The document summarizes the history of copyright law from the Licensing Act of 1662 to modern US copyright law under the Copyright Act of 1976. It discusses several important acts and developments, including the Statute of Anne in 1710, the US Constitution giving Congress power to establish copyright, and US Copyright Acts of 1790, 1831, 1909, and 1976 that expanded copyright protections and terms over time. The document also notes US adoption of the Berne Convention in 1989.