IV
The History of Copyright in the United States
Constitu-
tional provi-
sionThe Constitution of the United States authorized Congress "to promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries." Previous to its adoption, in 1787, the nation had no power to act, but on Madison's motion. Congress, in May, 1783, recommended the States to pass acts securing copyright for fourteen years.
Early state
legislationConnecticut in January, 1783, Massachusetts in March, 1783, and Maryland in April, 1783, had already provided for copyright, twenty-one years being the usual period. New Jersey on May 27, 1783, and New Hampshire and Rhode Island in December of the same year, followed Madison's suggestion. Pennsylvania and South Carolina in March, 1784, Virginia and North Carolina in 1785, Georgia and New York in 1786, also passed copyright acts, so that all the thirteen States except Vermont had separately provided for copyright, — thanks to the vigorous copyright crusade of Noah Webster, who traveled from capital to capital, — when the United States statute of 1790 made them unnecessary.
The act of
1790This act followed the precedent of the English act The act of of 1710, and gave to authors who were citizens or residents, their heirs and assigns, copyright in books, maps and charts for fourteen years, with renewal for fourteen years more, if the author were living at expiration of the first term. A printed title must be deposited before publication in the clerk's office of
