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.
| 1479* | Privilege of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg Commentary: [1] |
| 1501* | Imperial Senate privilege to the Sodalitas Celtica Commentary: [1] |
| 1502 | Privilege of the Imperial Senate for Works of Conrad Celtis |
| 1511* | Imperial Privilege for Arnolt Schlick Commentary: [1] |
| 1515 | Imperial Privilege for Konrad Peutinger |
| 1513* | Imperial privilege for Eucharius Rösslin Commentary: [1] |
| 1516 | Imperial Privilege for Johannes Eck |
| 1517 | Privilege of the Duke of Bavaria |
| 1531* | Basel Printers' Statute Commentary: [1] |
| 1660* | Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance Commentary: [1] |
| 1673 | Nuremberg Printers' Ordinance |
| 1738* | Thurneysen: On the Illicit Reprinting of Books Commentary: [1] |
| 1740 | Privilege of the Protestant Swiss Cantons |
| 1794* | Prussian Statute Book (ALR) Commentary: [1] |
| 1827* | Treaties on reciprocal protection between Prussia and various German States Commentary: [1] |
| 1837* | Prussian Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1837* | Directive for reciprocal copyright protection within the German Confederation Commentary: [1] |
| 1840* | Bilateral Treaty between Austria and Sardinia Commentary: [1] |
| 1844* | Saxon Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1846* | Bilateral Treaty between Prussia and Britain Commentary: [1] |
| 1846* | Austrian Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1853* | Bluntschli: On Authors' Rights Commentary: [1] |
| 1857* | Wächter: 'Publishing Right' Commentary: [1] |
| 1870* | Copyright Act for the German Empire Commentary: [1] |
| 1877* | Gareis: Juridical Nature of Author's Rights Commentary: [1] |
| 1884 | Bilateral treaty between Switzerland and France |
| 1891 | 50 Prussian Expert Opinions from 1870-1876 |
| 1892* | Bilateral treaty between the German Reich and the U.S.A. Commentary: [1] |
