Thomas East and Music Publishing in Renaissance England

the long version

"In the London of William Shakespeare and William Byrd, Thomas East was the premier printer of music, and a major figure in the flourishing publishing industry. Prominent composers, including Byrd and Thomas Morley, published almost exclusively with East. Indeed, very little happened in the music trade that did not figure in East's sphere of interest or influence." "In Thomas East and Music Publishing in Renaissance England, Jeremy Smith not only tells the story of this influential player in early English music publishing, but also offers a vivid portrait of a bustling and competitive industry, in which composers, patrons, publishers, and tradesmen sparred for creative control and financial success. From this lively market, beset as it was by monopolies and lawsuits, a prototype of today's copyright system emerged."--Jacket.