Poor Richard Revised: Benjamin Franklin and the Ritual Economy of Copyright in Colonial America

Abstract

Benjamin Franklin was the most prolific and profitable author in colonial America. Work on the history of intellectual property has increasingly identified Franklin as a central figure, particularly in the philosophical development of American copyright law. His understanding and use of what we now think of as intellectual property are potentially illustrative of its emerging theorization in the eighteenth century. Evidence of this can be found in his thoughts and actions regarding copyright and patent specifically, as well as related issues such as the attribution and development of ideas. Adapted from economic anthropology, the theory of ritual economy provides a framework through which to consider how Franklin’s worldview materialized in everyday economic practices, including interactions with proto-intellectual property issues.