Madison Secures Copyrights: U.S. Protects Arts and Science
James Madison and Charles C. Pinckney pushed Congress to grant copyrights for limited times, embedding a utilitarian clause into the Constitution to promote science and the arts. This vision became law in 1790 when the first federal Copyright Act secured authors sole rights to print their maps, charts, and books for fourteen years. The statute directly encouraged learning by legally protecting creators' work, establishing a framework that still governs intellectual property today.
May 31, 1790
236 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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