They gain largely; but they gain less than the inventor, for _competition_ has commenced its work.

The price of books now continually decreases.

The gains of the imitators diminish in proportion as the invention becomes older; and in the same proportion imitation becomes less meritorious.
Soon the new object of industry attains its normal condition; in other words, the remuneration of printers is no longer an exception to the general rules of remuneration, and, like that of copyists formerly, it is only regulated _by the general rate of profits_.

Here then the producer, as such, holds only the old position.

The discovery, however, has been made; the saving of time, labor, effort, for a fixed result, for a certain number of volumes, is realized.