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 | Italy | Germany | France | Jewish Law | Spain | United Kingdom | United States | Scandinavia


All documents: Keyword engravings, protected subject matter

Back | 69 results(* indicates core document)

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)
1673Nuremberg Printers' Ordinance (Germany)
1714Decree on Fine Arts (France)
1735* Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1735The Case of Designers, Engravers, Etchers, &c. (United Kingdom)
1735Engravers' Copyright Act (parchment copy) (United Kingdom)
1766Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom)
1777Engravers' 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]
1799Documents concerning the Models and Busts Act (United Kingdom)
18021802 Amendment (United States)
1814* Court of Cassation on sculptures (France) Commentary: [1]
1826* Minutes of the 1825-1826 Commission (France)
1828H.R. 140 Consolidated Bill (United States)
1831* Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1]
1831House Debate (United States)
1834* Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment (Spain)
1836Copyright in Prints and Engravings (Ireland) Act (United Kingdom)
1837* Prussian Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1838Copyright Bill (6 June) (United Kingdom)
1839Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1840* Bilateral Treaty between Austria and Sardinia (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1840Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1841* Report of Lamartine and parliamentary debates on literary property (France)
1841Court of Cassation on artistic property (France)
1841Copyright 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]
1844International 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]
1851Anglo-French Copyright Treaty (United Kingdom)
1853* Bluntschli: On Authors' Rights (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1853Blaine's Laws of Artistic Copyright (United Kingdom)
1853British-American Copyright Convention Draft (United States)
1857* Wächter: 'Publishing Right' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1858Report of the Artistic Copyright Committee (United Kingdom)
1861Fine Art Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1861* Confederate States of America Copyright Act (United States)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (5 June) (United Kingdom)
1863Confederate 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]
1878Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom)
1879Copyright Consolidation Bill (United Kingdom)
1879* Drone on Copyright (United States)
1879Baker's Argument (United States)
1884Bilateral treaty between Switzerland and France (Germany)
1886* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1886International Copyright Bill (United Kingdom)
1886Correspondence respecting the Copyright Union (United Kingdom)
189150 Prussian Expert Opinions from 1870-1876 (Germany)
1896Hearing on H.R. 5976 (United States)
1899Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., District Court Decision (United States)
1900Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., Circuit Court Decision (United States)
1902Bleistein's Brief (United States)
1902Bleistein: Donaldson Lithographing Co. Brief (United States)
1903* Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co. (United States) Commentary: [1]