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] |
| 1709 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd to the Consideration of the Honourable House of Commons |
| 1741* | Pope v. Curl Commentary: [1] |
| 1741 | Pope's Bill of Complaint, and Curl's Answer |
| 1741 | Pope v Curl: Entry from the Court's Book of Orders |
| 1773 | Information for Messrs John Hinton et al |
| 1774* | Donaldson v. Becket Commentary: [1] |
| 1774 | The Pleadings of the Counsel before the House |
| 1801* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1801 | A Bill for the Further Encouragement of Learning |
| 1813 | Petition of the Printers of London and Westminster |
| 1813 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence |
| 1814* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (10 May) |
| 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: 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 | Bill to amend the Laws relating to Dramatic Literary Property |
| 1836 | Copyright in Prints and Engravings (Ireland) Act |
| 1837 | Copyright Bill (6 June) |
| 1838* | International Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the International Copyright Act (20 March) |
| 1838 | Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) |
| 1838 | Copyright Bill (6 June) |
| 1839 | Copyright Bill |
| 1840 | Copyright Bill |
| 1841 | Copyright Bill |
| 1842* | Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1842* | Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright Commentary: [1] |
| 1842 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (6 April) |
| 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) |
| 1851 | Anglo-French Copyright Treaty |
| 1853 | Blaine's Laws of Artistic Copyright |
| 1857 | Return of Colonies and British Possessions on Importation of Reprints |
| 1858 | Report of the Artistic Copyright Committee |
| 1861 | Fine Art Copyright Bill |
| 1862* | Fine Art Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 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] |
| 1878* | Royal Commissioners' Report Commentary: [1] |
| 1878 | Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence |
| 1879 | Copyright Consolidation Bill |
| 1886 | Berne Convention |
| 1899 | Artistic Copyright Bill, London |
| 1900 | Artistic Copyright Bill, London |
