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.
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment |
1477* | Tax Exemption for Books Commentary: [1] |
1558* | Censorship Rules |
1502* | Licensing Rules Commentary: [1] |
1677* | Pirated edition of Calderón de la Barca's comedias Commentary: [1] |
1502* | Licensing Rules Commentary: [1] |
1838* | Remarks on Literary Property |
1887* | International Literary Congress in Madrid |
1792* | Barcelona Newspaper' Printing Privilege |
1558* | Censorship Rules |
1502* | Licensing Rules Commentary: [1] |
1857* | Anglo-Spanish Copyright Treaty Commentary: [1] |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment |
1847* | Literary Property Act Commentary: [1] |
1882* | Danvila’s Copyright Treatise Commentary: [1] |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1894* | Copyright Formalities: Bulletin |
1879* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1813* | Rules to preserve the property of authors over their works |
1502* | Licensing Rules Commentary: [1] |
1752* | Juan Curiel as Censor |
1559* | Pérez v. Fernández de Córdoba |
1838* | Remarks on Literary Property |
1868* | Colonial Copyright Extensions Commentary: [1] |
1559* | Privilege for printing music for the Indies Commentary: [1] |
1861* | Supreme Court on Originality |
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment |
1878* | Spanish Copyright Formalities: Certificates |
1894* | Copyright Formalities: Bulletin |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1882* | Danvila’s Copyright Treatise Commentary: [1] |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1879* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1838* | Remarks on Literary Property |
1487* | Printing Privileges to Monasteries Commentary: [1] |
1558* | Censorship Rules |
1882* | Danvila’s Copyright Treatise Commentary: [1] |
1838* | Remarks on Literary Property |
1882* | Danvila’s Copyright Treatise Commentary: [1] |
1890* | Copyright Pocketbooks Commentary: [1] |
1879* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1854* | Franco-Spanish Bilateral Copyright Treaty |
1868* | Colonial Copyright Extensions Commentary: [1] |
1848* | Copyright Formalities: Registration |
1868* | Colonial Copyright Extensions Commentary: [1] |
1861* | Supreme Court on Originality |
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment |
1857* | Anglo-Spanish Copyright Treaty Commentary: [1] |
1878* | Spanish Copyright Formalities: Certificates |
1879* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1861* | Supreme Court on Originality |
1477* | Tax Exemption for Books Commentary: [1] |
1752* | Privilege Tranfers: Contract between Antonio Sanz and his bookseller |
1763* | Rules for Printers and Book Merchants' Guild in Madrid |
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment |
1837* | Royal Order on Music Copyright |
1854* | Franco-Spanish Bilateral Copyright Treaty |
1868* | Colonial Copyright Extensions Commentary: [1] |
1848* | Copyright Formalities: Registration |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1752* | Juan Curiel as Censor |
1895* | Núñez de Arce’s Will Commentary: [1] |
1879* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment |
1502* | Licensing Rules Commentary: [1] |
1861* | Supreme Court on Originality |
1554* | Royal Charter for Licensing Commentary: [1] |
1558* | Censorship Rules |
1604* | Petition for licence and privilege by Cervantes Commentary: [1] |
1605* | Don Quixote’s Privilege Extensions |
1677* | Pirated edition of Calderón de la Barca's comedias Commentary: [1] |
1762* | Free Trade Regulations |
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment |
1834* | Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment |
1847* | Literary Property Act Commentary: [1] |
1885* | First Inscriptions of Works at the Spanish Copyright Office |
1885* | First Inscriptions of Works at the Spanish Copyright Office |
1711* | Legal Deposit at the Royal Library |
1857* | Anglo-Spanish Copyright Treaty Commentary: [1] |
1879* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1838* | Remarks on Literary Property |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1885* | First Inscriptions of Works at the Spanish Copyright Office |
1711* | Legal Deposit at the Royal Library |
1872* | Supreme Court on Artistic Copyright |
1888* | Civil Code Commentary: [1] |
1861* | Supreme Court on Originality |
1877* | Supreme Court on Music Copyright |
1898* | Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain Commentary: [1] |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1898* | Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain Commentary: [1] |
1558* | Censorship Rules |
1838* | Remarks on Literary Property |
1880* | Copyright Regulations Commentary: [1] |
1558* | Censorship Rules |
1677* | Pirated edition of Calderón de la Barca's comedias Commentary: [1] |
1558* | Censorship Rules |
1882* | Danvila’s Copyright Treatise Commentary: [1] |