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.
1828 | H.R. 140 Committee Bill |
1828 | H.R. 140 Consolidated Bill |
1830 | Judiciary Committee Report |
1831* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1831 | House Debate |
1834* | Wheaton v. Peters |
1834 | Letters from Sumner to Story |
1837* | Senate Report |
1837 | Petition of British Authors |
1837 | Debates in Congress |
1837 | Memorial of a Number of Citizens of the United States |
1838 | Report, from the Committee on Patents |
1838 | Memorial of the New York Typographical Society |
1838 | Memorial of a Number of Citizens of Boston |
1841 | S. 227 (Dramatic Works Public Performance Bill) |
1842 | Memorial of a Number of Persons Concerned in Printing and Publishing |
1844 | H.R. 9 (Ingersoll Bill) |
1848 | Jay, Bryant and Others' Memorials |
1856* | Copyright Act Amendment Commentary: [1] |
1865* | Copyright Act Amendment |
1870 | Committee Report on S.703 |
1870* | Copyright Act |
1872 | International Copyright Bill |
1873 | Committee on the Library Report |
1879* | Baker v. Selden Commentary: [1] |
1879 | Selden's Argument |
1879 | Baker's Argument |
1883 | Sarony's Brief |
1883 | Burrow-Giles' Brief |
1886 | Committee on Patents Report |
1890 | Report on H.R. 10881 |
1891* | International Copyright Act (The Chace Act) |
1894 | Report on H.R. 6835 |
1894 | H.R. 6835 (Cummings Bill) |
1896 | Public Performance Bill |
1896 | Report on H.R. 1978 |
1896 | Report on S. 2306 |
1896 | Hearing on H.R. 5976 |
1896 | Treloar Copyright Bill (H.R. 5976) |
1896 | Debate in Congress |
1897* | Copyright Act (Public Performance of Musical Compositions) |
1902 | Bleistein's Brief |
1902 | Bleistein: Donaldson Lithographing Co. Brief |
1903* | Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co. Commentary: [1] |