ABSTRACT
John Christian Bach, born 250 years ago this month, is best known as one of the leading composers of his day. But he has another claim to fame which in some ways has been much more important to the musical profession than his compositions: he brought the first legal action for breach of musical copyright. The action took place at a time of uncertainty and change in copyright law, it led to hearings in two courts and a petition to Parliament, and it ended with a judicial decision which clarified the legal status of music, had an important influence on the development of copyright law, remained a leading case for over 60 years, and secured Bach a modest niche in legal history.
