Giancarlo

  

  Mcccclxxiiij. Die xviiij Martij

‘El sono in questa cità, et anche a la zornada per la grandeza et bonta soa
concorre, homeni da diuerse bande et acutissimi ingegni, apti ad excogitar
et trouar varii ingegnosi artificii. Et se’l fosse prouisto, che le opere et artificii
trouade da loro altri viste che le hauesseno, no[n] podesseno farle, e tuor l’honor
suo, simel homeni exercitariano l’ingegno, troueriano, et fariano de le chosse,
che sariano de non picola utilità et beneficio ad stado nostro.Però l’andarà parte
che per auctorità de questo [Co]nseio, chadaun che farà in questa cità algun nuouo
et ingegnoso artificio, non facto per avanti nel Dominio nostro, reducto che’el sarà a
perfection, si che el se possi usar, et exercitar, sia tegnudo darlo in nota al officio
di nostri Prouededori de Commun. Siando prohibito a chadaun altro in alguna terra
e luogo nostrro, far algun altro artificio, ad imagine et similitudine de quello senza
consentimento et licentia del auctor, fino ad anni X. Et tamen, se algun el fesse,
l’auctor et inventor predicto, habia libertà poderlo citar a chadaun officio de
questa cità, dal qual officio el dicto, che hauesse contrafacto, sia astreto a pagarli
ducati cento, et l’artificio, subito sia desfacto. Siando però in libertà de la nostra Signoria,
ad ogni suo piaxer, tuor et usar nei suoi bisogni chadaun di dicti artificii, et
instrumenti, Cum questa però condition, che altri ch’a i auctori
non li possi exercitar.

De parte _____ 116 non sinceri _____ 3
De non _____ 10

              \Sapientissimi Consiliarii CX
              Ser Andreus Correr(?) mil.o
              Ser Ludouicus Fulctro doctor
              Ser Paulus Anauzoceno
              Ser Bernardii Fustrin mil.o
              Ser Vitalo Lando doct mil.o

              Capi [di] terra ferma.
              Ser Antonio de Priolus
              Ser Lodouicus Falctro
              Ser Zachar Barbaro mil.o
              Ser Benedictus Triuisano./

1474, 19 March

There are men in this city, and also there come other persons every day from different
places by reason of its greatness and goodness, who have most clever minds, capable
of devising and inventing all kinds of ingenious contrivances. And should it be
legislated that the works and contrivances invented by them could not be copied and
made by others so that they are deprived of their honour, men of such kind would
exert their minds, invent and make things that would be of no small utility and benefit
to our State. Therefore, the decision has been made that, by authority of this Council,
any person in this city who makes any new and ingenious contrivances not made
heretofore in our Dominion, shall, as soon as it is perfected so that it can be used and
exercised, give notice of the same to the office of our Provveditori di Comun, having
been forbidden up to ten years to any other person in any territory and place of ours to
make a contrivance in the form and resemblance of that one without the consent and
license of the author. And if nevertheless someone should make it, the aforesaid
author and inventor will have the liberty to cite him before any office of this city,
which office will force the aforesaid infringer to pay him the sum of one hundred
ducats and immediately destroy the contrivance. But our Government will be free, at
its complete discretion, to take and use for its needs any of the said contrivances and
instruments, with this condition, however, that no one other than the authors shall
operate them.

In favour _____ 116 non sincere _____ 3
Against _____ 10


Left margin: The wisest Councillors CX
Ser Andreus Correr(?) mil.o
Ser Ludouicus Fulctro doctor
Ser Paulus Anauzoceno
Ser Bernardii Fustrin mil.o
Ser Vitalo Lando doct mil.o

Heads of the Terra Ferma
Ser Antonio de Priolus
Ser Lodouicus Falctro
Ser Zachar Barbaro mil.o
Ser Benedictus Triuisano.