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.
1586* | Star Chamber Decree (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1643* | The Humble Remonstrance of the Stationers' Company (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1660* | Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1660* | Decree on Engravings (France) |
1663 | L'Estrange's Considerations and Proposals (United Kingdom) |
1690s* | Memorandum on the dispute between the Parisian and the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1] |
1695 | Reasons for objecting to the renewal of the Licensing Act (United Kingdom) |
1701* | Royal letters patent (France) Commentary: [1] |
1709 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd to the Consideration of the Honourable House of Commons (United Kingdom) |
1735* | Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1735 | The Case of Designers, Engravers, Etchers, &c. (United Kingdom) |
1737* | Booksellers' Bill (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1744* | Code de la Librairie (France) Commentary: [1] |
1747* | Warburton's Letter from an Author (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1762* | Royal declaration on privileges granted to inventors (France) Commentary: [1] |
1763* | Rules for Printers and Book Merchants' Guild in Madrid (Spain) |
1774* | Donaldson v. Becket (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1774 | Booksellers' Bill (United Kingdom) |
1776* | Gaultier's memorandum for the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1] |
1777* | Linguet's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1] |
1780* | 'Pezzana e Consorti' case: supporting documents (Italy) |
1780* | Dramatic Act (France) |
1781* | 'Pezzana e Consorti' case: counter-petition and rulings (Italy) |
1782 | Letter from Smith to Webster (United States) |
1783* | Connecticut Copyright Statute (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1783 | Letter from Joel Barlow to the Continental Congress (United States) |
1783 | Continental Congress Resolution (United States) |
1783 | Ledyard Petition Committee Report (United States) |
1784 | Letter from Noah Webster to James Madison (United States) |
1787* | Calico Printers' Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1790* | J.F.F. Ganz's draft for a general ban on reprinting within the whole Empire (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1790* | Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1791 | Beaumarchais's petition (France) |
1798* | Models and Busts Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1799 | Documents concerning the Models and Busts Act (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 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1814* | Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
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) |
1818 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1826 | Letter from Noah Webster to Daniel Webster (United States) |
1826 | Letter from Daniel Webster to Noah Webster (United States) |
1828* | Maugham's Treatise (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1831* | Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1834* | Balzac's letter to authors (France) |
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment (Spain) |
1837* | Royal Order on Music Copyright (Spain) |
1837* | Senate Report (United States) |
1837 | Petition of British Authors (United States) |
1837 | Memorial of a Number of Citizens of the United States (United States) |
1838 | Memorial of the New York Typographical Society (United States) |
1838 | Memorial of a Number of Citizens of Boston (United States) |
1839 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1840 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (14 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1841 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Jan.) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (6 April) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (9 May) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Memorial of a Number of Persons Concerned in Printing and Publishing (United States) |
1843 | An Address to the People of the United States (United States) |
1848 | Jay, Bryant and Others' Memorials (United States) |
1862* | Fine Art Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1868* | Proudhon: 'Les Majorats littéraires' (France) |
1872 | Correspondence and Papers on Colonial Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1882* | Danvila’s Copyright Treatise (Spain) Commentary: [1] |
1886 | Correspondence respecting the Copyright Union (United Kingdom) |
1887* | International Literary Congress in Madrid (Spain) |
1890 | Report on H.R. 10881 (United States) |
1896 | Debate in Congress (United States) |
1896 | The Question of Copyright (United States) |