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

Pelanda, Brian, Declarations of Cultural Independence: The Nationalistic Imperative Behind the Passage of Early American Copyright Laws, 1783-1787 (October 9, 2010). Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., Vol. 58, p. 431, 2011, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1941506

Brian Pelanda (Contact Author)

Hines Hampton Pelanda LLP ( email )

34 Executive Park
Suite 260
Irvine, CA 92614
United States

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