King James Bible

King James Bible Copyright Status

The Authorized Version is still under copyright protection in the United Kingdom, although it has moved no copyright status and is legally reproduced in most other parts of the world. In the United Kingdom, however, the British Crown holds the copyrights under a perpetual Crown copyright. Publishers are only allowed to reproduce the King James Version only after receiving letters patent.

In Wales, Northern Ireland and England the office of Queens Printer holds letters patent as does the Scottish Bible Board in Scotland. The office of Queen's printer has had the right to reproduce the King James Bible for several centuries. The earliest known reference of a reproduction made by the office of the Queen's printer was in 1577, 430 years ago. During the 1700s, John Baskett bought all the surviving interests in the monopoly of who could reproduce the King James Bible. Baskett then distributed the rights to reproduce the Bible amongst a number of printers.

The Queen's printer of England, Wales and Northern Ireland became known as the Cambridge University Press. The Cambridge University Press inherited the right to reproduce the King James Version in 1990 after taking over the firm of Eyre and Spottiswoode.

The copyright protection that the King James Version (as well as the Book of Common Prayer) has is a reminder of the era when the Crown held complete control over all the printing and publishing that happened in the United Kingdom. This copyright protection states that only those publishers who hold letters patent are allowed to reproduce the Bible independently of the Queen's Printer. The ruling also prohibits the importing of Authorized Versions into the United Kingdom. Even though there is a freedom to reproduce the Bible freely in other parts of the world, the United Kingdom maintains its hold on the copyright privileges and will only allow those authorized with letters patent to make reproductions.