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.
1776* | Gaultier's memorandum for the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1] |
1827* | Treaties on reciprocal protection between Prussia and various German States (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1828 | Letter from Donaldson to Wheaton (United States) |
1834* | Wheaton v. Peters Independent Report (United States) |
1838 | Address of Certain Authors (United States) |
1840 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (14 Feb.) (United Kingdom) |
1842* | Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (6 April) (United Kingdom) |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (9 May) (United Kingdom) |
1847* | A Treatise on the Law of Copyright (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1870* | Copinger's Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1878 | Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1886 | Berne Convention (United Kingdom) |
1890 | Report on H.R. 10881 (United States) |