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.
1789 | House Joint copyright and patent bill decision (United States) |
1789 | Joint Copyright Patent Bill [H.R. 10] (United States) |
1790* | Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1834 | Letters from Sumner to Story (United States) |
1837 | Memorial of a Number of Citizens of the United States (United States) |
1838 | Address of Certain Authors (United States) |
1838 | Memorial of a Number of Citizens of Boston (United States) |
1841 | S. 227 (Dramatic Works Public Performance Bill) (United States) |
1848 | Jay, Bryant and Others' Memorials (United States) |
1853 | Letters on International copyright (United States) |
1856* | Copyright Act Amendment (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1865* | Copyright Act Amendment (United States) |
1870* | Copyright Act (United States) |
1872 | Correspondence and Papers on Colonial Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1878 | Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1880* | Kohler: Author's Right (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1890 | Report on H.R. 10881 (United States) |
1894 | Report on H.R. 6835 (United States) |
1896 | Report on H.R. 1978 (United States) |
1896 | Report on S. 2306 (United States) |
1896 | Hearing on H.R. 5976 (United States) |
1896 | Treloar Copyright Bill (H.R. 5976) (United States) |
1896 | The Question of Copyright (United States) |