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May 12, 1440
Pre-Gutenberg
Because printing books was so laboroius, there was really no need for any copyright laws. Books were for the elite and usually only nobility and clergy. Gutenberg, however, and the increased reliance on paper instead of vellum, changed the game. Now hundreds of copies could be created equally and quickly, which meant there was now a growing need for copyright laws to protect the authors and printers. -
Statute of Anne
This was the first copyright statue in the world. The Statute of Anne protected books all future books for 14 years, and all previously printed books for 21. This statue was primarily supposed to protect the author, for all recognized legal rights came from authorship, although it was also said to primarily be intended to encourage public learning . The rest of the timeline will focus, however, on the US Copyright Laws. -
US Constitution
the US Constitution recognizes intellectual property in Article 1, Section 8, saying Congress is to “promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for a limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.” -
US Copyright Act
Like the Statute of Anne, the Copyright Act of 1790 allowed an author to print, re-print of publish for 14 years with the ability to renew for another 14. This was supposed to help and encourage authors because it gave them a monopoly over their work. -
Revision to the Copyright Act
changed the protection from 14 years to 28 -
Revision to the Copyright Act again
the bill was extended again to include music as well. -
1967 Copyright Act
This act gave exclusive rights to the copyright holder (in Section 106) to 1) reproduce, 2) create derivative works of the original, 3) sell, lease or rent copies to the public, 4) perform the work publicly, and 5) to display the work publicly. This act also revised the way in which copyrights were given, instead of being registered for, copyrights were granted automatically to any original work upon fixation in any tangible medium of expression -
Amendment to Copyright Act
the Act was once again amended so that copyright renewal was automatic, which hugely impacted the entries into public domain AND of course effected orphan works as well. -
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Digital Millennium Copyright Act is signed into law to protect works online, creating a ‘safe harbour’ on the internet. -
Orphan Works Act
