PRIMARY SOURCES

ON COPYRIGHT

(1450-1900)


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.


All | Italy | Germany | France | Jewish Law | Spain | United Kingdom | United States | Scandinavia


All documents: Keyword duration

Back | 160 results(* indicates core document)

1501* Imperial Senate privilege to the Sodalitas Celtica (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1504* Privilege Granted to Benedetto Bordon (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1506Nebrija's Printing Privilege (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1507* Eloy d'Amerval's privilege (France) Commentary: [1]
1511* Imperial Privilege for Arnolt Schlick (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1511Privilege of the Bishop of Strasbourg (Germany)
1512Lyrical Reference to an Imperial privilege for Arnolt Schlick (Germany)
1513* Imperial privilege for Eucharius Rösslin (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1515* Ariosto's Printing Privilege (Italy)
1515Imperial Privilege for Konrad Peutinger (Germany)
1515* Galliot Du Pré's Privilege (France) Commentary: [1]
1516Imperial Privilege for Johannes Eck (Germany)
1526Papal and Venetian Privileges for Sigismondo Fanti's 'Triompho di Fortuna' (Italy)
1531* Antonio Blado's privilege for Machiavelli's works (Italy)
1531* Basel Printers' Statute (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1532Antonio Blado's edition of Machiavelli's 'History of Florence' (Italy)
1545* Antonio Catalano's Teaching Licence (Italy)
1546* Privilege Granted to Enea Vico (Parmigiano) (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1553William Seres' Printing Patent (United Kingdom)
1556* Privilege Granted to Giovanni Ostaus (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1556 (1555 m.v.)* Privilege Granted to Antonio Floriano (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1558Calve's privilege for the 'Holsome and Catholick Doctrine' (United Kingdom)
1558Phayer's privilege for Virgil's Aeneid (United Kingdom)
1559Day's The Cosmographical Glass (United Kingdom)
1559* Day's privilege for The Cosmographical Glass (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1559Totell's patent for Common Law Books (United Kingdom)
1605* Don Quixote’s Privilege (Spain)
1605* Don Quixote’s Privilege Extensions (Spain)
1606* Reprinting Ban for Bedek Ha-Bayit (Jewish Law)
1624* Statute of Monopolies (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1660* Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1665* French book trade regulations (France)
1667* Milton's Contract (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1672* Usher's Printing Privilege (United States) Commentary: [1]
1709Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1709More Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1710* Statute of Anne (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1723Freedom to Print Non-Privileged Books, Denmark–Norway (Scandinavia)
1725-1726* Louis d'Héricourt's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1737* Booksellers' Bill (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1737An Act for the Encouragement of Learning (Draft) (United Kingdom)
1738* Thurneysen: On the Illicit Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1740* Encyclopaedia Article on 'The Reprinting of Books' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1746North Carolina Printing Privilege to Commissioners (United States)
1750Fritsch: Treatise on Book Printers, Booksellers, Paper Manufacturers and Bookbinders (Germany)
1763* Diderot's Letter on the book trade (France) Commentary: [1]
1773* Saxonian Statute (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1774Booksellers' Bill (United Kingdom)
1777* French Decree of 30 August 1777, on the duration of privileges (France) Commentary: [1]
1777* Linguet's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1778* Pluquet's letters (France) Commentary: [1]
1780Venetian Reprint of the French Decree of 30 August 1777, on the duration of privileges (Italy)
1781* Andrew Law's Petition (United States) Commentary: [1]
1781Andrew Law's Privilege (United States)
1783* Connecticut Copyright Statute (United States) Commentary: [1]
1783Massachusetts Copyright Statute (United States)
1783Maryland Copyright Statute (United States)
1783New Jersey Copyright Statute (United States)
1783New Hampshire Copyright Statute (United States)
1783Rhode Island Copyright Statute (United States)
1784Letter from Noah Webster to James Madison (United States)
1784Pennsylvania Copyright Statute (United States)
1784South Carolina Copyright Statute (United States)
1785Imperial privilege for Aloysius Blumauer's Travesty of Virgil's 'Aeneid' (Germany)
1785Virginia Copyright Statute (United States)
1785North Carolina Copyright Statute (United States)
1786Georgia Copyright Statute (United States)
1786New York Copyright Statute (United States)
1787* Calico Printers' Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1787Constitutional Convention Journal Entry (United States)
1787Madison's Journal Record (United States)
1787Madison's Edited Journal Record (United States)
1789Ramsay's Petiton House Record (United States)
1789Joint Copyright Patent Bill [H.R. 10] (United States)
1790* Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1]
1791* Le Chapelier's report (France) Commentary: [1]
1792Purcell's Printing Privilege (United States)
1793* French Literary and Artistic Property Act (France) Commentary: [1]
1796Lobethan: On Publishers' Privileges (Germany)
1798* Models and Busts Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1801* Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1806Reprinting Regulation for the Grand Duchy of Baden (Germany)
1813* Rules to preserve the property of authors over their works (Spain)
1813Petition of the Edinburgh Booksellers (United Kingdom)
1813Report of the Acts Respecting Copyright (United Kingdom)
1814* Court of Cassation on sculptures (France) Commentary: [1]
1814* Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1814Sculpture Copyright Act (United Kingdom)
1814Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (10 May) (United Kingdom)
1814Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (19 May) (United Kingdom)
1814Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (18 May) (United Kingdom)
1814Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (7 June) (United Kingdom)
1814Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (12 July) (United Kingdom)
1814Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (15 July) (United Kingdom)
1818Select Committee Report on the Copyright Acts (United Kingdom)
1821* Hegel: Remarks on Intellectual Property (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1826* Minutes of the 1825-1826 Commission (France)
1828* Maugham's Treatise (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1828H.R. 140 Committee Bill (United States)
1828H.R. 140 Consolidated Bill (United States)
1830Dramatic Writings Bill (United Kingdom)
1830Judiciary Committee Report (United States)
1831* Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1]
1831House Debate (United States)
1835* Sofer Responsum on Vilna-Slavuta Talmud Dispute (Jewish Law)
1837* Prussian Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1837* Directive for reciprocal copyright protection within the German Confederation (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1838* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1838Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (25 April) (United Kingdom)
1838Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (9 May) (United Kingdom)
1838Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (6 June) (United Kingdom)
1838Report, from the Committee on Patents (United States)
1839Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1839Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (1 May) (United Kingdom)
1840* Bilateral Treaty between Austria and Sardinia (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1841* Report of Lamartine and parliamentary debates on literary property (France)
1841S. 227 (Dramatic Works Public Performance Bill) (United States)
1841Swedish Ordinance on the Limitation of Terms of Protection (Scandinavia) Commentary: [1]
1842* Court of Cassation on artistic property (France) Commentary: [1]
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (8 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (3 Mar.) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (16 Mar.) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (6 April) (United Kingdom)
1842Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (9 May) (United Kingdom)
1842Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (4 March) (United Kingdom)
1842Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (23 March) (United Kingdom)
1842Bill to Amend the Law of Copyright (21 April) (United Kingdom)
1844* Saxon Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1844H.R. 9 (Ingersoll Bill) (United States)
1846* Austrian Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1847* Literary Property Act (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1848Jay, Bryant and Others' Memorials (United States)
1853* Bluntschli: On Authors' Rights (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1853Letters on International copyright (United States)
1857* Wächter: 'Publishing Right' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1860* Nathanson Ruling in Matter of Yoreh De'ah (Jewish Law) Commentary: [1]
1861* Confederate States of America Copyright Act (United States)
1862* Fine Art Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (28 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (22 May) (United Kingdom)
1862Parliamentary Debates on the Fine Art Copyright Act (5 June) (United Kingdom)
1867* Schäffle: 'Authors' rights as an artificial means for safeguarding remuneration and annuities' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1868* Proudhon: 'Les Majorats littéraires' (France)
1870* Copyright Act for the German Empire (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1870* Copinger's Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1870* Copyright Act (United States)
1872International Copyright Bill (United States)
1876* Copyright Acts for the German Empire regarding works of art, photography, and designs (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1876Act on the Protection of Written Property, Norway (Scandinavia)
1877* Swedish Copyright Act (Scandinavia) Commentary: [1]
1878* Morillot on the author's right (France)
1878* Royal Commissioners' Report (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1878Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom)
1879Copyright Consolidation Bill (United Kingdom)
1882* Danvila’s Copyright Treatise (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1884Bilateral treaty between Switzerland and France (Germany)
1895* Núñez de Arce’s Will (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1896Hearing on H.R. 5976 (United States)
1896Treloar Copyright Bill (H.R. 5976) (United States)
1902* Court of Cassation on moral rights (France) Commentary: [1]