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.
1531* | Basel Printers' Statute (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1591 | A publisher's 'Friendly Reminder' about reprints (Germany) |
1643* | The Humble Remonstrance of the Stationers' Company (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1650s* | Vitré's memorandum on the prolongation of privileges (France) |
1660* | Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1690s* | Memorandum on the dispute between the Parisian and the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1] |
1706 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1709 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1709 | More Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1710 | A Bill for Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1725-1726* | Louis d'Héricourt's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1] |
1738* | Thurneysen: On the Illicit Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1740* | Encyclopaedia Article on 'The Reprinting of Books' (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1761 | Tonson v. Collins (United Kingdom) |
1763* | Diderot's Letter on the book trade (France) Commentary: [1] |
1765* | Philipp Erasmus Reich and the Leipzig publishers' cartel (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1765 | Reich v. Pauli (Germany) |
1773* | Saxonian Statute (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1774 | The Cases of the Appellants and Respondents (United Kingdom) |
1777* | Linguet's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1] |
1778* | Pluquet's letters (France) Commentary: [1] |
1785* | Kant: On the Unlawfulness of Reprinting (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1791* | Report of François Hell to the National Assembly (France) Commentary: [1] |
1794* | Prussian Statute Book (ALR) (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1809* | Baden Civil Code (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1815* | Annotated Publishers' Petition to the Congress of Vienna (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1826* | Minutes of the 1825-1826 Commission (France) |
1828* | Maugham's Treatise (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1828 | Letter from Donaldson to Peters (United States) |
1828 | Letter from Donaldson to Wheaton (United States) |
1841* | Folsom v. Marsh (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1844* | Saxon Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1848 | Jay, Bryant and Others' Memorials (United States) |
1857* | Wächter: 'Publishing Right' (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1867* | Schäffle: 'Authors' rights as an artificial means for safeguarding remuneration and annuities' (Germany) Commentary: [1] |