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.
1538* | Henrician Proclamation Commentary: [1] |
1554 | Selected Extracts from the Stationers' Company's Registers |
1557* | Stationers' Charter Commentary: [1] |
1557 | The Privy Seal warrant concerning the Stationers' Charter |
1559* | Elizabethan Injunctions Commentary: [1] |
1559 | Day's The Cosmographical Glass |
1618 | Daniel's The Collection of the Historie of England |
1643* | The Humble Remonstrance of the Stationers' Company Commentary: [1] |
1643 | An Ordinance for the Regulation of Printing |
1647 | Ordinance against Unlicensed or Scandalous Pamphlets |
1649 | An Act against Unlicensed and Scandalous Books and Pamphlets |
1653 | An Act for reviving [the 1649 Act] |
1662* | Licensing Act Commentary: [1] |
1662 | Licensing Act (parchment copy) |
1663 | L'Estrange's Considerations and Proposals |
1667 | Recital of the Stationers' Charter |
1684 | Stationers' Charter |
1690* | Locke's Second Treatise on Government (selected extracts) Commentary: [1] |
1695 | Reasons for objecting to the renewal of the Licensing Act |
1704* | Defoe's Essay on the Press Commentary: [1] |
1706 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning |
1709 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning |
1709 | More Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning |
1709 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd to the Consideration of the Honourable House of Commons |
1710* | Statute of Anne Commentary: [1] |
1710 | A Bill for Encouragement of Learning |
1721* | Burnet v. Chetwood Commentary: [1] |
1721 | Burnet v. Chetwood: Entries from the Court's Book of Orders |
1729 | Gay v. Read |
1735* | Engravers' Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1735 | The Case of Designers, Engravers, Etchers, &c. |
1735 | Engravers' Copyright Act (parchment copy) |
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) |
1741* | Gyles v. Wilcox (Atkyn's Reports) Commentary: [1] |
1741* | Pope v. Curl Commentary: [1] |
1741 | Gyles v. Wilcox (Barnardiston's Report) |
1741 | Pope's Bill of Complaint, and Curl's Answer |
1741 | Pope v Curl: Entry from the Court's Book of Orders |
1747* | Warburton's Letter from an Author Commentary: [1] |
1751 | Tonson v. Walker |
1761 | Tonson v. Collins |
1762* | Tonson v. Collins Commentary: [1] |
1762* | An Enquiry into Literary Property Commentary: [1] |
1762 | A Vindication of the Rights of Authors |
1766 | Engravers' Copyright Act |
1769* | Millar v. Taylor Commentary: [1] |
1774* | Donaldson v. Becket Commentary: [1] |
1774 | Hargrave's Argument in Defence of Literary Property |
1774 | The Cases of the Appellants and Respondents |
1774 | The Pleadings of the Counsel before the House |
1774 | Booksellers' Bill |
1774 | Enfield's Observations |
1774 | Stella's Modest Exceptions |
1775* | Stationers' Company v. Carnan Commentary: [1] |
1777* | Bach v. Longman Commentary: [1] |
1777 | Engravers' Copyright Act |
1787* | Calico Printers' Act Commentary: [1] |
1787 | Calico Printers' Act (parchment copy) |
1798* | Models and Busts Act Commentary: [1] |
1798* | Beckford v. Hood Commentary: [1] |
1798 | Models and Busts Act (parchment copy) |
1799 | Documents concerning the Models and Busts Act |
1801* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1801 | A Bill for the Further Encouragement of Learning |
1801 | Copyright Act (parchment copy) |
1812 | Petition of the London Booksellers |
1813 | Petition of the Printers of London and Westminster |
1813 | Petition of the Edinburgh Booksellers |
1813 | Report of the Acts Respecting Copyright |
1813 | Select Committee Report on Acts for the Encouragement of Learning |
1813 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence |
1814* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1814 | Sculpture Copyright Act |
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 (12 July) |
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] |
1830 | Dramatic Writings Bill |
1832 | Select Committee Report: Dramatic Literature |
1832 | Parliamentary Debates on Drama and Dramatic Literature (31 May) |
1833* | Dramatic Literary Property Act Commentary: [1] |
1833 | Parliamentary Debates on the Dramatic Literary Property Act (12 March) |
1833 | Parliamentary Debates on the Dramatic Literary Property Act (24 July) |
1833 | Bill to amend the Laws relating to Dramatic Literary Property |
1835* | Publication of Lectures Act Commentary: [1] |
1835 | Parliamentary Debates on the Lectures Act (24 Aug.) |
1835 | Parliamentary Debates on the Lectures Act (26 Aug.) |
1835 | Publication of Lectures Bill |
1836 | Copyright in Prints and Engravings (Ireland) Act |
1837 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (14 Dec.) |
1837 | Copyright Bill (6 June) |
1838* | International Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (20 March) |
1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (19 July) |
1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (25 April) |
1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (9 May) |
1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (6 June) |
1838 | Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) |
1838 | Copyright Bill (6 June) |
1839 | Copyright Bill |
1839 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) |
1839 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (1 May) |
1839 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (9 July) |
1840 | Copyright Bill |
1840 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (4 Feb.) |
1840 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (14 Feb.) |
1840 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (8 July) |
1841 | Copyright Bill |
1841 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Jan.) |
1841 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (29 Jan.) |
1841 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (5 Feb.) |
1842* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1842* | Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright Commentary: [1] |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (8 Feb.) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (21 Feb.) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (3 Mar.) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (16 Mar.) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (23 Mar.) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (6 April) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (20 April) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (9 May) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (9 May) |
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) |
1842 | Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (27 June) |
1844* | International Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1844 | International Copyright Bill |
1847* | Foreign Reprints Act Commentary: [1] |
1847 | Foreign Reprints Bill |
1851 | Anglo-French Copyright Treaty |
1852* | International Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1852 | Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (13 Feb.) |
1852 | Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (30 April) |
1853 | Blaine's Laws of Artistic Copyright |
1854* | Jeffreys v. Boosey Commentary: [1] |
1857 | Return of Colonies and British Possessions on Importation of Reprints |
1858 | Report of the Artistic Copyright Committee |
1861 | Fine Art Copyright Bill |
1861 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Bill (6 May) |
1862* | Fine Art Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (28 Feb.) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (6 March) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (20 March) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (31 March) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (22 May) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (23 May) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (5 June) |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (24 July) |
1862 | Fine Art Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) |
1862 | Fine Art Copyright Bill (20 March) |
1869 | Artistic Copyright Bill, London Commentary: [1] |
1869 | Graves’ Case, London Commentary: [1] |
1870* | Copinger's Law of Copyright Commentary: [1] |
1872 | Correspondence and Papers on Colonial Copyright |
1874 | Correspondence respecting Colonial Copyright |
1878* | Royal Commissioners' Report Commentary: [1] |
1878 | Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence |
1879 | Copyright Consolidation Bill |
1879 | Memorial of the Royal Academy of Arts, London |
1886* | International Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1886 | International Copyright Bill |
1886 | Correspondence respecting the Copyright Union |
1899 | Artistic Copyright Bill, London |
1900 | Artistic Copyright Bill, London |