The Decision
Motte, without power to halt the introduction of Faulkner's work on his own, asked Swift to intervene, but Swift passively refused. Even without the backing of Swift, Motte turned to the English legal system to halt the introduction of Faulkner's edition. Motte issued a Bill of Complaint and sued under the Statute of Anne, claiming that Faulkner's publishing of the 1735 Works infringed on his right to publish works like Gulliver's Travels. The case was heard by the Court of Chancery, and they agreed with Motte in a ruling by Lord Talbot, the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. In the 28 November 1735, it was determined Motte could put forth an injunction to the whole of Swift's works. Although works like the Drapier's Letters were not under Motte's copyright and some works were printed before 1709, Faulkner's complete work was legally brought to a halt from being published in England.
Read more about this topic: Motte V Faulkner
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