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 for United States: Date

Back | 122 results(* indicates core document)

1672* Usher's Printing Privilege Commentary: [1]
1700Bladen's Privilege
1746North Carolina Printing Privilege to Commissioners
1750New York Law Printing Privilege
1772Second New York Law Printing Privilege
1772William Billings' Second Petition
1772William Billings' Printing Privilege
1781* Andrew Law's Petition Commentary: [1]
1781Andrew Law's Privilege
1782Letter from Smith to Webster
1783Petition of John Ledyard
1783* Connecticut Copyright Statute Commentary: [1]
1783Letter from Joel Barlow to the Continental Congress
1783Continental Congress Resolution
1783Massachusetts Copyright Statute
1783Maryland Copyright Statute
1783New Jersey Copyright Statute
1783New Hampshire Copyright Statute
1783Rhode Island Copyright Statute
1783Ledyard Petition Committee Report
1784Letter from Noah Webster to James Madison
1784Pennsylvania Copyright Statute
1784South Carolina Copyright Statute
1785Virginia Copyright Statute
1785North Carolina Copyright Statute
1786Georgia Copyright Statute
1786New York Copyright Statute
1787Constitutional Convention Journal Entry
1787Madison's Journal Record
1787Madison's Edited Journal Record
1788The Federalist No. 43
1789* The Constitutional Copyright Clause Commentary: [1]
1789Ramsay's Petiton House Record
1789House Joint copyright and patent bill decision
1789Joint Copyright Patent Bill [H.R. 10]
1789Ramsay's Petition
1790* Copyright Act Commentary: [1]
1790-1800Sample registrations
1792Purcell's Printing Privilege
18021802 Amendment
1826Letter from Noah Webster to Daniel Webster
1826Letter from Daniel Webster to Noah Webster
1828Letter from Donaldson to Peters
1828Letter from Donaldson to Wheaton
1828Letter from Peters to Donaldson
1828H.R. 140 Committee Bill
1828H.R. 140 Consolidated Bill
1830Judiciary Committee Report
1830Letter from John McLean to Richard Peters Jr.
1831* Copyright Act Commentary: [1]
1831House Debate
1834* Wheaton v. Peters
1834* Wheaton v. Peters Independent Report
1834Letters from Sumner to Story
1837* Senate Report
1837Petition of British Authors
1837Debates in Congress
1837Memorial of a Number of Citizens of the United States
1838Address of Certain Authors
1838Report, from the Committee on Patents
1838Memorial of the New York Typographical Society
1838Memorial of a Number of Citizens of Boston
1841* Folsom v. Marsh Commentary: [1]
1841Master in Chancery Report
1841S. 227 (Dramatic Works Public Performance Bill)
1842Memorial of a Number of Persons Concerned in Printing and Publishing
1843An Address to the People of the United States
1844H.R. 9 (Ingersoll Bill)
1847* A Treatise on the Law of Copyright Commentary: [1]
1848Jay, Bryant and Others' Memorials
1852Copyright and Natural Right
1853Letters on International copyright
1853British-American Copyright Convention Draft
1853* Stowe v. Thomas Commentary: [1]
1853Stowe v. Thomas, Complainant's Bill
1853Stowe v. Thomas, Defendant's Answer
1853Affidavit of Harriet Beecher Stowe
1853'Uncle Tom' at Law
1856* Copyright Act Amendment Commentary: [1]
1861* Confederate States of America Copyright Act
1862Southern Feeling
1863Confederate States of America Copyright Act Amendement
1863Hardee's Memorial
1863International Copyright Resolution
1865* Copyright Act Amendment
1870Committee Report on S.703
1870* Copyright Act
1872International Copyright Bill
1873Committee on the Library Report
1879* Drone on Copyright
1879* Baker v. Selden Commentary: [1]
1879Selden's Argument
1879Baker's Argument
1882Oscar Wilde photograph
1883Burrow-Giles Lithographic Co. v. Sarony
1883Sarony's Brief
1883Burrow-Giles' Brief
1885Carte v. Duff
1886Committee on Patents Report
1888American Authors and British Pirates
1888The International Copyright Bill
1890Report on H.R. 10881
1891Falk v. Brett Lithographing Co.
1891* International Copyright Act (The Chace Act)
1893Falk v. Donaldson
1894Report on H.R. 6835
1894H.R. 6835 (Cummings Bill)
1896Public Performance Bill
1896Report on H.R. 1978
1896Report on S. 2306
1896Hearing on H.R. 5976
1896Treloar Copyright Bill (H.R. 5976)
1896Debate in Congress
1896The Question of Copyright
1897* Copyright Act (Public Performance of Musical Compositions)
1899Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., District Court Decision
1900Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co., Circuit Court Decision
1902Bleistein's Brief
1902Bleistein: Donaldson Lithographing Co. Brief
1902Bleistein: Three Posters
1903* Bleistein v. Donaldson Lithographing Co. Commentary: [1]
1903Bleistein: Cartoon