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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All documents: Keyword public domain

Back | 57 results(* indicates core document)

1502* Licensing Rules (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1586* Simon Marion's plea on privileges (France) Commentary: [1]
1665* French book trade regulations (France)
1690s* Memorandum on the dispute between the Parisian and the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1]
1693Locke's Memorandum on the 1662 Act (United Kingdom)
1725-1726* Louis d'Héricourt's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1738* Thurneysen: On the Illicit Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1744* Code de la Librairie (France) Commentary: [1]
1762* Tonson v. Collins (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1762* An Enquiry into Literary Property (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1762A Vindication of the Rights of Authors (United Kingdom)
1763* Diderot's Letter on the book trade (France) Commentary: [1]
1769* Millar v. Taylor (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1774The Pleadings of the Counsel before the House (United Kingdom)
1776* Gaultier's memorandum for the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1]
1777* Linguet's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1778* Pluquet's letters (France) Commentary: [1]
1780* 'Pezzana e Consorti' case: supporting documents (Italy)
1781* 'Pezzana e Consorti' case: counter-petition and rulings (Italy)
1791* Le Chapelier's report (France) Commentary: [1]
1793* Fichte: Proof of the Unlawfulness of Reprinting (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1793* French Literary and Artistic Property Act (France) Commentary: [1]
1806Reprinting Regulation for the Grand Duchy of Baden (Germany)
1809* Baden Civil Code (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1814* Court of Cassation on compilations (France) Commentary: [1]
1821* Hegel: Remarks on Intellectual Property (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1826* Minutes of the 1825-1826 Commission (France)
1830Letter from John McLean to Richard Peters Jr. (United States)
1831House Debate (United States)
1832* Gans: On the right to perform published stage plays (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1832Select Committee Report: Dramatic Literature (United Kingdom)
1834* Balzac's letter to authors (France)
1837Debates in Congress (United States)
1840* Bilateral Treaty between Austria and Sardinia (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1841* Report of Lamartine and parliamentary debates on literary property (France)
1841* Folsom v. Marsh (United States) Commentary: [1]
1841Master in Chancery Report (United States)
1844* Saxon Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1845* Court of Appeal on translations (France) Commentary: [1]
1846Expert Opinion on Schelling v. Paulus (Germany)
1847* A Treatise on the Law of Copyright (United States) Commentary: [1]
1853* Bluntschli: On Authors' Rights (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1853Letters on International copyright (United States)
1857* Wächter: 'Publishing Right' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1861* Court of Cassation on telegraphic news (France) Commentary: [1]
1862* Court of Cassation on photography (France) Commentary: [1]
1863Hardee's Memorial (United States)
1868* Proudhon: 'Les Majorats littéraires' (France)
1876* Copyright Acts for the German Empire regarding works of art, photography, and designs (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1878* Morillot on the author's right (France)
1879* Baker v. Selden (United States) Commentary: [1]
1879Selden's Argument (United States)
1879Baker's Argument (United States)
1880* Kohler: Author's Right (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1880* Copyright Regulations (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1880Franco-Spanish Bilateral Copyright Treaty (Spain)
1884Bilateral treaty between Switzerland and France (Germany)