Ludwig van Beethoven, Brief an Breitkopf und Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, 13. November 1802, Autograph

Beethoven tells his Leipzig publisher, how he has averted the danger of a pirate edition of the Quintet op. 29. The person to whom the quintet is dedicated, Count Fries, had received the work with the sole rights to it for six months. Only after this time was Beethoven allowed to do as he pleased with it, and he sold it in spring 1802 to Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig. At more or less the same time the Viennese publisher Artaria had asked Count Fries for a copy of the quintet (without Beethoven's knowledge or approval) and had had an engraving made. In autumn 1802 both editions were soon to appear. Beethoven had no interest in the publication of the Viennese engraving, as he had neither proofread it nor sold it.

Beethoven tells Breitkopf & Härtel in detail about the course the negotiations had taken between Artaria, Count Fries and himself, aided by a friend and his brother Kaspar Karl.

The result was a written comparison which obliged Artaria to hold back its pirate copy, only allowing them to sell it 14 days after publication of the Leipzig original edition. Beethoven encloses a copy of this contract.