Privilegi librari a Milano (secc. XV-XVI)

The development of a system of printing privileges in Milan is very similar to that of Venice. Following the first privilege “pro arte introducenda” the system of printing privileges began to flourish; as in Venice, they did not involve just the exclusive right to print a work but also guaranteed a protected market for the edition by prohibiting the sale and import of identical editions. In Milan, however, from the fifteenth century onwards privileges also began to be granted for works which were printed outside the State of Milan, thus offering protection to printers who were not Milanese subjects. Eventually, towards the end of the sixteenth century, and given the notable weakness of the printing trade, both the State and the Church in Milan were active in protecting certain individuals in the trade who were thus given an advantage over their rivals thanks to preventive privileges and fiscal exemptions.