The Copyright Act of 1790 was the first federal copyright act to be instituted in the United States, though most of the states had passed various legislation securing copyrights in the years immediately following the Revolutionary War. The stated object of the act was the "encouragement of learning," and it achieved this by securing authors the "sole right and liberty of printing, reprinting, publishing and vending" the copies of their "maps, charts, and books" for a term of 17 years, with the right to renew for one additional 17 year term should the copyright holder still be alive. This article describes the government of the United States. ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ... An Act of Parliament or Act is law enacted by the parliament (see legislation). ... A U.S. state is any one of the 50 states which have membership of the federation known as the United States of America (USA or U.S.). The separate state governments and the U.S. federal government share sovereignty. ... This article is about military actions only. ...

History

The Copyright Act of 1790 was deliberated on and passed during the Second Session of Congress, convened on January 4, 1790. The bill was signed into law on May 31, 1790 by George Washington, and published in its entirety throughout the country shortly after. At only half a page in the Columbia Centinel [1], a Boston newspaper of the day, the law was considerably shorter than current statutes, which, as of 2003, totalled some 279 pages. The law covered only books, maps, and charts; paintings, drawings, and music were not included until later. is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1790 (MDCCXC) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1790 (MDCCXC) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... For other uses, see Book (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Map (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Painter” redirects here. ... For scale drawings or plans, see Plans (drawings). ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ...

Much of the Act was borrowed from the 1710 Statute of Anne. The first sentences of the two laws are almost identical. Both require registration in order for a work to receive copyright protection; similarly, both require that copies of the work be deposited in officially designated repositories such as the Library of Congress in the United States, and the Oxford and Cambridge universities in the United Kingdom. The Statute of Anne provides a slightly longer term of protection (the Act of 1790 provides for 17 years of protection, renewable once for an additional 17, where the Statute of Anne offers 21 years of initial protection with the option of a 14 year renewal). The Statute of Anne (short title Copyright Act 1709 8 Anne c. ... Construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building, from July 8, 1888 to May 15, 1894. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ... For the community in Florida, see University, Florida. ...

The Copyright Act of 1790 applied exclusively to citizens of the United States. Non-citizens and material printed outside the United States could not be granted any copyright protection until the International Copyright Act of 1891. Consequently, Charles Dickens sometimes complained about cheap American knockoffs of his work for which he received no royalty. The first significant challenge to this law came in the case of Wheaton v. Peters, decided in 1834. The International Copyright Act is the first U.S. congressional act that extended limited protection to foreign copyright holders from select nations. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... “Dickens” redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Wheaton v. ...

See also

• History of copyright law

Copyright was not invented until after the advent of the printing press and with wider public literacy. ...

External links

• Full Text of the 1790 Act
• Image of 1790 Act
• Full Text of U.S.C. Title 17 (Copyright)
• The Statute of Anne