On This Day

France passes first copyright law

The droit d'auteur or French authors' rights law, is in the jurisdiction of France a set of exclusive prerogatives available to a creator over his or her intellectual work, as part of the...

The droit d'auteur or French authors' rights law, is in the jurisdiction of France a set of exclusive prerogatives available to a creator over his or her intellectual work, as part of the intellectual property area of law. It has been very influential in the development of authors' rights laws in other civil law jurisdictions, and in the development of international authors' rights law such as the Berne Convention. It has its roots in the 16th century, before the legal concept of copyright was developed in the United Kingdom. Based on the "rights of the author" instead of on the right to copy, its philosophy and terminology are different from those used in copyright law in common law jurisdictions.

Historical Significance

The droit d'auteur or French authors' rights law, is in the jurisdiction of France a set of exclusive prerogatives available to a creator over his or her intellectual work, as part of the intellectual property area of law.

Events Before

  1. US postal service created, postage 6-12 cents depending on distance

    US postal service created, postage 6-12 cents depending on distance

  2. King Gustav III of Sweden is shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the opera and dies on March 29

    Jacob Johan Anckarström (11 May 1762 – 27 April 1792) was a Swedish military officer who is known as the assassin of King Gustav III of Sweden. He was convicted and executed for regicide.

  3. The Coinage Act is passed, establishing the United States Mint and authorizing the $10 Eagle, $5 Half-Eagle, $2.50 Quart

    The Coinage Act is passed, establishing the United States Mint and authorizing the $10 Eagle, $5 Half-Eagle, $2.50 Quarter-Eagle gold coins, and the silver dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, and half-dime

  4. Brazilian revolutionary Tiradentes is hanged, drawn, and quartered in Rio de Janeiro

    Brazilian revolutionary Tiradentes is hanged, drawn, and quartered in Rio de Janeiro

  5. Guillotine first used in France, executes highwayman Nicolas Pelletier

    Nicolas Jacques Pelletier (1756 – 25 April 1792) was a French highwayman who was the first person to be executed by guillotine.

Events After

  1. Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin, revolutionizing the cotton industry in the southern US states [1]

    Eli Whitney Jr. (December 8, 1765 – January 8, 1825) was an American inventor, widely known for inventing the cotton gin in 1793, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution that shaped...

  2. Naval Act of 1794 is signed by President George Washington, authorizing the building of six frigates and establishing a

    Naval Act of 1794 is signed by President George Washington, authorizing the building of six frigates and establishing a permanent US Navy

  3. Battle of Fleurus: Major victory by forces of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan over the Coa

    Battle of Fleurus: Major victory by forces of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan over the Coalition Army (Great Britain, Hanover, Dutch Republic, and Habsburgs) with the first use of a reconnaissance balloon

  4. French Revolutionary figure Maximilien Robespierre and 22 other leaders of "the Terror" are guillotined to thunderous ch

    French Revolutionary figure Maximilien Robespierre and 22 other leaders of "the Terror" are guillotined to thunderous cheers in Paris

  5. 4th US President James Madison (43) weds Dolley Madison (26) in Jefferson County, West Virginia

    4th US President James Madison (43) weds Dolley Madison (26) in Jefferson County, West Virginia

More from the 1790s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 24, 1793?
The droit d'auteur or French authors' rights law, is in the jurisdiction of France a set of exclusive prerogatives available to a creator over his or her intellectual work, as part of the intellectual property area of law. It has been very influential in the development of authors' rights laws in other civil law jurisdictions, and in the development of international authors' rights law such as the Berne Convention. It has its roots in the 16th century, before the legal concept of copyright was developed in the United Kingdom.
Why is France passes first copyright law significant?
The droit d'auteur or French authors' rights law, is in the jurisdiction of France a set of exclusive prerogatives available to a creator over his or her intellectual work, as part of the intellectual property area of law.

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