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.
| 1579* | Privilege for the Deux-Aes Bible Commentary: [1] |
| 1608* | The States-General's ban on certain publications of the 'Bycorff' |
| 1625-1626* | Resolutions concerning the Dutch School Order |
| 1632* | Privilege for the States Bible |
| 1669* | Revocation of the Privilege granted to Pieter Hackens |
| 1686* | Resolution concerning the Grant of Book Privileges |
| 1710* | General Privilege granted to Gerard Noodt in Leiden |
| 1715* | Order on the Petitioning and Obtaining of Book Privileges |
| 1728* | Resolution on Compliance with Book Deposit Regulations and Notice against the Printing of Books under the names of Professors at the University of Leyden |
| 1795* | Provincial decree of Holland abolishing Book Privileges and bestowing a Right to Copy |
| 1796* | Book Decree of the Province of Holland |
| 1803* | National Book Act of the Batavian Republic |
| 1805* | Memorandum of the Batavian Republic restricting the copying and selling of State Documents |
| 1808* | Amended Book Act of the Batavian Republic |
| 1813* | High Court of Justice on the Right to Copy of Evangelical Hymns |
| 1813* | Sovereign Decrees on Official State Publications |
| 1814* | Sovereign Decree on the Book trade and the property of Literary Works |
| 1815* | Sovereign Decree on the right of property of translations of foreign works |
| 1820* | High Court of Justice on the application of the 1817 Act to translation disputes |
| 1840* | Supreme Court on Literary Property of the State |
| 1850* | Supreme Court on the protection against reprinting of public sermons |
| 1855* | Agreement between the Netherlands and France on the reproduction of scientific and literary works |
| 1884* | Bill on the regulation of copyright on works of visual arts |
| 1892* | Supreme Court on the protection of non-original writings |
