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.
| 1501* | Imperial Senate privilege to the Sodalitas Celtica Commentary: [1] |
| 1511* | Imperial Privilege for Arnolt Schlick Commentary: [1] |
| 1515 | Imperial Privilege for Konrad Peutinger |
| 1511 | Privilege of the Bishop of Strasbourg |
| 1512 | Lyrical Reference to an Imperial privilege for Arnolt Schlick |
| 1513* | Imperial privilege for Eucharius Rösslin Commentary: [1] |
| 1516 | Imperial Privilege for Johannes Eck |
| 1531* | Basel Printers' Statute Commentary: [1] |
| 1660* | Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance Commentary: [1] |
| 1738* | Thurneysen: On the Illicit Reprinting of Books Commentary: [1] |
| 1740* | Encyclopaedia Article on 'The Reprinting of Books' Commentary: [1] |
| 1750 | Fritsch: Treatise on Book Printers, Booksellers, Paper Manufacturers and Bookbinders |
| 1773* | Saxonian Statute Commentary: [1] |
| 1785 | Imperial privilege for Aloysius Blumauer's Travesty of Virgil's 'Aeneid' |
| 1796 | Lobethan: On Publishers' Privileges |
| 1806 | Reprinting Regulation for the Grand Duchy of Baden |
| 1821* | Hegel: Remarks on Intellectual Property 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* | Austrian Copyright Act Commentary: [1] |
| 1853* | Bluntschli: On Authors' Rights Commentary: [1] |
| 1857* | Wächter: 'Publishing Right' Commentary: [1] |
| 1867* | Schäffle: 'Authors' rights as an artificial means for safeguarding remuneration and annuities' Commentary: [1] |
| 1870* | Copyright Act for the German Empire Commentary: [1] |
| 1876* | Copyright Acts for the German Empire regarding works of art, photography, and designs Commentary: [1] |
| 1884 | Bilateral treaty between Switzerland and France |
