Ordonnance de Montpellier
Encyclopedia
The Ordonnance de Montpellier, signed on December 28, 1537 by Francis I of France
, established the first legal deposit
system.
In the Ordonnance, Francis decreed that no book be sold in France until a copy was deposited in his library. The decree was not widely followed and the legal deposit requirement abolished in the French Revolution
.
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, established the first legal deposit
Legal deposit
Legal deposit is a legal requirement that a person or group submit copies of their publications to a repository, usually a library. The requirement is mostly limited to books and periodicals. The number of copies varies and can range from one to 19 . Typically, the national library is one of the...
system.
In the Ordonnance, Francis decreed that no book be sold in France until a copy was deposited in his library. The decree was not widely followed and the legal deposit requirement abolished in the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.