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.


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Back | 73 results(* indicates core document)

1485Censorship Edict of the Archbishop of Mainz (Germany)
1531* Basel Printers' Statute (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1545* Antonio Catalano's Teaching Licence (Italy)
1559* Day's privilege for The Cosmographical Glass (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1586* Simon Marion's plea on privileges (France) Commentary: [1]
1643* The Humble Remonstrance of the Stationers' Company (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1643* Establishment of the First Printing House in Norway (Scandinavia)
1658* Schupp: The Book Thief (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1686* Book trade regulations (France)
1704* Defoe's Essay on the Press (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1706Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
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]
1710A Bill for Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1711* Legal Deposit at the Royal Library (Spain)
1713Augsburg Printers' Ordinance (Germany)
1725-1726* Pierre-Jacques Blondel's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1738* Thurneysen: On the Illicit Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1740* Encyclopaedia Article on 'The Reprinting of Books' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1741* Gyles v. Wilcox (Atkyn's Reports) (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1741Gyles v. Wilcox (Barnardiston's Report) (United Kingdom)
1762* An Enquiry into Literary Property (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1763* Diderot's Letter on the book trade (France) Commentary: [1]
1774* Pütter: The Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1776* Gaultier's memorandum for the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1]
1777* Linguet's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1781* 'Pezzana e Consorti' case: counter-petition and rulings (Italy)
1782Letter from Smith to Webster (United States)
1783* Connecticut Copyright Statute (United States) Commentary: [1]
1783Letter from Joel Barlow to the Continental Congress (United States)
1783Continental Congress Resolution (United States)
1783Massachusetts Copyright Statute (United States)
1783New Jersey Copyright Statute (United States)
1783New Hampshire Copyright Statute (United States)
1783Rhode Island Copyright Statute (United States)
1786Georgia Copyright Statute (United States)
1787Madison's Edited Journal Record (United States)
1790* Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1]
1793* Fichte: Proof of the Unlawfulness of Reprinting (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1793* French Literary and Artistic Property Act (France) Commentary: [1]
1799* Kehr: Apology of the Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1801* Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1801A Bill for the Further Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1801Copyright Act (parchment copy) (United Kingdom)
18021802 Amendment (United States)
1809* Baden Civil Code (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1813Report of the Acts Respecting Copyright (United Kingdom)
1813Select Committee Report on Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom)
1814* Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1815* Annotated Publishers' Petition to the Congress of Vienna (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1821* Hegel: Remarks on Intellectual Property (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1830Judiciary Committee Report (United States)
1837* Senate Report (United States)
1837Memorial of a Number of Citizens of the United States (United States)
1838Address of Certain Authors (United States)
1838Report, from the Committee on Patents (United States)
1838Memorial of a Number of Citizens of Boston (United States)
1839Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (27 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1840Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (4 Feb.) (United Kingdom)
1841* Report of Lamartine and parliamentary debates on literary property (France)
1842* Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1842Memorial of a Number of Persons Concerned in Printing and Publishing (United States)
1843An Address to the People of the United States (United States)
1848Jay, Bryant and Others' Memorials (United States)
1853Letters on International copyright (United States)
1868* Proudhon: 'Les Majorats littéraires' (France)
1873Committee on the Library Report (United States)
1879Selden's Argument (United States)
1879Baker's Argument (United States)
1883Burrow-Giles' Brief (United States)
1886Committee on Patents Report (United States)
1890Report on H.R. 10881 (United States)