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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Core documents: Date

Back | 303 results(* indicates core document)

1469* Johannes of Speyer's Printing Monopoly (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1474* Venetian Statute on Industrial Brevets (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1477* Tax Exemption for Books (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1479* Privilege of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1486* Marco Antonio Sabellico's Printing Privilege (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1487* Printing Privileges to Monasteries (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1498* Ottaviano Petrucci's Music Patent (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1501* Imperial Senate privilege to the Sodalitas Celtica (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1502* Licensing Rules (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1502* Privilege granted to Valentim Fernandes, Lisbon (Portugal) Commentary: [1]
1503* Aldus Manutius's Warning against the Printers of Lyon (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1503* Privilege granted to Valentim Fernandes, Lisbon (Portugal) Commentary: [1]
1504* A woodcut by Albrecht Dürer plagiarized by Marcantonio Raimondi (Italy)
1504* Privilege Granted to Benedetto Bordon (Italy)
1507* Eloy d'Amerval's privilege (France) Commentary: [1]
1508* Privilege granted to Jacobo Cromberger (Portugal) Commentary: [1]
1509* Privilege granted to Tommaso Pighinucci for publishing “Medicina Plinii” (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1511* Imperial Privilege for Arnolt Schlick (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1511* Imperial Privilege for Albrecht Dürer (Germany)
1513* Imperial privilege for Eucharius Rösslin (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1514* Privilege granted to João Pedro de Cremona (Portugal) Commentary: [1]
1515* Ariosto's Printing Privilege (Italy)
1515* Galliot Du Pré's Privilege (France) Commentary: [1]
1516* Appointment of Andrea Navagero as Literary Censor (Italy)
1516* Privilege for the Divisiekroniek (Netherlands) Commentary: [1]
1517* Venetian Decree on Press Affairs (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1518* Rabbinic Reprinting Ban for Eliyahu Bakhur (Jewish Law) Commentary: [1]
1518* The Articles of the Pope's Bulle (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1527* Venetian Decree on Pre-publication Censorship (Italy)
1530* Privilege granted to Germão Galharde (Portugal) Commentary: [1]
1530* La Fleur de la science de pourtraicture (France)
1531* Antonio Blado's privilege for Machiavelli's works (Italy)
1531* Bernardo Giunti's privilege for Machiavelli's works (Italy)
1531* Basel Printers' Statute (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1533* Schott v. Egenolph (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1536* Privilege granted to Gonçalo de Baena (Portugal) Commentary: [1]
1537* Privilege granted to Baltasar Dias (Portugal) Commentary: [1]
1537* Ordinance on the Production and Use of Books in Printed Form, Denmark–Norway (Scandinavia)
1538* Henrician Proclamation (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1545* Venetian Decree on Author-Printer Relations (Italy) Commentary: [1]
1545* Antonio Catalano's Teaching Licence (Italy)
1545* Luther's 'Warning to the Printers' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1546* Privilege Granted to Enea Vico (Parmigiano) (Italy)
1547* French Censorship Act (France) Commentary: [1]
1549* Decree Establishing the Venetian Guild of Printers and Booksellers (Italy)
1549* Statutes of the Venetian Guild of Printers and Booksellers (Italy)
1550* Rema Ruling re: Maharam of Padua (Jewish Law) Commentary: [1]
1552* General privilege granted to Adrien Le Roy and Robert Ballard (France) Commentary: [1]
1553* Totell's Printing Patent (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1554* Royal Charter for Licensing (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1556* Privilege Granted to Giovanni Ostaus (Italy)
1556 (1555 m.v.)* Privilege Granted to Antonio Floriano (Italy)
1557* Stationers' Charter (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1558* Censorship Rules (Spain)
1559* Privilege for printing music for the Indies (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1559* Pérez v. Fernández de Córdoba (Spain)
1559* Elizabethan Injunctions (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1559* Day's privilege for The Cosmographical Glass (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1566* Star Chamber Decree (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1568* Giorgio Vasari, Life of Marcantonio of Bologna and Other Engravers of Prints (Italy)
1571* Privilege granted to Andrea Palladio for his Four Books on Architecture, with supporting endorsement by member of the Roman Inquisition (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1579* Notice of Rabbinic Reprinting Ban (Jewish Law)
1582* Revocation of Papal privilege to print and distribute Roman [Gregorian] Calendar and Martyrology (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1586* Simon Marion's plea on privileges (France) Commentary: [1]
1586* Star Chamber Decree (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1587* Privilege to Giovanni Giolito di Ferrari for publication of Paolo Comitolo's "Catena in Beatissimum Job," and revocation of Jean Stratius' privilege in the same work (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1588* Petition of and Privilege to Tolomeo Veltroni for illustrated edition of the Statutes of the Knights of Malta (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1589* Petitions from and Privilege granted to Gerard Voss for his Latin translation of the works of St. Ephrem of Syria (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1589* Bosio's edition of the Statutes of the Knights of Malta (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1590* Giovanni Fratta's 'On the Dedication of Books' (Italy)
1593* Petition from and Privilege granted to Antonio Tempesta for a map of Rome (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1593* Petition from and Privilege granted to Giulio Burchioni for publishing a combined volume of works on table service and household management (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1594* Council of Four Lands Printing and Book Trade Regulation (Jewish Law) Commentary: [1]
1596* Motu proprio controversy (Italy)
1596* Total Ban on Book Imports, Denmark–Norway (Scandinavia)
1598* Petition of and Privilege to Orazio Torsellini for his History of the House of Loreto (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1599* Petition from and Privilege granted to Alfonso Chacón for publishing the works of his uncle, historian Alonso Chacón (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1600* Petition from and Privilege granted to Pietro Fetti to translate, print and distribute works by St. Teresa of Avila from Spanish to Italian (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1602* Petition from and Privilege granted to Marcantonio Rossi for publishing choral work by the late Giovanni Guidetti of Bologna (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1603* Venetian Decree on Privileges for New Books and Reprints (Italy)
1603* Privilege granted to Francisco Soto to translate, print and distribute works by St. Teresa of Avila from Spanish to Italian (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1603* Petition and Privilege for printing and distributing the Summa of St. Raymond of Peñafort (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1604* Petition for licence and privilege by Cervantes (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1604* Petition from and Privilege granted to Cosimo Gaci to translate, print and distribute works by St. Teresa of Avila from Spanish to Italian (Vatican) Commentary: [1]
1605* Don Quixote’s Privilege (Spain)
1605* Don Quixote’s Privilege Extensions (Spain)
1606* Reprinting Ban for Bedek Ha-Bayit (Jewish Law)
1614* Publishing Agreement: the Spanish translation of Ludovico Blosio oeuvre (Spain)
1618* Book trade regulations and incorporation of the Parisian book trade (France) Commentary: [1]
1624* Statute of Monopolies (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1625-1626* Resolutions concerning the Dutch School Order (Netherlands)
1632* Privilege for the States Bible (Netherlands)
1637* Star Chamber Decree (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1643* The Humble Remonstrance of the Stationers' Company (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1643* Establishment of the First Printing House in Norway (Scandinavia)
1650s* Vitré's memorandum on the prolongation of privileges (France)
1656* Privilege du Roy [Charles Le Brun] (France)
1658* Schupp: The Book Thief (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1660* Frankfurt Printers' Ordinance (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1660* Decree on Engravings (France)
1662* Licensing Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1665* French book trade regulations (France)
1667* Milton's Contract (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1669* Revocation of the Privilege granted to Pieter Hackens (Netherlands)
1672* Usher's Printing Privilege (United States) Commentary: [1]
1675* Counterfeited Privilege in Grimmelshausen's 'The Magic Bird's Nest' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1676* Decree on Sculptures (France)
1677* Pirated edition of Calderón de la Barca's comedias (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1684* Renewed Swedish Censorship Laws (Scandinavia) Commentary: [1]
1686* Book trade regulations (France)
1690s* Memorandum on the dispute between the Parisian and the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1]
1690* Locke's Second Treatise on Government (selected extracts) (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1691* Pseudo-Vera Tassis: Fake edition (Spain)
1701* Royal letters patent (France) Commentary: [1]
1701* Censorship Instruction for Newspapers, Denmark–Norway (Scandinavia) Commentary: [1]
1704* Defoe's Essay on the Press (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1710* Statute of Anne (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1711* Legal Deposit at the Royal Library (Spain)
1713* 'Books Constitution' of Emperor Rudolf II (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1715* Order on the Petitioning and Obtaining of Book Privileges (Netherlands)
1721* Burnet v. Chetwood (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1724* Electoral Saxon Printing and Censorship Acts from 1549 to 1717 (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1725-1726* Pierre-Jacques Blondel's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1725-1726* Louis d'Héricourt's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1728* Notice against the Printing of Books under the names of Professors at the University of Leyden (Netherlands) (Netherlands)
1735* Engravers' Copyright Act (United Kingdom) 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 v. Curl (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1741* The Danish Copyright Ordinance (Scandinavia) Commentary: [1]
1744* Code de la Librairie (France) Commentary: [1]
1747* Warburton's Letter from an Author (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1749* Crébillon case (France) Commentary: [1]
1752* Juan Curiel as Censor (Spain)
1752* Privilege Tranfers: Contract between Antonio Sanz and his bookseller (Spain)
1759* Sieur d'Anville's contract (France) Commentary: [1]
1761* La Fontaine case (France) Commentary: [1]
1762* Free Trade Regulations (Spain)
1762* Royal declaration on privileges granted to inventors (France) Commentary: [1]
1762* Tonson v. Collins (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1762* An Enquiry into Literary Property (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1763* Rules for Printers and Book Merchants' Guild in Madrid (Spain)
1763* Diderot's Letter on the book trade (France) Commentary: [1]
1765* Philipp Erasmus Reich and the Leipzig publishers' cartel (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1766* The Swedish Freedom of the Press Ordinance (Scandinavia) Commentary: [1]
1769* Millar v. Taylor (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1770* Luneau de Boisjermain's case (France)
1773* Saxonian Statute (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1773* Hinton v. Donaldson (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1774* Pütter: The Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1774* Donaldson v. Becket (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1775* Stationers' Company v. Carnan (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1776* Gaultier's memorandum for the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1]
1776* Fragments on the Freedom of the Press (France) Commentary: [1]
1777* Royal declaration on sculpture and painting (France)
1777* French Decree of 30 August 1777, on the duration of privileges (France) Commentary: [1]
1777* Linguet's memorandum (France) Commentary: [1]
1777* Bach v. Longman (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1778* Pluquet's letters (France) Commentary: [1]
1780* 'Pezzana e Consorti' case: supporting documents (Italy)
1780* Dramatic Act (France)
1781* 'Pezzana e Consorti' case: counter-petition and rulings (Italy)
1781* Andrew Law's Petition (United States) Commentary: [1]
1783* Connecticut Copyright Statute (United States) Commentary: [1]
1785* Austrian Statutes on Censorship and Printing (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1785* Kant: On the Unlawfulness of Reprinting (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1786* French Decree on Musical Publications (France)
1787* Calico Printers' Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1789* The Constitutional Copyright Clause (United States) Commentary: [1]
1790* J.F.F. Ganz's draft for a general ban on reprinting within the whole Empire (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1790* Sieyès' report (France) Commentary: [1]
1790* Petition by the printmakers and proprietors of copperplates to the National Assembly, May (France)
1790* Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1]
1791* Le Chapelier's report (France) Commentary: [1]
1791* Report of François Hell to the National Assembly (France) Commentary: [1]
1792* Barcelona Newspaper' Printing Privilege (Spain)
1793* Fichte: Proof of the Unlawfulness of Reprinting (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1793* French Literary and Artistic Property Act (France) Commentary: [1]
1794* Prussian Statute Book (ALR) (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1794* Contract between Schiller and Cotta (Germany)
1794* Petition by citizen makers of plaster casts to the National Convention, 3rd March (France)
1798* Models and Busts Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1798* Beckford v. Hood (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1799* Kehr: Apology of the Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1799* Renewed Censorship Legislation, Denmark–Norway (Scandinavia)
1801* Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1808* Amended Book Act of the Batavian Republic (Netherlands)
1809* Baden Civil Code (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1812* Swedish Freedom of the Press Ordinance (Scandinavia)
1813* Rules to preserve the property of authors over their works (Spain)
1814* Court of Cassation on sculptures (France) Commentary: [1]
1814* Court of Cassation on compilations (France) Commentary: [1]
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]
1822* Constitution of 1822 (Portugal) Commentary: [1]
1824* Neustetel: The Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1826* Constitutional Charter of 1826 (Portugal)
1826* Minutes of the 1825-1826 Commission (France)
1827* Treaties on reciprocal protection between Prussia and various German States (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1827* Kramer: Rights of Writers and Publishers (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1828* Maugham's Treatise (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1830* Amended music publishers' agreement against piracy (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1831* Copyright Act (United States) Commentary: [1]
1832* Gans: On the right to perform published stage plays (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1833* Dramatic Literary Property Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1834* Privilege to the Royal Lithographic Establishment (Spain)
1834* Balzac's letter to authors (France)
1834* Wheaton v. Peters (United States)
1834* Wheaton v. Peters Independent Report (United States)
1835* Copyright statement of Johann Strauss for Austria and Prussia (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1835* Sofer Responsum on Vilna-Slavuta Talmud Dispute (Jewish Law) Commentary: [1]
1835* Publication of Lectures Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1837* Royal Order on Dramatic Copyright (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1837* Royal Order on Music Copyright (Spain)
1837* Prussian Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1837* Directive for reciprocal copyright protection within the German Confederation (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1837* Senate Report (United States)
1838* Remarks on Literary Property (Spain)
1838* Constitution of 1838 (Portugal)
1838* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1839* First Copyright Bill (Portugal)
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]
1842* Court of Cassation on artistic property (France) Commentary: [1]
1842* Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1842* Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1844* Saxon Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1844* Act on the property right of playwrights' widows and children (France)
1844* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1845* Court of Appeal on translations (France) Commentary: [1]
1846* Bilateral Treaty between Prussia and Great Britain (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1846* Austrian Copyright Act (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1847* Literary Property Act (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1847* Foreign Reprints Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1847* A Treatise on the Law of Copyright (United States) Commentary: [1]
1848* Copyright Formalities: Registration (Spain)
1851* First Copyright Law, 1851 (Portugal)
1851* SACEM's act of constitution (France)
1852* French International Copyright Act (France)
1852* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1853* Bluntschli: On Authors' Rights (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1853* Stowe v. Thomas (United States) Commentary: [1]
1854* Franco-Spanish Bilateral Copyright Treaty (Spain)
1854* Jeffreys v. Boosey (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1856* Copyright Act Amendment (United States) Commentary: [1]
1857* Anglo-Spanish Copyright Treaty (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1857* Wächter: 'Publishing Right' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1857* Court of cassation on originality (France) Commentary: [1][2]
1859* Casado's PhD on Copyright (Spain)
1860* Nathanson Ruling in Matter of Yoreh De'ah (Jewish Law) Commentary: [1]
1861* Supreme Court on Originality (Spain)
1861* Court of Cassation on telegraphic news (France) Commentary: [1]
1861* Confederate States of America Copyright Act (United States)
1862* Court of Cassation on photography (France) Commentary: [1]
1862* Fine Art Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1865* Copyright Act Amendment (United States)
1866* Literary and artistic property act (France)
1867* Schäffle: 'Authors' rights as an artificial means for safeguarding remuneration and annuities' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1867* Mandry: Commentary on the Bavarian Copyright Act of 1865 (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1867* Seabra Civil Code, 1867 (Portugal)
1867* Cour de Cassation on moral rights (France)
1868* Colonial Copyright Extensions (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1868* Proudhon: 'Les Majorats littéraires' (France)
1869* Court of Cassation on originality (France)
1870* Copyright Act for the German Empire (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1870* Copinger's Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1870* Copyright Act (United States)
1872* Supreme Court on Artistic Copyright (Spain)
1873-1908* Opuscles (Portugal) Commentary: [1]
1876* Copyright Acts for the German Empire regarding works of art, photography, and designs (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1877* Supreme Court on Music Copyright (Spain)
1877* Gareis: Juridical Nature of Author's Rights (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1877* Swedish Copyright Act (Scandinavia) Commentary: [1]
1878* Spanish Copyright Formalities: Certificates (Spain)
1878* Morillot on the author's right (France)
1878* Royal Commissioners' Report (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1879* Copyright Act (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1879* Drone on Copyright (United States)
1879* Baker v. Selden (United States) Commentary: [1]
1880* Copyright Regulations (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1880* Kohler: Author's Right (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1882* Danvila’s Copyright Treatise (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1884* Bilateral Copyright Treaty between Spain and El Salvador (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1884* Orelli: 'Swiss Copyright Act 1883 with comments and appendices' (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1885* First Inscriptions of Works at the Spanish Copyright Office (Spain)
1886* International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1]
1887* International Literary Congress in Madrid (Spain)
1888* Civil Code (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1890* Copyright Pocketbooks (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1891* International Copyright Act (The Chace Act) (United States)
1892* Bilateral treaty between the German Reich and the U.S.A. (Germany) Commentary: [1]
1894* Copyright Formalities: Bulletin (Spain)
1895* Núñez de Arce’s Will (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1897* Copyright Act (Public Performance of Musical Compositions) (United States)
1898* Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain (Spain) Commentary: [1]
1899* Schmelkes Responsum (Jewish Law) Commentary: [1]
1902* Court of Cassation on moral rights (France) Commentary: [1]
1903* Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co. (United States) Commentary: [1]