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.
1590* | Giovanni Fratta's 'On the Dedication of Books' (Italy) |
1673 | Nuremberg Printers' Ordinance (Germany) |
1711* | Legal Deposit at the Royal Library (Spain) |
1761 | Tonson v. Collins (United Kingdom) |
1763* | Diderot's Letter on the book trade (France) Commentary: [1] |
1766* | The Swedish Freedom of the Press Ordinance (Scandinavia) Commentary: [1] |
1785* | Austrian Statutes on Censorship and Printing (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1790* | J.F.F. Ganz's draft for a general ban on reprinting within the whole Empire (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1793* | Fichte: Proof of the Unlawfulness of Reprinting (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1813 | Petition of the Printers of London and Westminster (United Kingdom) |
1813 | Petition of the Edinburgh Booksellers (United Kingdom) |
1813 | Report of the Acts Respecting Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1813 | Select Committee Report on Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1813 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1814* | Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (10 May) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (19 May) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Act (18 July) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (18 May) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (7 June) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (12 July) (United Kingdom) |
1814 | Bill to amend Acts for the Encouragement of Learning (15 July) (United Kingdom) |
1818 | Select Committee Report on the Copyright Acts (United Kingdom) |
1818 | Select Committee Report: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1838 | Report, from the Committee on Patents (United States) |
1842* | Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1865* | Copyright Act Amendment (United States) |
1868* | Proudhon: 'Les Majorats littéraires' (France) |
1872 | Correspondence and Papers on Colonial Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1878 | Royal Commission on Copyright: Minutes of Evidence (United Kingdom) |
1879 | Copyright Consolidation Bill (United Kingdom) |
1880* | Copyright Regulations (Spain) Commentary: [1] |
1890 | Report on H.R. 10881 (United States) |