ABSTRACT
There are many, many variant texts of The Tale of Peter Rabbit in print at any one time. The firm of Frederick Warne has made substantial efforts to keep control over reproductions of the image, but, at least in North America, the battle has clearly been lost. Warne continues to issue warnings, however; in 1993 the company placed a stern advertisement in The Bookseller, the publication of the British book marketing trade. “Peter Rabbit packs a powerful punch,” admonishes the headline, and the advertisement goes on to spell out the consequences for those who ignore Warne’s copyright status. This advertisement is so remarkable it is worth quoting in full.
