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.
1511* | Imperial Privilege for Albrecht Dürer (Germany) |
1546* | Privilege Granted to Enea Vico (Parmigiano) (Italy) |
1556* | Privilege Granted to Giovanni Ostaus (Italy) |
1556 (1555 m.v.)* | Privilege Granted to Antonio Floriano (Italy) |
1660* | Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1660* | Decree on Engravings (France) |
1673 | Nuremberg Printers' Ordinance (Germany) |
1714 | Decree on Fine Arts (France) |
1735* | Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1735 | The Case of Designers, Engravers, Etchers, &c. (United Kingdom) |
1735 | Engravers' Copyright Act (parchment copy) (United Kingdom) |
1766 | Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom) |
1777 | Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom) |
1786* | French Decree on Musical Publications (France) |
1791* | Report of François Hell to the National Assembly (France) Commentary: [1] |
1794* | Prussian Statute Book (ALR) (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1799 | Documents concerning the Models and Busts Act (United Kingdom) |
1802 | 1802 Amendment (United States) |
1814* | Court of Cassation on sculptures (France) Commentary: [1] |
1826* | Minutes of the 1825-1826 Commission (France) |
1828 | H.R. 140 Consolidated Bill (United States) |
1831* | Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1831 | House Debate (United States) |
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment (Spain) |
1836 | Copyright in Prints and Engravings (Ireland) Act (United Kingdom) |
1837* | Prussian Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1838 | Copyright Bill (6 June) (United Kingdom) |
1839 | Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1840* | Bilateral Treaty between Austria and Sardinia (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1840 | Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1841* | Report of Lamartine and parliamentary debates on literary property (France) |
1841 | Court of Cassation on artistic property (France) |
1841 | Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1842* | Court of Cassation on artistic property (France) Commentary: [1] |
1842* | Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1844* | Saxon Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1844* | International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1844 | International Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1846* | Bilateral Treaty between Prussia and Britain (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1847* | A Treatise on the Law of Copyright (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1851 | Anglo-French Copyright Treaty (United Kingdom) |
1853* | Bluntschli: On Authors' Rights (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1853 | Blaine's Laws of Artistic Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1853 | British-American Copyright Convention Draft (United States) |
1857* | Wächter: 'Publishing Right' (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1858 | Report of the Artistic Copyright Committee (United Kingdom) |
1861 | Fine Art Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1861* | Confederate States of America Copyright Act (United States) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (5 June) (United Kingdom) |
1863 | Confederate States of America Copyright Act Amendement (United States) |
1865* | Copyright Act Amendment (United States) |
1870* | Copinger's Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1870* | Copyright Act (United States) |
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* | Drone on Copyright (United States) |
1879 | Baker's Argument (United States) |
1884 | Bilateral treaty between Switzerland and France (Germany) |
1886* | International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1886 | International Copyright Bill (United Kingdom) |
1886 | Correspondence respecting the Copyright Union (United Kingdom) |
1891 | 50 Prussian Expert Opinions from 1870-1876 (Germany) |
1896 | Hearing on H.R. 5976 (United States) |
1899 | Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., District Court Decision (United States) |
1900 | Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., Circuit Court Decision (United States) |
1902 | Bleistein's Brief (United States) |
1902 | Bleistein: Donaldson Lithographing Co. Brief (United States) |
1903* | Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co. (United States) Commentary: [1] |