This is a freely-accessible, publicly-funded digital archive that collects together significant documents relating to the history of copyright law and practice. The documents have been selected by national editors, with the input of an editorial advisory board. Key documents are, where appropriate, transcribed and translated. The editors have written commentaries, explaining the reasons for selecting documents and their significance. The project was launched in 2008, initially funded by the AHRC in relation to 5 countries. Since 2024 it is supported by the AHRC as UK research infrastructure. The archive now extends to more than 20 (including historical and religious) jurisdictions and over 700 primary source documents. They can be browsed by date/language/jurisdiction, or searched.
1663 | L'Estrange's Considerations and Proposals (United Kingdom) |
1693 | Locke's Memorandum on the 1662 Act (United Kingdom) |
1709 | More Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1709 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd to the Consideration of the Honourable House of Commons (United Kingdom) |
1710 | A Bill for Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1737 | An Act for the Encouragement of Learning (Draft) (United Kingdom) |
1766 | Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom) |
1769* | Millar v. Taylor (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1774* | Donaldson v. Becket (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1774 | The Pleadings of the Counsel before the House (United Kingdom) |
1777 | Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom) |
1787* | Calico Printers' Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1799 | Documents concerning the Models and Busts Act (United Kingdom) |
1801 | A Bill for the Further Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1812 | Petition of the London Booksellers (United Kingdom) |
1813 | Petition of the Printers of London and Westminster (United Kingdom) |
1813 | Petition of the Edinburgh Booksellers (United Kingdom) |
1813 | Report of the Acts Respecting Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1813 | Select Committee Report on Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1813 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (19 May) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (12 July) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (18 July) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (18 May) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (7 June) (United Kingdom) |
1818 | Select Committee Report on the Copyright Acts (United Kingdom) |
1818 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1828* | Maugham's Treatise (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1830 | Dramatic Writings Bill (United Kingdom) |
1832 | Select Committee Report: Dramatic Literature (United Kingdom) |
1832 | Parliamentary Debates on Drama and Dramatic Literature (31 May) (United Kingdom) |
1835 | Parliamentary Debates on the Lectures Act (24 Aug.) (United Kingdom) |
1838 | Address of Certain Authors (United States) |
1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (20 March) (United Kingdom) |
1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (9 May) (United Kingdom) |
1838 | Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1838 | Copyright Bill (6 June) (United Kingdom) |
1839 | Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1839 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1839 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (1 May) (United Kingdom) |
1839 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (9 July) (United Kingdom) |
1840 | Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1840 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (4 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1840 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (14 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1840 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (8 July) (United Kingdom) |
1841* | Report of Lamartine and parliamentary debates on literary property (France) |
1841 | Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1841 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Jan.) (United Kingdom) |
1841 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (29 Jan.) (United Kingdom) |
1841 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (5 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1842* | Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (8 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (21 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (3 Mar.) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (16 Mar.) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (23 Mar.) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (6 April) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (20 April) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (9 May) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (4 March) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (23 March) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (21 April) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (27 June) (United Kingdom) |
1844* | International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1844 | International Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1847 | Foreign Reprints Bill (United Kingdom) |
1851 | Anglo-French Copyright Treaty (United Kingdom) |
1852 | Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (13 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1853 | Blaine's Laws of Artistic Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1857 | Return of Colonies and British Possessions on Importation of Reprints (United Kingdom) |
1861 | Fine Art Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1861 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Bill (6 May) (United Kingdom) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (28 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (6 March) (United Kingdom) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (20 March) (United Kingdom) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (31 March) (United Kingdom) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (22 May) (United Kingdom) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (5 June) (United Kingdom) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (24 July) (United Kingdom) |
1862 | Fine Art Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1869 | Artistic Copyright Bill, London (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1872 | Correspondence and Papers on Colonial Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1874 | Correspondence respecting Colonial Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1878* | Royal Commissioners' Report (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1878 | Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1879 | Copyright Consolidation Bill (United Kingdom) |
1879 | Memorial of the Royal Academy of Arts, London (United Kingdom) |
1886 | Correspondence respecting the Copyright Union (United Kingdom) |