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 Commentary: [1] |
| 1637* | Star Chamber Decree Commentary: [1] |
| 1643 | An Ordinance for the Regulation of Printing |
| 1653 | An Act for reviving [the 1649 Act] |
| 1710* | Statute of Anne Commentary: [1] |
| 1710 | A Bill for Encouragement of Learning |
| 1737* | Booksellers' Bill Commentary: [1] |
| 1737* | Baller v. Watson: Entry from the Court's Book of Orders Commentary: [1] |
| 1737 | An Act for the Encouragement of Learning (Draft) |
| 1761 | Tonson v. Collins |
| 1762* | Tonson v. Collins Commentary: [1] |
| 1773 | Information for Alexander Donaldson |
| 1798* | Beckford v. Hood Commentary: [1] |
| 1812 | Petition of the London Booksellers |
| 1813 | Petition of the Printers of London and Westminster |
| 1813 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence |
| 1814* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (10 May) |
| 1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (19 May) |
| 1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (18 July) |
| 1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (18 May) |
| 1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (7 June) |
| 1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (12 July) |
| 1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (15 July) |
| 1818 | Select Committee Report on the Copyright Acts |
| 1818 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence |
| 1828* | Maugham's Treatise Commentary: [1] |
| 1832 | Select Committee Report: Dramatic Literature |
| 1838* | International Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1838 | Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) |
| 1838 | Copyright Bill (6 June) |
| 1839 | Copyright Bill |
| 1840 | Copyright Bill |
| 1841 | Copyright Bill |
| 1842* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1842* | Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright Commentary: [1] |
| 1842 | Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (4 March) |
| 1842 | Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (23 March) |
| 1842 | Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (21 April) |
| 1844* | International Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1844 | International Copyright Bill |
| 1851 | Anglo-French Copyright Treaty |
| 1853 | Blaine's Laws of Artistic Copyright |
| 1854* | Jeffreys v. Boosey Commentary: [1] |
| 1858 | Report of the Artistic Copyright Committee |
| 1862* | Fine Art Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (20 March) |
| 1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (22 May) |
| 1862 | Fine Art Copyright Bill (20 March) |
| 1870* | Copinger's Law of Copyright Commentary: [1] |
| 1872 | Correspondence and Papers on Colonial Copyright |
| 1878* | Royal Commissioners' Report Commentary: [1] |
| 1878 | Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence |
