Abstract

This paper argues against the assertion that several of Kant’s writings were published in the form of pirate editions. It seeks to establish that most of the the editions in question (printed between 1769 and 1803) were lawfully printed. Presumably, these editions were to be sold exclusively at book fairs in Frankfurt and Leipzig; both locations are printed on their title pages, although no information on the publisher is provided. The paper also presents crucial results of detailed comparisons of all contemporary editions of Kant’s writings and delivers a short historical sketch of eighteenth-century copyright law and the philosophical debate on this topic. Finally, the importance of book fairs for trading and selling books at that time is emphasized.