Madison Secures Copyrights: U.S. Protects Arts and Science
James Madison championed the Copyright Act of 1790, signed by President Washington on May 31, 1790, granting American authors exclusive rights to their maps, charts, and books for 14 years, renewable for an additional 14 years. The law was modeled on the British Statute of Anne (1710) and implemented the Constitutional clause empowering 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." The first work registered under the act was John Barry's "The Philadelphia Spelling Book," on June 9, 1790. The law has been revised numerous times; the current term of life plus 70 years bears little resemblance to the original 14-year grant.
May 31, 1790
236 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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