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* | The Constitutional Copyright Clause (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1789 | Ramsay's Petition (United States) |
1830 | Judiciary Committee Report (United States) |
1831 | House Debate (United States) |
1834* | Wheaton v. Peters (United States) |
1834* | Wheaton v. Peters Independent Report (United States) |
1847* | A Treatise on the Law of Copyright (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1873 | Committee on the Library Report (United States) |
1874 | Correspondence respecting Colonial Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1879* | Baker v. Selden (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1883 | Sarony's Brief (United States) |
1883 | Burrow-Giles' Brief (United States) |
1886 | Committee on Patents Report (United States) |
1890 | Report on H.R. 10881 (United States) |
1899 | Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., District Court Decision (United States) |
1900 | Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., Circuit Court Decision (United States) |
1902 | Bleistein's Brief (United States) |
1902 | Bleistein: Donaldson Lithographing Co. Brief (United States) |
1903* | Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co. (United States) Commentary: [1] |