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.
1559 | Day's The Cosmographical Glass |
1559* | Day's privilege for The Cosmographical Glass Commentary: [1] |
1624* | Statute of Monopolies Commentary: [1] |
1643* | The Humble Remonstrance of the Stationers' Company Commentary: [1] |
1644 | Milton's Areopagitica |
1647 | Ordinance against Unlicensed or Scandalous Pamphlets |
1663 | L'Estrange's Considerations and Proposals |
1690* | Locke's Second Treatise on Government (selected extracts) Commentary: [1] |
1693 | Locke's Memorandum on the 1662 Act |
1695 | Reasons for objecting to the renewal of the Licensing Act |
1704* | Defoe's Essay on the Press Commentary: [1] |
1709 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning |
1710* | Statute of Anne Commentary: [1] |
1737* | Booksellers' Bill Commentary: [1] |
1737 | An Act for the Encouragement of Learning (Draft) |
1761 | Tonson v. Collins |
1762* | An Enquiry into Literary Property Commentary: [1] |
1762 | A Vindication of the Rights of Authors |
1766 | Blackstone's Commentaries, Vol.II (selected extracts) |
1773 | Information for Alexander Donaldson |
1774* | Donaldson v. Becket Commentary: [1] |
1774 | Hargrave's Argument in Defence of Literary Property |
1774 | Enfield's Observations |
1774 | Macauley's A Modest Plea |
1787* | Calico Printers' Act Commentary: [1] |
1787 | Calico Printers' Act (parchment copy) |
1801* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1801 | A Bill for the Further Encouragement of Learning |
1818 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence |
1828* | Maugham's Treatise Commentary: [1] |
1832 | Select Committee Report: Dramatic Literature |
1832 | Parliamentary Debates on Drama and Dramatic Literature (31 May) |
1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (20 March) |
1841 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (5 Feb.) |
1842* | Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright Commentary: [1] |
1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (9 May) |
1852 | Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (13 Feb.) |
1854* | Jeffreys v. Boosey Commentary: [1] |
1858 | Report of the Artistic Copyright Committee |
1861 | Fine Art Copyright Bill |
1862* | Fine Art Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
1862 | Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (28 Feb.) |
1862 | Fine Art Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) |
1862 | Fine Art Copyright Bill (20 March) |
1869 | Artistic Copyright Bill, London Commentary: [1] |
1870* | Copinger's Law of Copyright Commentary: [1] |
1872 | Correspondence and Papers on Colonial Copyright |
1878* | Royal Commissioners' Report Commentary: [1] |
1878 | Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence |
1879 | Copyright Consolidation Bill |
1899 | Artistic Copyright Bill, London |
1900 | Artistic Copyright Bill, London |