Declarations of Cultural Independence: The Nationalistic Imperative Behind the Passage of Early American Copyright Laws, 1783-1787
Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., Vol. 58, p. 431, 2011
24 Pages Posted: 10 Oct 2011 Last revised: 9 Feb 2012
Date Written: October 9, 2010
Abstract
This article discusses the cultural forces surrounding the passage of early American pre-Constitutional copyright laws. It argues that proponents of American copyright legislation expected it to create a new class of indigenous literati who would compose works that would put the fledgling American nation on cultural parity with the imperial powers of Europe.
Keywords: copyright, state copyright laws, noah webster, joel barlow, john trumbull, copyright act of 1790, american copyright, copyright clause
JEL Classification: k10, k19, k11
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
