Page "Statute of Anne" Paragraph 14

Authors, as well as Stationers, then joined the demand for a new system of licensing.

Jonathan Swift was a strong advocate for licensing, and Daniel Defoe wrote on 8 November 1705 that with the absence of licensing, " One Man Studies Seven Year, to bring a finish'd Peice into the World, and a Pyrate Printer, Reprints his Copy immediately, and Sells it for a quarter of the Price ... these things call for an Act of Parliament ".

Seeing this, the Company took the opportunity to experiment with a change to their approach and argument.

Instead of lobbying because of the impact the absence of legislation was having on their trade, they lobbied on behalf of the authors, but seeking the same things.

The first indication of this change in approach comes from the 1706 pamphlet by John How, a stationer, titled Reasons humbly Offer'd for a Bill for the Encouragement of Learning and the Improvement of Printing.

This argued for a return to licensing, not with reference to the printers, but because without something to protect authors and guarantee them an income, " Learned men will be wholly discouraged from Propagating the most useful Parts of Knowledge and Literature ".

Using these new tactics and the support of authors, the Company petitioned Parliament again in both 1707 and 1709 to introduce a bill providing for copyright.