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.
1586* | Simon Marion's plea on privileges (France) Commentary: [1] |
1660* | Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1667* | Milton's Contract (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1706 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1709 | Reasons Humbly Offer'd for the Bill for the Encouragement of Learning (United Kingdom) |
1721 | Burnet's Bill of Complaint and Chetwood's Answer (United Kingdom) |
1721 | Burnet v. Chetwood: Entries from the Court's Book of Orders (United Kingdom) |
1725-1726* | Louis d'Héricourt's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1] |
1737* | Booksellers' Bill (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1737* | Baller v. Watson: Entry from the Court's Book of Orders (United Kingdom) 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] |
1741 | Pope's Bill of Complaint, and Curl's Answer (United Kingdom) |
1747* | Warburton's Letter from an Author (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1749* | Crébillon case (France) Commentary: [1] |
1761* | La Fontaine case (France) Commentary: [1] |
1761 | Tonson v. Collins (United Kingdom) |
1762* | Royal declaration on privileges granted to inventors (France) Commentary: [1] |
1762* | Tonson v. Collins (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1762 | A Vindication of the Rights of Authors (United Kingdom) |
1763* | Diderot's Letter on the book trade (France) Commentary: [1] |
1766 | Blackstone's Commentaries, Vol.II (selected extracts) (United Kingdom) |
1769* | Millar v. Taylor (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1774 | Hargrave's Argument in Defence of Literary Property (United Kingdom) |
1776* | Gaultier's memorandum for the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1] |
1776* | Fragments on the Freedom of the Press (France) Commentary: [1] |
1777* | Linguet's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1] |
1778* | Pluquet's letters (France) Commentary: [1] |
1780* | Dramatic Act (France) |
1783 | Continental Congress Resolution (United States) |
1789* | The Constitutional Copyright Clause (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1791* | Le Chapelier's report (France) Commentary: [1] |
1791* | Report of François Hell to the National Assembly (France) Commentary: [1] |
1791 | Beaumarchais's petition (France) |
1793* | Fichte: Proof of the Unlawfulness of Reprinting (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1793* | French Literary and Artistic Property Act (France) Commentary: [1] |
1809* | Baden Civil Code (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1821* | Hegel: Remarks on Intellectual Property (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1824* | Neustetel: The Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1826* | Minutes of the 1825-1826 Commission (France) |
1826 | Letter from Noah Webster to Daniel Webster (United States) |
1826 | Letter from Daniel Webster to Noah Webster (United States) |
1827* | Kramer: Rights of Writers and Publishers (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1828* | Maugham's Treatise (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1828 | Letter from Donaldson to Wheaton (United States) |
1830 | Judiciary Committee Report (United States) |
1831* | Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1832* | Gans: On the right to perform published stage plays (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1834* | Balzac's letter to authors (France) |
1834* | Wheaton v. Peters (United States) |
1834* | Wheaton v. Peters Independent Report (United States) |
1835 | Parliamentary Debates on the Lectures Act (24 Aug.) (United Kingdom) |
1837* | Senate Report (United States) |
1837 | Petition of British Authors (United States) |
1837 | Debates in Congress (United States) |
1838 | Parliamentary Debates on the Copyright Bill (9 May) (United Kingdom) |
1838 | Address of Certain Authors (United States) |
1838 | Report, from the Committee on Patents (United States) |
1838 | Memorial of a Number of Citizens of Boston (United States) |
1841* | Report of Lamartine and parliamentary debates on literary property (France) |
1841* | Folsom v. Marsh (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1842* | Court of Cassation on artistic property (France) Commentary: [1] |
1843 | An Address to the People of the United States (United States) |
1847* | A Treatise on the Law of Copyright (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1848 | Jay, Bryant and Others' Memorials (United States) |
1852* | French International Copyright Act (France) |
1853 | Blaine's Laws of Artistic Copyright (United Kingdom) |
1853* | Stowe v. Thomas (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1853 | Stowe v. Thomas, Complainant's Bill (United States) |
1853 | Stowe v. Thomas, Defendant's Answer (United States) |
1853 | Affidavit of Harriet Beecher Stowe (United States) |
1853 | 'Uncle Tom' at Law (United States) |
1857* | Wächter: 'Publishing Right' (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1867* | Schäffle: 'Authors' rights as an artificial means for safeguarding remuneration and annuities' (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1868* | Proudhon: 'Les Majorats littéraires' (France) |
1869* | Court of Cassation on originality (France) |
1870* | Copinger's Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1873 | Committee on the Library Report (United States) |
1878* | Morillot on the author's right (France) |
1879* | Drone on Copyright (United States) |
1879* | Baker v. Selden (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1880* | Kohler: Author's Right (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1883 | Sarony's Brief (United States) |
1884 | Bilateral treaty between Switzerland and France (Germany) |
1886 | Committee on Patents Report (United States) |
1890 | Report on H.R. 10881 (United States) |
1896 | The Question of Copyright (United States) |
1902* | Court of Cassation on moral rights (France) Commentary: [1] |