PRIMARY SOURCES

ON COPYRIGHT

(1450-1900)


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.


All | Netherlands | Germany | Spain | United Kingdom | United States | France | | Italy | Jewish Law | Portugal | Vatican


All documents: Location London

Back | 176 results(* indicates core document)

1538* Henrician Proclamation (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1554Selected Extracts from the Stationers' Company's Registers (United Kingdom)
1557* Stationers' Charter (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1557The Privy Seal warrant concerning the Stationers' Charter (United Kingdom)
1559* Elizabethan Injunctions (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1559Day's The Cosmographical Glass (United Kingdom)
1618Daniel's The Collection of the Historie of England (United Kingdom)
1643* The Humble Remonstrance of the Stationers' Company (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1643An Ordinance for the Regulation of Printing (United Kingdom)
1647Ordinance against Unlicensed or Scandalous Pamphlets (United Kingdom)
1649An Act against Unlicensed and Scandalous Books and Pamphlets (United Kingdom)
1653An Act for reviving [the 1649 Act] (United Kingdom)
1662* Licensing Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1662Licensing Act (parchment copy) (United Kingdom)
1663L'Estrange's Considerations and Proposals (United Kingdom)
1667Recital of the Stationers' Charter (United Kingdom)
1684Stationers' Charter (United Kingdom)
1690* Locke's Second Treatise on Government (selected extracts) (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1695Reasons for objecting to the renewal of the Licensing Act (United Kingdom)
1704* Defoe's Essay on the Press (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1706Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1709Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1709More Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1709Reasons Humbly Offer'd to the Consideration of the Honourable House of Commons (United Kingdom)
1710* Statute of Anne (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1710A Bill for Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1721* Burnet v. Chetwood (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1721Burnet v. Chetwood: Entries from the Court's Book of Orders (United Kingdom)
1729Gay v. Read (United Kingdom)
1735* Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1735The Case of Designers, Engravers, Etchers, &c. (United Kingdom)
1735Engravers' Copyright Act (parchment copy) (United Kingdom)
1737* Booksellers' Bill (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1737* Baller v. Watson: Entry from the Court's Book of Orders (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1737An Act for the Encouragement of Learning (Draft) (United Kingdom)
1741* Gyles v. Wilcox (Atkyn's Reports) (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1741* Pope v. Curl (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1741Gyles v. Wilcox (Barnardiston's Report) (United Kingdom)
1741Pope's Bill of Complaint, and Curl's Answer (United Kingdom)
1741Pope v Curl: Entry from the Court's Book of Orders (United Kingdom)
1747* Warburton's Letter from an Author (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1751Tonson v. Walker (United Kingdom)
1761Tonson v. Collins (United Kingdom)
1762* Tonson v. Collins (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1762* An Enquiry into Literary Property (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1762A Vindication of the Rights of Authors (United Kingdom)
1766Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom)
1769* Millar v. Taylor (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1774* Donaldson v. Becket (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1774Hargrave's Argument in Defence of Literary Property (United Kingdom)
1774The Cases of the Appellants and Respondents (United Kingdom)
1774The Pleadings of the Counsel before the House (United Kingdom)
1774Booksellers' Bill (United Kingdom)
1774Enfield's Observations (United Kingdom)
1774Stella's Modest Exceptions (United Kingdom)
1775* Stationers' Company v. Carnan (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1777* Bach v. Longman (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1777Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom)
1777* Linguet's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1787* Calico Printers' Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1787Calico Printers' Act (parchment copy) (United Kingdom)
1798* Models and Busts Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1798* Beckford v. Hood (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1798Models and Busts Act (parchment copy) (United Kingdom)
1799Documents concerning the Models and Busts Act (United Kingdom)
1801* Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1801A Bill for the Further Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1801Copyright Act (parchment copy) (United Kingdom)
1812Petition of the London Booksellers (United Kingdom)
1813Petition of the Printers of London and Westminster (United Kingdom)
1813Petition of the Edinburgh Booksellers (United Kingdom)
1813Report of the Acts Respecting Copyright (United Kingdom)
1813Select Committee Report on Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1813Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom)
1814* Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1814Sculpture Copyright Act (United Kingdom)
1814Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (10 May) (United Kingdom)
1814Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (19 May) (United Kingdom)
1814Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (12 July) (United Kingdom)
1814Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (18 July) (United Kingdom)
1814Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (18 May) (United Kingdom)
1814Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (7 June) (United Kingdom)
1814Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (12 July) (United Kingdom)
1814Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (15 July) (United Kingdom)
1818Select Committee Report on the Copyright Acts (United Kingdom)
1818Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom)
1828* Maugham's Treatise (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1830Dramatic Writings Bill (United Kingdom)
1832Select Committee Report: Dramatic Literature (United Kingdom)
1832Parliamentary Debates on Drama and Dramatic Literature (31 May) (United Kingdom)
1833* Dramatic Literary Property Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1833Parliamentary Debates on the Dramatic Literary Property Act (12 March) (United Kingdom)
1833Parliamentary Debates on the Dramatic Literary Property Act (24 July) (United Kingdom)
1833Bill to amend the Laws relating to Dramatic Literary Property (United Kingdom)
1835* Publication of Lectures Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1835Parliamentary Debates on the Lectures Act (24 Aug.) (United Kingdom)
1835Parliamentary Debates on the Lectures Act (26 Aug.) (United Kingdom)
1835Publication of Lectures Bill (United Kingdom)
1836Copyright in Prints and Engravings (Ireland) Act (United Kingdom)
1837Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (14 Dec.) (United Kingdom)
1837Copyright Bill (6 June) (United Kingdom)
1838* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1838Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (20 March) (United Kingdom)
1838Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (19 July) (United Kingdom)
1838Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (25 April) (United Kingdom)
1838Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (9 May) (United Kingdom)
1838Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (6 June) (United Kingdom)
1838Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1838Copyright Bill (6 June) (United Kingdom)
1839Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1839Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1839Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (1 May) (United Kingdom)
1839Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (9 July) (United Kingdom)
1840Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1840Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (4 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1840Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (14 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1840Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (8 July) (United Kingdom)
1841Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1841Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Jan.) (United Kingdom)
1841Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (29 Jan.) (United Kingdom)
1841Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (5 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1842* Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1842* Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (8 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (21 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (3 Mar.) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (16 Mar.) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (23 Mar.) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (6 April) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (20 April) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (9 May) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (9 May) (United Kingdom)
1842Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (4 March) (United Kingdom)
1842Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (23 March) (United Kingdom)
1842Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (21 April) (United Kingdom)
1842Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (27 June) (United Kingdom)
1844* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1844International Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1847* Foreign Reprints Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1847Foreign Reprints Bill (United Kingdom)
1851Anglo-French Copyright Treaty (United Kingdom)
1852* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1852Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (13 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1852Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (30 April) (United Kingdom)
1853Blaine's Laws of Artistic Copyright (United Kingdom)
1854* Jeffreys v. Boosey (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1857Return of Colonies and British Possessions on Importation of Reprints (United Kingdom)
1858Report of the Artistic Copyright Committee (United Kingdom)
1861Fine Art Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1861Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Bill (6 May) (United Kingdom)
1862* Fine Art Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (28 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (6 March) (United Kingdom)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (20 March) (United Kingdom)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (31 March) (United Kingdom)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (22 May) (United Kingdom)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (23 May) (United Kingdom)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (5 June) (United Kingdom)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (24 July) (United Kingdom)
1862Fine Art Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1862Fine Art Copyright Bill (20 March) (United Kingdom)
1862Southern Feeling (United States)
1869Artistic Copyright Bill, London (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1869Graves’ Case, London (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1870* Copinger's Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1872Correspondence and Papers on Colonial Copyright (United Kingdom)
1874Correspondence respecting Colonial Copyright (United Kingdom)
1878* Royal Commissioners' Report (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1878Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom)
1879Copyright Consolidation Bill (United Kingdom)
1879Memorial of the Royal Academy of Arts, London (United Kingdom)
1886* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1886International Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1886Correspondence respecting the Copyright Union (United Kingdom)
1899Artistic Copyright Bill, London (United Kingdom)
1900Artistic Copyright Bill, London (United Kingdom)