Distinguished Toastmaster
BUSINESS & BRANDING COACH . LIFE & LEADERSHIP STRATEGIST MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER SERVING ENTREPRENEURS &
MAIN STREET

MAGNA CARTA The GRANDMOTHER Of IP   [ You Are On This CLICKs Page ]

________________________________________________________
Do You Know Why MAGNA CARTA's 800th Birthday Bash Celebrates IP (intellectual Property)...?        (c) Carrie Devorah :
________________________________________________________

CELEBRATING MAGNA CARTA 800TH ANNIVERSARY The BIGGEST birthday bash for Intellectual Property rights is coming up in a year or two. Not long to wait, in light of the big fete coming up. The occassion? Why, for the Magna Carta, of course. The Magna Carta Libertatum or The Great Charter of the Liberties of England, is going to be turning 800 years young. While some will be celebrating history of the Sacred document, the greatest blowout bash of them all should be put on by Property Owners around the English Judicial System world, in reminder to Governments, Judiciaries, lobbyists and wonks, the Old Girl is 800 years young in the face of technology challenging Property Rights. Better men and women than Technology’s Titans have tried to remove Property Rights from the people before. They have come and gone.

The Magna Carta lives on.

Twenty eight Parliamentarians in the United Kingdom have signed on to a resolution planning to acknowledge a moment Americans have lost sight of. Within just a few years of America’s bi-centennial, the Magna Carta gift from the Brits was relegated to the United States Capitol’s ‘almost basement’, the Crypt. The Crypt? Where George Washington was almost buried until someone decided a great idea isn’t a good idea if it violates the Dead  Man’s Will, even a late President’s no matter if George’s widow Martha had been convinced taking him on a final tour from Mount Vernon to the Seat of Government, for eternity was a neat thing to do.

So that is where the British gift of Property Rights For the People sits at this time, in the almost- basement of Capitol Hill, removed from its spot of prominence in the Rotunda in 2010. Historically influential and relevant documents like statues or documents that influence Property Rights have a way of moving around the Hill. A Congressional resolution authorized its placement in the Rotunda before it was moved a floor down, to the Crypt. No word if the downgrading of the display to the Crypt was Congressionally authorized, too.

The Magna Carta? Not top of the list of interns ‘bibles’ to talk about when taking constituents on a look-see of Capitol Hill. The oversized cumbersome artswork sits off to the side. The details the artist put into his symbolism is quite complicated, one could easily bet even Brits don’t recall without taking a peek at crib sheets. The gift has taken on the momentum of that ‘wedding’ or ‘engagement’ gift that you never would have bought for yourself but were in an awkward position unable to say no to so it gets moved around and around and never put away JUST so you don’t offend Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Phil show up and want to see it and, oh heck, why didn’t they just give cash which would have been more practical.’ So there is sits, in the dim corner of the Crypt, a place designed for dead people. Most tours go right to Ground Zero for the obligatory toe shot atop the marble floor compass where North, South, East and West come together before walking the corridors from South to North, from the House to the Senate, under the rotunda, the Magna Carta was removed from.

Wrongly.

Young rappers might be thinking The Magna Carta is Jay Z’s newest album as titled “Magna Carta… Holy Grail.” It is not. The Magna Carta is an amazing historical document, The Magna Carta, Latin for “Great Charter” is all about Life and Freedom, fiscal and otherwise, for entrepreneurs and innovators. The Magna Carter is the gift of Financial Independence, or used to be until Technological Titans decided Property Rights was an Old World idea that needed to be done away with, not replaced, done away with.

The old American young rapper turned Mega Millionaire, Jay Z, lost a teaching moment of history that might actually bump the rapper’s sales in 2015 from potential confusion by human beat boxes emanating from historic illiteracy. Jay Z could have “attributed” his album’s name to the Angevin charter written in Latin creating a relevant moment addressing Commerce from music and the Arts In a world of 2D IP and ID. Jay Z still has the opportunity to teach his followers the lessons of forty men, citizens, who, in standing up to their leader John, King of England, in the year 1215, taught him his lesson of humility- people have  Rights To Their Property, something it seems legislators- Senators, Congressmen, Lords, Ladies, Baroness’, Counts, Marques’ and Members of Parliament seem to look beyond, while debating then legislating about Culture, Media, Intellectual Property, Housing, Education, Security, in Committee and out, in Judiciary and Small Business, not only in England and America but throughout the EU and Beyond-  the Magna Carta rocks, still to this day.

Long before America was born, long before America’s current political demise, England’s crown, King John, was faced by his People. June 15, 1215, the Feudal Barons gathered in the face of their King, in the field at Runnymede, near Windsor Castle. The Barons Charter, the Magna Carta, was clear. The Barons’ were going to protect their privileges with laws limiting their King’s powers. The Magna Carta expressed that government was subject to the same laws itself as its subjects, themselves. The Charter required King John, to (a) accept that his will was not arbitrary (b) that “No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the law of the land" (c ) that "To no one will We sell, to no one will We deny or delay, right or justice.”

King John wanted to avoid a Civil War. Thirteen copies of Magna Carta were hand written in Medieval Latin on parchment that was then distributed throughout England. The King affixed his seal to the Magna Carta, a document that went on to become sacred in Law and Rule. Four of those original thirteen documents survive to this day. Though the Magna Carta, the Charter continues to proclaim certain liberties, it wasn’t always that easy or that way. Ten weeks after King John had consented and signed the document, Pope Innocent III nullified the Magna Carta. England fell into war with itself- English against English. 

Those Four historic surviving original Charters of Intellectual Property Rights will be brought together in 2015- one from Lincoln Cathedral, another from Salisbury Cathedral, and two from the British Library. There are later versions of the Magna Carta around. In fact, one of the later year copies, 1297 updates, resides in DC.

Now, as a document about Freedoms and Rights, the Magna Carta was not the  original, a first. As with most creative sorts, the iconic document’s authors inspiration for their 2D IP, Intellectual Property had been copied from the written word of the Charter of Liberties. The Charter of Liberties was written in 1100. King Henry the First had limited his own powers. The Charter of Liberties was translated in to French in 1219, then re-issued in the 13th Century. The Charter, originally called THE GREAT CHARTER OF THE LIBERTIES OF ENGLAND AND OF THE LIBERTIES OF THE FOREST, passed in to law in 1225, still sitting to this day on the Welsh and English statute books. Lord Baron Tom Denning, oft called the people’s Judge, said the Magna Carta is "the greatest constitutional document of all times – the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot."  Lord Irvine, when Baron Denning passed, said in tribute,: "The name Denning was a byword for the law itself. His judgments were models of simple English which ordinary people understood." Sometimes, Legislators don’t understand, so in tribute to Lord Denning, hear this- the people struggling to make ends meet, get it, that without ideas, they don’t make money. Without money, they don’t pay tuition, mortgages, put food on the table, clothes on thier back or taxes that keep you in governance, while Technological Titans taking 2D IP, ID and Commerce without compensation to the 2D IP owner, squire their billions away, legally and otherwise- on shore, off shore, in for-profits dba as non profits, as charity leaders somehow pulling down hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries or getting millions of dollars in grants from governments. (Stay tuned.) People today want what people in 1215 wanted- dignity, respect and honor.

The Magna Carta’s evolution is from a Medieval period icon reminding a King he was bound by the Peoples Law, on a journey to becoming Sacred Text inspiring the new America’s settlers from which to create the Constitution of the United States. Even with having migrated from England to an uncharted world, the Colonists moral compass was the bring along the foundational guarantees they had as Englishmen in England- the Magna Carta. Constitutional Law, that evolved from the Magna Carta, became rule of the land in the colonies. The Colonists went on to defer to the Habeas Curpus Act of 1679, the Petition of Right of 1628, the Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Act of Settlement of 1701. New world, new start. New beginnings.

And old ways… it seems. One can only wonder how and why the SCOTUS neglect the Magna Carta’s relevance in the decisions they ponder. Eighteen allegorical and historical influencers of Law sit above the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, sculpted on the frieze above them- North, East, West and South. King John holds the Magna Carta (www.godinthetemplesofgovernment.com) Now, I know Justice Ginsberg says she defers to the Torah for Chase Chase Peace- Rodef Shalom when she ponders decisions. How is it not one of the Justices pondered the Magna Carta when it came to Microsoft v Perfect 10.

There is something to be celebrated on Magna Carta Day 2015. Celebrants of Copyright Integrity should calendar in some partying too, a Worldwide Magna Carta Property Rights Day, reinforcing that Magna Carta Property Rights is almost, but not quite, a thousand years young. Soon. America’s Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, “no person shall . . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,” is the Magna Carta's guarantee of the People’s right to Property, core to the conversation of 2D IP, ID and Commerce, to this very day.

Grin, well, if there isnt one, there aught to be. In America and Europe, too. Ya think?

The Magna Carta artwork on display in the Capitol, was made by artist Louis Osman in England. Osman is the artisan who crafted the Crown for Prince Charles’ investiture, a token gift presented by the British Government to the United States celebrating Americas bicentennial independence. June 3, 1976, Representatives of the British Parliament formally presented their gift at a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda and the United States Congress. Something to be said about toddlers even those two hundred years young, sometimes they don’t appreciate the value of a fine gift or have the etiquette to honor its giver even when it is not their taste and difficult to understand, which is not the case if American Legislators, and British too, grasp, the Magna Carta’s relevancy is eternal. FOrty feudal Barons who took on their King in a field outside his Castle, on principle and in order to do better than just survive from the fruit of their labors. The forty Barons stood up for the right for generations to come, including Jay Z, to create, innovate, design and yes, sing for more than their supper in Jay Z’s case- to profit.

Simple enough concept isnt it, a teaching lessons no interns would easily forget. The Magna Carta tells a Capitol Hill intern that with ownership of their Property Rights, they too can become CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg, Erich Schmidt, Tim Case, and YaHOO!

Sure, Capitol Hill interns can go on and recite the Architect of the Capitol notes to constituent Interns tour through the Capitol. The AOC’s notes describe the Magna Carta’s display pedestal is made of Yorkshire sandstone mixed with pegmatite, a rare three-billion-year-old volcanic stone from the Outer Hebrides. The artwork of the document sits in a presentation case flat hinged gold and white enamel stainless steel, crafted into like a box. The inner gold panel exhibits raised gold text duplicating the Magna Carta text; gold replicas of King John’s seal are bottom left of the document. Gold incised letters forming the English translation of Magna Carta are on the glass center divider. A gold plate sits upper part of the box….

The AOC’s notes on the Magna Carta glide past another teaching moment, I caught while working on my God project (www.godinthetemplesofgovernment.com). A biblical allegory you wont hear Legislators espouse often if at all, yet relevant in a conversation rocking the Hill- the debate over Adam and Eve versus Adam and Steve. So much for talking points not in their face.

Gift aside, relevancy of the blossoms on the Tree of Life’s branches are wrapped with blossoms of the Tudor Rose of England- white for the House of York, red for the House of Lancaster symbolizing the Conflict’s resolution, opposite sides intertwined red into white then in to peace. A shamrock was set celebrating Ireland; daffodils speaks for  Wales, the thistles stand for Scotland. The Oak, for Britain, becomes a gold and silver Royal Coat of Arms, set with gems, complete with the Unicorn and Lion, similar to those seen on top Streets in London. The snake, well… grin, probably shouldn’t go there. The ivy is to protect. The apples… well, we have to go there… are the Forbidden Fruit. And, it gets better- the mistletoe represents Family, Loyalty and Affection. Hmm, wondering if this is why the Gift from the British government was demoted a floor down. Well, the figures are suggestive of a 13th century illuminated document’s artistry.

The story that is priceless is Britain’s gift, beyond the gift reminding the Property Rights have lived on for Centuries, is the story told in Osman’s work- Union between a Man and a Woman. Fifty diamonds grace the dove. Symbolism? The 50 states (www.godinthetemplesofgovernment.com). The plate is engraved with symbolic designs of the sun, the moon, Adam and Eve, a crab with black pearls eyes, an emerald eyed dragon and a dove of peace with sapphire eyes. Eve’s hair is decorated with diamond has diamond stars in her hair. The raindrops are pearls. The Tree of Life stands, fed by four rivers of Paradise.

No irony lost. Without water feeding the roots of a tree, a Tree withers and dies. Without Artistic Freedom of Expression, religious, secular or other, entrepreneurial innovation afforded by Property Rights the Magna Carta provides, a country will not prosper.

America’s copy of the Ancient Relic, probably wont be invited to the UK’s Grand Blowout in 2015. America’s copy from 1297, sits in the National Archives on Constitution Avenue in Washington DC blocks up from the White House and blocks down from Congress. Copies of the copy can be bought in the gift shop. No word on if heirs of the Forty Feudals are DNA’d, cloned alive to Patent Troll it or squat on its domain. Wink. December 18, 2007, financier David Rubenstein bought the last privately owned copy of the Magna Carta, one of the surviving originals of the 1297 text, the version entered into England’s official Statute Rolls. The precious document sold at Sotheby’s New York auction house for $21.3 million. Rubinstein lent his M.C. to the National Archives, along with $13.5 million to build a new gallery and Visitor’s Center.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt had said in his 1941 Inaugural address "The democratic aspiration is no mere recent phase in human history . . . It was written in Magna Carta." Why if History and World leaders have got the Magna Carta’s “IT” so right, is it that in these modern times, Legislators are getting “IT” so wrong. As I am oft to say, over and over and over again, if need be, IT ISNT ABOUT JOBS its about owning our own 2D IP, ID and COMMERCE the Technological Titans deceived you into legislatively freeing… that said, for Technological Titans to profit from at the expense of who you used to be- both sides of the pond.

Titles are fine but they don’t pay for estates that have been in the family for centuries. Lords and Ladies and Counts and et al are suffering the same loss of incomes and IP the poorest person at the edge of town is losing. How can you expect to keep your family in history if you continue to be PC and give the baby away with the Bank (American slang for money.) Secret here, when you lose the Castle, the developers will cross the moat and convert your kingdom into pricey condos Churches and Heritage are being converted into in America.

I would think that America’s On-Top-Of-Things legislators will get this influential icon of Intellectual Property out of the Capitol basement, dust it off before returning it back to its former place of prominence I photographed it at for my God project (www.godinthetemplesofgovernment.com), right in full view where Legislators cannot help but look at it each time they pass to and from votes, events and, just because it is the right thing to do. And maybe even, the Architect of the Capitol will spring for one of the cheap copies of the Original Magna Carta text being sold at the Archives. Better yet, my illuminated documents are in museums around the world. Have your people call my people. Lets be honest between girls here, the gift is a bit gaudy. The message of forty Feudal Barons from 1215 is lost.

Mr. Rubenstein, can I get a donation from you of over 600 copies of the Magna Carta to place on walls outside Legislators doors, Christmas in August present, for when they come back to Congress? Then maybe, maybe the next time the Legislators cite the Founding Fathers they will take that ONE simple moment to remind people the Integrity of their Copyright, their Intellectual Property, is a global conversation America cannot fight alone. Maybe like children, Legislators need reminding that we all started somewhere and sometimes to move forward you have to look back. Globally, Property Rights is inherent to nations moving forward.

As for me, though my dance card is open. Am seeing my planning help needed… Do-over called for. 28 signers on a document heralding the game changing moment when Forty Feudal Barrons stood up  back in 1215? Should be Forty for those Forty.  Twin signers of 2013 with a Signer from 1215. I am anticipating my invitation to Magna Carta celebrations in tribute to my bringing both sides of the pond back to Square One in the conversation of Intellectual Property Rights Ownership - planning, celebrating the Original Document - the Magna Carta…. and talking more of Copyright Integrity

---

UK BILL TO ACKNOWLEDGE 800th BIRTHDAY OF THE MAGNA CARTA

Session: 2013-14    Date tabled: 16.07.2013                                                                  
Primary sponsor: Frank Dobson                                                                                    
Sponsors (co-sponsors):   Frank Field, Edward Leigh, Karl McCartney, Penny Mordaunt, Andrew Stunell Field

“That this House welcomes the announcement that the four surviving original copies of Magna Carta will be brought together for the first time in history in 2015 to mark the 800th anniversary of its issue; notes that Magna Carta is one of the world's most famous documents and that its principles are echoed in the British constitution and others around the world; congratulates the British Library, Lincoln Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral on uniting the original copies; further welcomes the chance for 1215 members of the public to see the manuscripts side-by-side in a special event; further welcomes the opportunity for scholars to see the documents together for the first time; and looks forward to the celebrations of Magna Carta's anniversary in two years' time.

Showing 28 out of 28                                                                                                     
DATE SIGNED:  16.07.2013                                                                                         
Frank Dobson . Frank Field . Pat Glass . Andrew Stunnell . Penny Mordaunt . Edward Leigh

DATE SIGNED:  17.07.2013                                                                                          
Martin Caton . Jim Dobbin . Jim Cunningham . Jeffrey Donaldson . David Simpson . Virenda Sharma  . Jim Shannon . Alan Meale . Karl McCartney . Kelvin Hopkins . Mike Hancock . Khalid Mahmood

DATE SIGNED:  18.07.2013                                                                                          
Peter Bottomley . Hugh Bayley . Graham Brady . Paul Flynn . Mike Gapes . Andrew George . Mary Glindon . John Leech . Bob Russell . Martin Vickers

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
MAGNA CARTA TRANSLATION :
________________________________________________________________

[Preamble] Edward by the grace of God King of England, lord of Ireland and duke of Aquitaine sends greetings to all to whom the present letters come. We have inspected the great charter of the lord Henry, late King of England, our father, concerning the liberties of England in these words:

Henry by the grace of God King of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine and count of Anjou sends greetings to his archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, sheriffs, reeves, ministers and all his bailiffs and faithful men inspecting the present charter. Know that we, at the prompting of God and for the health of our soul and the souls of our ancestors and successors, for the glory of holy Church and the improvement of our realm, freely and out of our good will have given and granted to the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons and all of our realm these liberties written below to hold in our realm of England in perpetuity.

[1] In the first place we grant to God and confirm by this our present charter for ourselves and our heirs in perpetuity that the English Church is to be free and to have all its rights fully and its liberties entirely. We furthermore grant and give to all the freemen of our realm for ourselves and our heirs in perpetuity the liberties written below to have and to hold to them and their heirs from us and our heirs in perpetuity.

[2] If any of our earls or barons, or anyone else holding from us in chief by military service should die, and should his heir be of full age and owe relief, the heir is to have his inheritance for the ancient relief, namely the heir or heirs of an earl for a whole county £100, the heir or heirs of a baron for a whole barony 100 marks, the heir or heirs of a knight for a whole knight’s fee 100 shillings at most, and he who owes less will give less, according to the ancient custom of (knights’) fees.

[3] If, however, the heir of such a person is under age, his lord is not to have custody of him and his land until he has taken homage from the heir, and after such an heir has been in custody, when he comes of age, namely at twenty-one years old, he is to have his inheritance without relief and without fine, saving that if, whilst under age, he is made a knight, his land will nonetheless remain in the custody of his lords until the aforesaid term.

[4] The keeper of the land of such an heir who is under age is only to take reasonable receipts from the heir’s land and reasonable customs and reasonable services, and this without destruction or waste of men or things. And if we assign custody of any such land to a sheriff or to anyone else who should answer to us for the issues, and such a person should commit destruction or waste, we will take recompense from him and the land will be assigned to two law-worthy and discreet men of that fee who will answer to us or to the person to whom we assign such land for the land’s issues. And if we give or sell to anyone custody of any such land and that person commits destruction or waste, he is to lose custody and the land is to be assigned to two law-worthy and discreet men of that fee who similarly will answer to us as is aforesaid.

[5] The keeper, for as long as he has the custody of the land of such (an heir), is to maintain the houses, parks, fishponds, ponds, mills and other things pertaining to that land from the issues of the same land, and he will restore to the heir, when the heir comes to full age, all his land stocked with ploughs and all other things in at least the same condition as when he received it. All these things are to be observed in the custodies of archbishoprics, bishoprics, abbeys, priories, churches and vacant offices which pertain to us, save that such custodies ought not to be sold.

[6] Heirs are to be married without disparagement.

[7] A widow, after the death of her husband, is immediately and without any difficulty to have her marriage portion and her inheritance, nor is she to pay anything for her dower or her marriage portion or for her inheritance which her husband and she held on the day of her husband’s death, and she shall remain in the chief dwelling place of her husband for forty days after her husband’s death, within which time dower will be assigned her if it has not already been assigned, unless that house is a castle, and if it is a castle which she leaves, then a suitable house will immediately be provided for her in which she may properly dwell until her dower is assigned to her in accordance with what is aforesaid, and in the meantime she is to have her reasonable necessities (estoverium) from the common property. As dower she will be assigned the third part of all the lands of her husband which were his during his lifetime, save when she was dowered with less at the church door. No widow shall be distrained to marry for so long as she wishes to live without a husband, provided that she gives surety that she will not marry without our assent if she holds of us, or without the assent of her lord, if she holds of another.

[8] Neither we nor our bailiffs will seize any land or rent for any debt, as long as the existing chattels of the debtor suffice for the payment of the debt and as long as the debtor is ready to pay the debt, nor will the debtor’s guarantors be distrained for so long as the principal debtor is able to pay the debt; and should the principal debtor default in his payment of the debt, not having the means to repay it, or should he refuse to pay it despite being able to do so, the guarantors will answer for the debt and, if they wish, they are to have the lands and rents of the debtor until they are repaid the debt that previously they paid on behalf of the debtor, unless the principal debtor can show that he is quit in respect to these guarantors.

[9] The city of London is to have all its ancient liberties and customs. Moreover we wish and grant that all other cities and boroughs and vills and the barons of the Cinque Ports and all ports are to have all their liberties and free customs.

[10] No-one is to be distrained to do more service for a knight’s fee or for any other free tenement than is due from it.

[11] Common pleas are not to follow our court but are to be held in a certain fixed place.

[12] Recognisances of novel disseisin and of mort d’ancestor are not to be taken save in their particular counties and in the following way. We or, should we be outside the realm, our chief justiciar, will send our justices once a year to each county, so that, together with the knights of the counties, that may take the aforesaid assizes in the counties; and those assizes which cannot be completed in that visitation of the county by our aforesaid justices assigned to take the said assizes are to be completed elsewhere by the justices in their visitation; and those which cannot be completed by them on account of the difficulty of various articles (of law) are to be referred to our justices of the Bench and completed there.

[13] Assizes of darrein presentment are always to be taken before our justices of the Bench and are to be completed there.

[14] A freeman is not to be amerced for a small offence save in accordance with the manner of the offence, and for a major offence according to its magnitude, saving his sufficiency (salvo contenemento suo), and a merchant likewise, saving his merchandise, and any villain other than one of our own is to be amerced in the same way, saving his necessity (salvo waynagio) should he fall into our mercy, and none of the aforesaid amercements is to be imposed save by the oath of honest and law-worthy men of the neighbourhood. Earls and barons are not to be amerced save by their peers and only in accordance with the manner of their offence.

[15] No town or free man is to be distrained to make bridges or bank works save for those that ought to do so of old and by right.

[16] No bank works of any sort are to be kept up save for those that were in defense in the time of King H(enry II) our grandfather and in the same places and on the same terms as was customary in his time.

[17] No sheriff, constable, coroner or any other of our bailiffs is to hold pleas of our crown.

[18] If anyone holding a lay fee from us should die, and our sheriff or bailiff shows our letters patent containing our summons for a debt that the dead man owed us, our sheriff or bailiff is permitted to attach and enroll all the goods and chattels of the dead man found in lay fee, to the value of the said debt, by view of law-worthy men, so that nothing is to be removed thence until the debt that remains is paid to us, and the remainder is to be released to the executors to discharge the will of the dead man, and if nothing is owed to us from such a person, all the chattels are to pass to the (use of) the dead man, saving to the dead man’s wife and children their reasonable portion.

[19] No constable or his bailiff is to take corn or other chattels from anyone who not themselves of a vill where a castle is built, unless the constable or his bailiff immediately offers money in payment of obtains a respite by the wish of the seller. If the person whose corn or chattels are taken is of such a vill, then the constable or his bailiff is to pay the purchase price within forty days.

[20] No constable is to distrain any knight to give money for castle guard if the knight is willing to do such guard in person or by proxy of any other honest man, should the knight be prevented from doing so by just cause. And if we take or send such a knight into the army, he is to be quit of (castle) guard in accordance with the length of time the we have him in the army for the fee for which he has done service in the army.

[21] No sheriff or bailiff of ours or of anyone else is to take anyone’s horses or carts to make carriage, unless he renders the payment customarily due, namely for a two-horse cart ten pence per day, and for a three-horse cart fourteen pence per day. No demesne cart belonging to any churchman or knight or any other lady (sic) is to be taken by our bailiffs, nor will we or our bailiffs or anyone else take someone else’s timber for a castle or any other of our business save by the will of he to whom the timber belongs.

[22] We shall not hold the lands of those convicted of felony save for a year and a day, whereafter such land is to be restored to the lords of the fees.

[23] All fish weirs (kidelli) on the Thames and the Medway and throughout England are to be entirely dismantled, save on the sea coast.

[24] The writ called ‘praecipe’ is not to be issued to anyone in respect to any free tenement in such a way that a free man might lose his court.

[25] There is to be a single measure for wine throughout our realm, and a single measure for ale, and a single measure for Corn, that is to say the London quarter, and a single breadth for dyed cloth, russets, and haberjects, that is to say two yards within the lists. And it shall be the same for weights as for measures.

[26] Henceforth there is to be nothing given for a writ of inquest from the person seeking an inquest of life or member, but such a writ is to be given freely and is not to be denied.

[27] If any persons hold from us at fee farm or in socage or burgage, and hold land from another by knight service, we are not, by virtue of such a fee farm or socage or burgage, to have custody of the heir or their land which pertains to another’s fee, nor are we to have custody of such a fee farm or socage or burgage unless this fee farm owes knight service. We are not to have the custody of an heir or of any land which is held from another by knight service on the pretext of some small serjeanty held from us by service of rendering us knives or arrows or suchlike things.

[28] No bailiff is henceforth to put any man on his open law or on oath simply by virtue of his spoken word, without reliable witnesses being produced for the same.

[29] No freeman is to be taken or imprisoned or disseised of his free tenement or of his liberties or free customs, or outlawed or exiled or in any way ruined, nor will we go against such a man or send against him save by lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land. To no-one will we sell or deny of delay right or justice.

[30] All merchants, unless they have been previously and publicly forbidden, are to have safe and secure conduct in leaving and coming to England and in staying and going through England both by land and by water to buy and to sell, without any evil exactions, according to the ancient and right customs, save in time of war, and if they should be from a land at war against us and be found in our land at the beginning of the war, they are to be attached without damage to their bodies or goods until it is established by us or our chief justiciar in what way the merchants of our land are treated who at such a time are found in the land that is at war with us, and if our merchants are safe there, the other merchants are to be safe in our land.

[31] If anyone dies holding of any escheat such as the honour of Wallingford, Boulogne, Nottingham, Lancaster or of other escheats which are in our hands and which are baronies, his heir is not to give any other relief or render any other service to us that would not have been rendered to the baron if the barony were still held by a baron, and we shall hold such things in the same way as the baron held them, nor, on account of such a barony or escheat, are we to have the escheat or custody of any of our men unless the man who held the barony or the escheat held elsewhere from us in chief.

[32] No free man is henceforth to give or sell any more of his land to anyone, unless the residue of his land is sufficient to render due service to the lord of the fee as pertains to that fee.

[33] All patrons of abbeys which have charters of the kings of England over advowson or ancient tenure or possession are to have the custody of such abbeys when they fall vacant just as they ought to have and as is declared above.

[34] No-one is to be taken or imprisoned on the appeal of woman for the death of anyone save for the death of that woman’s husband.

[35] No county court is to be held save from month to month, and where the greater term used to be held, so will it be in future, nor will any sheriff or his bailiff make his tourn through the hundred save for twice a year and only in the place that is due and customary, namely once after Easter and again after Michaelmas, and the view of frankpledge is to be taken at the Michaelmas term without exception, in such a way that every man is to have his liberties which he had or used to have in the time of King H(enry II) my grandfather or which he has acquired since. The view of frankpledge is to be taken so that our peace be held and so that the tithing is to be held entire as it used to be, and so that the sheriff does not seek exceptions but remains content with that which the sheriff used to have in taking the view in the time of King H(enry) our grandfather.

[36] Nor is it permitted to anyone to give his land to a religious house in such a way that he receives it back from such a house to hold, nor is it permitted to any religious house to accept the land of anyone in such way that the land is restored to the person from whom it was received to hold. If anyone henceforth gives his land in such a way to any religious house and is convicted of the same, the gift is to be entirely quashed and such land is to revert to the lord of that fee.

[37] Scutage furthermore is to be taken as it used to be in the time of King H(enry) our grandfather, and all liberties and free customs shall be preserved to archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, Templars, Hospitallers, earls, barons and all others, both ecclesiastical and secular persons, just as they formerly had.

All these aforesaid customs and liberties which we have granted to be held in our realm in so far as pertains to us are to be observed by all of our realm, both clergy and laity, in so far as pertains to them in respect to their own men. For this gift and grant of these liberties and of others contained in our charter over the liberties of the forest, the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, knights, fee holders and all of our realm have given us a fifteenth part of all their movable goods. Moreover we grant to them for us and our heirs that neither we nor our heirs will seek anything by which the liberties contained in this charter might be infringed or damaged, and should anything be obtained from anyone against this it is to count for nothing and to be held as nothing. With these witnesses: the lord S(tephen) archbishop of Canterbury, E(ustace) bishop of London, J(ocelin) bishop of Bath, P(eter) bishop of Winchester, H(ugh) bishop of Lincoln, R(ichard) bishop of Salisbury, W. bishop of Rochester, W(illiam) bishop of Worcester, J(ohn) bishop of Ely, H(ugh) bishop of Hereford, R(anulf) bishop of Chichester, W(illiam) bishop of Exeter, the abbot of (Bury) St Edmunds, the abbot of St Albans, the abbot of Battle, the abbot of St Augustine’s Canterbury, the abbot of Evesham, the abbot of Westminster, the abbot of Peterborough, the abbot of Reading, the abbot of Abingdon, the abbot of Malmesbury, the abbot of Winchcombe, the abbot of Hyde (Winchester), the abbot of Chertsey, the abbot of Sherborne, the abbot of Cerne, the abbot of Abbotsbury, the abbot of Milton (Abbas), the abbot of Selby, the abbot of Cirencester, H(ubert) de Burgh the justiciar, H. earl of Chester and Lincoln, W(illiam) earl of Salisbury, W(illiam) earl Warenne, G. de Clare earl of Gloucester and Hertford, W(illiam) de Ferrers earl of Derby, W(illiam) de Mandeville earl of Essex, H(ugh) Bigod earl of Norfolk, W(illiam) earl Aumale, H(umphrey) earl of Hereford, J(ohn) constable of Chester, R(obert) de Ros, R(obert) fitz Walter, R(obert) de Vieuxpont, W(illiam) Brewer, R(ichard) de Montfiquet, P(eter) fitz Herbert, W(illiam) de Aubigné, G. Gresley, F. de Braose, J(ohn) of Monmouth, J(ohn) fitz Alan, H(ugh) de Mortemer, W(illiam) de Beauchamp, W(illiam) de St John, P(eter) de Maulay, Brian de Lisle, Th(omas) of Moulton, R(ichard) de Argentan, G(eoffrey) de Neville, W(illiam) Mauduit, J(ohn) de Baalon and others. Given at Westminster on the eleventh day of February in the ninth year of our reign.

We, holding these aforesaid gifts and grants to be right and welcome, conceed and confirm them for ourselves and our heirs and by the terms of the present (letters) renew them, wishing and granting for ourselves and our heirs that the aforesaid charter is to be firmly and inviably observed in all and each of its articles in perpetuity, including any articles contained in the same charter which by chance have not to date been observed. In testimony of which we have had made these our letters patent. Witnessed by Edward our son, at Westminster on the twelfth day of October in the twenty-fifth year of our reign                                                
(Chancery warranty by John of) Stowe

________________________________________________________
a tRANSLATION OF THE MAGNA cARTA By An American Entity :

( The Capitol Hill Gang Version )

KNOW THAT BEFORE GOD, for the health of our soul and those of our ancestors and heirs, to the honour of God, the exaltation of the holy Church, and the better ordering of our kingdom, at the advice of our reverend fathers Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England, and cardinal of the holy Roman Church, Henry archbishop of Dublin, William bishop of London, Peter bishop of Winchester, Jocelin bishop of Bath and Glastonbury, Hugh bishop of Lincoln, Walter Bishop of Worcester, William bishop of Coventry, Benedict bishop of Rochester, Master Pandulf subdeacon and member of the papal household, Brother Aymeric master of the knighthood of the Temple in England, William Marshal earl of Pembroke, William earl of Salisbury, William earl of Warren, William earl of Arundel, Alan de Galloway constable of Scotland, Warin Fitz Gerald, Peter Fitz Herbert, Hubert de Burgh seneschal of Poitou, Hugh de Neville, Matthew Fitz Herbert, Thomas Basset, Alan Basset, Philip Daubeny, Robert de Roppeley, John Marshal, John Fitz Hugh, and other loyal subjects:

(1) FIRST, THAT WE HAVE GRANTED TO GOD, and by this present charter have confirmed for us and our heirs in perpetuity, that the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired. That we wish this so to be observed, appears from the fact that of our own free will, before the outbreak of the present dispute between us and our barons, we granted and confirmed by charter the freedom of the Church’s elections – a right reckoned to be of the greatest necessity and importance to it – and caused this to be confirmed by Pope Innocent III. This freedom we shall observe ourselves, and desire to be observed in good faith by our heirs in perpetuity.

TO ALL FREE MEN OF OUR KINGDOM we have also granted, for us and our heirs for ever, all the liberties written out below, to have and to keep for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs:

(2) If any earl, baron, or other person that holds lands directly of the Crown, for military service, shall die, and at his death his heir shall be of full age and owe a `relief’, the heir shall have his inheritance on payment of the ancient scale of `relief’. That is to say, the heir or heirs of an earl shall pay £100 for the entire earl’s barony, the heir or heirs of a knight l00s. at most for the entire knight’s `fee’, and any man that owes less shall pay less, in accordance with the ancient usage of `fees’

(3) But if the heir of such a person is under age and a ward, when he comes of age he shall have his inheritance without `relief’ or fine.

(4) The guardian of the land of an heir who is under age shall take from it only reasonable revenues, customary dues, and feudal services. He shall do this without destruction or damage to men or property. If we have given the guardianship of the land to a sheriff, or to any person answerable to us for the revenues, and he commits destruction or damage, we will exact compensation from him, and the land shall be entrusted to two worthy and prudent men of the same `fee’, who shall be answerable to us for the revenues, or to the person to whom we have assigned them. If we have given or sold to anyone the guardianship of such land, and he causes destruction or damage, he shall lose the guardianship of it, and it shall be handed over to two worthy and prudent men of the same `fee’, who shall be similarly answerable to us.

(5) For so long as a guardian has guardianship of such land, he shall maintain the houses, parks, fish preserves, ponds, mills, and everything else pertaining to it, from the revenues of the land itself. When the heir comes of age, he shall restore the whole land to him, stocked with plough teams and such implements of husbandry as the season demands and the revenues from the land can reasonably bear.

(6) Heirs may be given in marriage, but not to someone of lower social standing. Before a marriage takes place, it shall be’ made known to the heir’s next-of-kin.

(7) At her husband’s death, a widow may have her marriage portion and inheritance at once and without trouble. She shall pay nothing for her dower, marriage portion, or any inheritance that she and her husband held jointly on the day of his death. She may remain in her husband’s house for forty days after his death, and within this period her dower shall be assigned to her.

(8) No widow shall be compelled to marry, so long as she wishes to remain without a husband. But she must give security that she will not marry without royal consent, if she holds her lands of the Crown, or without the consent of whatever other lord she may hold them of.

(9) Neither we nor our officials will seize any land or rent in payment of a debt, so long as the debtor has movable goods sufficient to discharge the debt. A debtor’s sureties shall not be distrained upon so long as the debtor himself can discharge his debt. If, for lack of means, the debtor is unable to discharge his debt, his sureties shall be answerable for it. If they so desire, they may have the debtor’s lands and rents until they have received satisfaction for the debt that they paid for him, unless the debtor can show that he has settled his obligations to them.

(10) If anyone who has borrowed a sum of money from Jews dies before the debt has been repaid, his heir shall pay no interest on the debt for so long as he remains under age, irrespective of whom he holds his lands. If such a debt falls into the hands of the Crown, it will take nothing except the principal sum specified in the bond.

(11) If a man dies owing money to Jews, his wife may have her dower and pay nothing towards the debt from it. If he leaves children that are under age, their needs may also be provided for on a scale appropriate to the size of his holding of lands. The debt is to be paid out of the residue, reserving the service due to his feudal lords. Debts owed to persons other than Jews are to be dealt with similarly.

(12) No `scutage’ or `aid’ may be levied in our kingdom without its general consent, unless it is for the ransom of our person, to make our eldest son a knight, and (once) to marry our eldest daughter. For these purposes ouly a reasonable `aid’ may be levied. `Aids’ from the city of London are to be treated similarly.

(13) The city of London shall enjoy all its ancient liberties and free customs, both by land and by water. We also will and grant that all other cities, boroughs, towns, and ports shall enjoy all their liberties and free customs.

(14) To obtain the general consent of the realm for the assessment of an `aid’ – except in the three cases specified above – or a `scutage’, we will cause the archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, and greater barons to be summoned individually by letter. To those who hold lands directly of us we will cause a general summons to be issued, through the sheriffs and other officials, to come together on a fixed day (of which at least forty days notice shall be given) and at a fixed place. In all letters of summons, the cause of the summons will be stated. When a summons has been issued, the business appointed for the day shall go forward in accordance with the resolution of those present, even if not all those who were summoned have appeared.

(15) In future we will allow no one to levy an `aid’ from his free men, except to ransom his person, to make his eldest son a knight, and (once) to marry his eldest daughter. For these purposes only a reasonable `aid’ may be levied.

(16) No man shall be forced to perform more service for a knight’s `fee’, or other free holding of land, than is due from it.

(17) Ordinary lawsuits shall not follow the royal court around, but shall be held in a fixed place.

(18) Inquests of novel disseisin, mort d’ancestor, and darrein presentment shall be taken only in their proper county court. We ourselves, or in our absence abroad our chief justice, will send two justices to each county four times a year, and these justices, with four knights of the county elected by the county itself, shall hold the assizes in the county court, on the day and in the place where the court meets.

(19) If any assizes cannot be taken on the day of the county court, as many knights and freeholders shall afterwards remain behind, of those who have attended the court, as will suffice for the administration of justice, having regard to the volume of business to be done.

(20) For a trivial offence, a free man shall be fined only in proportion to the degree of his offence, and for a serious offence correspondingly, but not so heavily as to deprive him of his livelihood. In the same way, a merchant shall be spared his merchandise, and a husbandman the implements of his husbandry, if they fall upon the mercy of a royal court. None of these fines shall be imposed except by the assessment on oath of reputable men of the neighbourhood.

(21) Earls and barons shall be fined only by their equals, and in proportion to the gravity of their offence.

(22) A fine imposed upon the lay property of a clerk in holy orders shall be assessed upon the same principles, without reference to the value of his ecclesiastical benefice.

(23) No town or person shall be forced to build bridges over rivers except those with an ancient obligation to do so.

(24) No sheriff, constable, coroners, or other royal officials are to hold lawsuits that should be held by the royal justices.

(25) Every county, hundred, wapentake, and tithing shall remain at its ancient rent, without increase, except the royal demesne manors.

(26) If at the death of a man who holds a lay `fee’ of the Crown, a sheriff or royal official produces royal letters patent of summons for a debt due to the Crown, it shall be lawful for them to seize and list movable goods found in the lay `fee’ of the dead man to the value of the debt, as assessed by worthy men. Nothing shall be removed until the whole debt is paid, when the residue shall be given over to the executors to carry out the dead man s will. If no debt is due to the Crown, all the movable goods shall be regarded as the property of the dead man, except the reasonable shares of his wife and children.

(27) If a free man dies intestate, his movable goods are to be distributed by his next-of-kin and friends, under the supervision of the Church. The rights of his debtors are to be preserved.

(28) No constable or other royal official shall take corn or other movable goods from any man without immediate payment, unless the seller voluntarily offers postponement of this.

(29) No constable may compel a knight to pay money for castle-guard if the knight is willing to undertake the guard in person, or with reasonable excuse to supply some other fit man to do it. A knight taken or sent on military service shall be excused from castle-guard for the period of this servlce.

(30) No sheriff, royal official, or other person shall take horses or carts for transport from any free man, without his consent.

(31) Neither we nor any royal official will take wood for our castle, or for any other purpose, without the consent of the owner.

(32) We will not keep the lands of people convicted of felony in our hand for longer than a year and a day, after which they shall be returned to the lords of the `fees’ concerned.

(33) All fish-weirs shall be removed from the Thames, the Medway, and throughout the whole of England, except on the sea coast.

(34) The writ called precipe shall not in future be issued to anyone in respect of any holding of land, if a free man could thereby be deprived of the right of trial in his own lord’s court.

(35) There shall be standard measures of wine, ale, and corn (the London quarter), throughout the kingdom. There shall also be a standard width of dyed cloth, russett, and haberject, namely two ells within the selvedges. Weights are to be standardised similarly.

(36) In future nothing shall be paid or accepted for the issue of a writ of inquisition of life or limbs. It shall be given gratis, and not refused.

(37) If a man holds land of the Crown by `fee-farm’, `socage’, or `burgage’, and also holds land of someone else for knight’s service, we will not have guardianship of his heir, nor of the land that belongs to the other person’s `fee’, by virtue of the `fee-farm’, `socage’, or `burgage’, unless the `fee-farm’ owes knight’s service. We will not have the guardianship of a man’s heir, or of land that he holds of someone else, by reason of any small property that he may hold of the Crown for a service of knives, arrows, or the like.

(38) In future no official shall place a man on trial upon his own unsupported statement, without producing credible witnesses to the truth of it.

(39) No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land.

(40) To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.

(41) All merchants may enter or leave England unharmed and without fear, and may stay or travel within it, by land or water, for purposes of trade, free from all illegal exactions, in accordance with ancient and lawful customs. This, however, does not apply in time of war to merchants from a country that is at war with us. Any such merchants found in our country at the outbreak of war shall be detained without injury to their persons or property, until we or our chief justice have discovered how our own merchants are being treated in the country at war with us. If our own merchants are safe they shall be safe too.

(42) In future it shall be lawful for any man to leave and return to our kingdom unharmed and without fear, by land or water, preserving his allegiance to us, except in time of war, for some short period, for the common benefit of the realm. People that have been imprisoned or outlawed in accordance with the law of the land, people from a country that is at war with us, and merchants – who shall be dealt with as stated above – are excepted from this provision.

(43) If a man holds lands of any `escheat’ such as the `honour’ of Wallingford, Nottingham, Boulogne, Lancaster, or of other `escheats’ in our hand that are baronies, at his death his heir shall give us only the `relief’ and service that he would have made to the baron, had the barony been in the baron’s hand. We will hold the `escheat’ in the same manner as the baron held it.

(44) People who live outside the forest need not in future appear before the royal justices of the forest in answer to general summonses, unless they are actually involved in proceedings or are sureties for someone who has been seized for a forest offence.

(45) We will appoint as justices, constables, sheriffs, or other officials, only men that know the law of the realm and are minded to keep it well.

(46) All barons who have founded abbeys, and have charters of English kings or ancient tenure as evidence of this, may have guardianship of them when there is no abbot, as is their due.

(47) All forests that have been created in our reign shall at once be disafforested. River-banks that have been enclosed in our reign shall be treated similarly.

(48) All evil customs relating to forests and warrens, foresters, warreners, sheriffs and their servants, or river-banks and their wardens, are at once to be investigated in every county by twelve sworn knights of the county, and within forty days of their enquiry the evil customs are to be abolished completely and irrevocably. But we, or our chief justice if we are not in England, are first to be informed.
(49) We will at once return all hostages and charters delivered up to us by Englishmen as security for peace or for loyal service.

(50) We will remove completely from their offices the kinsmen of Gerard de Athée, and in future they shall hold no offices in England. The people in question are Engelard de Cigogné’, Peter, Guy, and Andrew de Chanceaux, Guy de Cigogné, Geoffrey de Martigny and his brothers, Philip Marc and his brothers, with Geoffrey his nephew, and all their followers.

(51) As soon as peace is restored, we will remove from the kingdom all the foreign knights, bowmen, their attendants, and the mercenaries that have come to it, to its harm, with horses and arms.

(52) To any man whom we have deprived or dispossessed of lands, castles, liberties, or rights, without the lawful judgement of his equals, we will at once restore these. In cases of dispute the matter shall be resolved by the judgement of the twenty-five barons referred to below in the clause for securing the peace (§ 61). In cases, however, where a man was deprived or dispossessed of something without the lawful judgement of his equals by our father King Henry or our brother King Richard, and it remains in our hands or is held by others under our warranty, we shall have respite for the period commonly allowed to Crusaders, unless a lawsuit had been begun, or an enquiry had been made at our order, before we took the Cross as a Crusader. On our return from the Crusade, or if we abandon it, we will at once render justice in full.

(53) We shall have similar respite in rendering justice in connexion with forests that are to be disafforested, or to remain forests, when these were first a-orested by our father Henry or our brother Richard; with the guardianship of lands in another person’s `fee’, when we have hitherto had this by virtue of a `fee’ held of us for knight’s service by a third party; and with abbeys founded in another person’s `fee’, in which the lord of the `fee’ claims to own a right. On our return from the Crusade, or if we abandon it, we will at once do full justice to complaints about these matters.

(54) No one shall be arrested or imprisoned on the appeal of a woman for the death of any person except her husband.

* (55) All fines that have been given to us unjustiy and against the law of the land, and all fines that we have exacted unjustly, shall be entirely remitted or the matter decided by a majority judgement of the twenty-five barons referred to below in the clause for securing the peace (§ 61) together with Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, if he can be present, and such others as he wishes to bring with him. If the archbishop cannot be present, proceedings shall continue without him, provided that if any of the twenty-five barons has been involved in a similar suit himself, his judgement shall be set aside, and someone else chosen and sworn in his place, as a substitute for the single occasion, by the rest of the twenty-five.

(56) If we have deprived or dispossessed any Welshmen of lands, liberties, or anything else in England or in Wales, without the lawful judgement of their equals, these are at once to be returned to them. A dispute on this point shall be determined in the Marches by the judgement of equals. English law shall apply to holdings of land in England, Welsh law to those in Wales, and the law of the Marches to those in the Marches. The Welsh shall treat us and ours in the same way.

(57) In cases where a Welshman was deprived or dispossessed of anything, without the lawful judgement of his equals, by our father King Henry or our brother King Richard, and it remains in our hands or is held by others under our warranty, we shall have respite for the period commonly allowed to Crusaders, unless a lawsuit had been begun, or an enquiry had been made at our order, before we took the Cross as a Crusader. But on our return from the Crusade, or if we abandon it, we will at once do full justice according to the laws of Wales and the said regions.

(58) We will at once return the son of Llywelyn, all Welsh hostages, and the charters delivered to us as security for the peace.

(59) With regard to the return of the sisters and hostages of Alexander, king of Scotland, his liberties and his rights, we will treat him in the same way as our other barons of England, unless it appears from the charters that we hold from his father William, formerly king of Scotland, that he should be treated otherwise. This matter shall be resolved by the judgement of his equals in our court.

(60) All these customs and liberties that we have granted shall be observed in our kingdom in so far as concerns our own relations with our subjects. Let all men of our kingdom, whether clergy or laymen, observe them similarly in their relations with their own men.

(61) SINCE WE HAVE GRANTED ALL THESE THINGS for God, for the better ordering of our kingdom, and to allay the discord that has arisen between us and our barons, and since we desire that they shall be enjoyed in their entirety, with lasting strength, for ever, we give and grant to the barons the following security:

The barons shall elect twenty-five of their number to keep, and cause to be observed with all their might, the peace and liberties granted and confirmed to them by this charter.If we, our chief justice, our officials, or any of our servants offend in any respect against any man, or transgress any of the articles of the peace or of this security, and the offence is made known to four of the said twenty-five barons, they shall come to us – or in our absence from the kingdom to the chief justice – to declare it and claim immediate redress. If we, or in our absence abroad the chiefjustice, make no redress within forty days, reckoning from the day on which the offence was declared to us or to him, the four barons shall refer the matter to the rest of the twenty-five barons, who may distrain upon and assail us in every way possible, with the support of the whole community of the land, by seizing our castles, lands, possessions, or anything else saving only our own person and those of the queen and our children, until they have secured such redress as they have determined upon. Having secured the redress, they may then resume their normal obedience to us.

Any man who so desires may take an oath to obey the commands of the twenty-five barons for the achievement of these ends, and to join with them in assailing us to the utmost of his power. We give public and free permission to take this oath to any man who so desires, and at no time will we prohibit any man from taking it. Indeed, we will compel any of our subjects who are unwilling to take it to swear it at our command.

If-one of the twenty-five barons dies or leaves the country, or is prevented in any other way from discharging his duties, the rest of them shall choose another baron in his place, at their discretion, who shall be duly sworn in as they were.

In the event of disagreement among the twenty-five barons on any matter referred to them for decision, the verdict of the majority present shall have the same validity as a unanimous verdict of the whole twenty-five, whether these were all present or some of those summoned were unwilling or unable to appear.

The twenty-five barons shall swear to obey all the above articles faithfully, and shall cause them to be obeyed by others to the best of their power.

We will not seek to procure from anyone, either by our own efforts or those of a third party, anything by which any part of these concessions or liberties might be revoked or diminished. Should such a thing be procured, it shall be null and void and we will at no time make use of it, either ourselves or through a third party.

(62) We have remitted and pardoned fully to all men any ill-will, hurt, or grudges that have arisen between us and our subjects, whether clergy or laymen, since the beginning of the dispute. We have in addition remitted fully, and for our own part have also pardoned, to all clergy and laymen any offences committed as a result of the said dispute between Easter in the sixteenth year of our reign (i.e. 1215) and the restoration of peace.

In addition we have caused letters patent to be made for the barons, bearing witness to this security and to the concessions set out above, over the seals of Stephen archbishop of Canterbury, Henry archbishop of Dublin, the other bishops named above, and Master Pandulf.

(63) IT IS ACCORDINGLY OUR WISH AND COMMAND that the English Church shall be free, and that men in our kingdom shall have and keep all these liberties, rights, and concessions, well and peaceably in their fulness and entirety for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs, in all things and all places for ever.

Both we and the barons have sworn that all this shall be observed in good faith and without deceit. Witness the abovementioned people and many others.

Given by our hand in the meadow that is called Runnymede, between Windsor and Staines, on the fifteenth day of June in the seventeenth year of our reign (i.e. 1215: the new regnal year began on 28 May).

FIGHT THEFT OF COPYRIGHTS
<>
SUPPORT

____________
LEGISLATORS
WHO
GET IT

POLITICAL ROCKSTARS
AGAINST
IP & ID ABUSE BY
TECHNOLOGY

_________________
WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN
____________________

___________________
Capitol Hill Switchboard
(202) 224 3121 _____________________

WRITE YOUR
SENATOR
___________________

__________________
KNOW YOUR CONGRESSMAN OR
SENATOR
?
SEARCH BY ZIPCODE
__________________

Create
The 2D ARTS IP
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
PROTECTION
ACT
FOR
TREASURED
HEIRLOOM
ARTS
LEGACY
INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY
PROTECTION
SIGN THE PETITION

______________

__________________
TELL HERE HOW COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT HURT YOU ______________

___________________
TELL
TECHNOLOGY
KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF
MY COPYRIGHT
______________

HONORING THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR ALL
SO WE MIGHT HAVE OUR
PROPERTY RIGHTS
THANK YOU
 

________________
THE ECONOMY
IS NOT ABOUT ACCOUNTING
IT IS
ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY
________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________
ALL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY STARTS with a Pencil &Paper in 2D(dimension) 
Everything Else about IP(intellectual property) comes down to COMMERCE .
_______________________________________________________________________________________________