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.


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Back | 22 results(* indicates core document)

1516* Appointment of Andrea Navagero as Literary Censor (Italy)
1531* Basel Printers' Statute (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1533* Schott v. Egenolph (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1538* Henrician Proclamation (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1545* Venetian Decree on Author-Printer Relations (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1546* Privilege Granted to Enea Vico (Parmigiano) (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1556* Privilege Granted to Giovanni Ostaus (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1603* Venetian Decree on Privileges for New Books and Reprints (Italy)
1605* Don Quixote’s Privilege (Spain)
1605* Don Quixote’s Privilege Extensions (Spain)
1649Book trade regulations (France)
1665* French book trade regulations (France)
1686* Book trade regulations (France)
1713* 'Books Constitution' of Emperor Rudolf II (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1713Augsburg Printers' Ordinance (Germany)
1724* Electoral Saxon Printing and Censorship Acts from 1549 to 1717 (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1725-1726* Louis d'Héricourt's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1744* Code de la Librairie (France) Commentary: [1]
1777* French Decree of 30 August 1777, on the duration of privileges (France) Commentary: [1]
1780Venetian Reprint of the French Decree of 30 August 1777, on the duration of privileges (Italy)
1785* Austrian Statutes on Censorship and Printing (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1832Parliamentary Debates on Drama and Dramatic Literature (31 May) (United Kingdom)