iseeyou

Did you actually read that wikipedia link?

According to the wikipedia link, "the statute specified that action against infringement could only be brought if the title had been entered in the register at the Stationers' Company before publication"

In order to be granted a (enforceable) copyright, it was not sufficient to only print a book and show, who is the publisher. It was required to register the book, before publication, at the Stationers' Company.

If the book was not entered into the registry at the Stationers' Company, then it seems it received no protection under the statute of Anne (according to wikipedia). And also according to wikipedia, registration should have been done before publication began.

Seems to me, if I wanted to show a copyright notice on a book in 18century Great Britian, I would show, on my book, the index number where my book title can be found in the registry at the Stationers' Company so that people can verify that my book is registered and is eligible for copyright protection under the Statute of Anne.

Not showing any information about copyright status, on a published book, is a very very poor way to declare copyright.

No copyright notice ...... is not a copyright notice ...... but it might still have copyrights (even without a notice) by default. For example, you cant legally kill me because I have some legal rights to live, even though there is no notice on my body or clothes about these legal rights.