Incorporated by royal charter in 1557, the Stationers' Company of London became the regulatory body for printing and publishing in England. Membership was required to print legally, and the Company maintained a register of titles that formed the basis of early copyright protection. Its monopoly shaped what poetry and prose reached the reading public for over a century.

The establishment of the Stationers' Company in 1557 organized the book trade, enabling consistent publication of poetry. This development facilitated the dissemination of works by poets like Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson, contributing to the flourishing of English literature during the Renaissance.