Industrialization, internationalization, jurisprudence, and legal theory - with these keywords, the author summarizes the developments that led to the adoption of the Copyright Act of June 19, 1901. Using contemporary literature and an analysis of the materials preserved in the Federal Archives in Berlin regarding the legislation, the work outlines the steps in the development of the law between 1870 and 1901. The author extensively discusses the work of the Imperial Justice Office on the law and the reactions of various interest groups. The Börsenverein des deutschen Buchhandels and individuals such as Richard Strauss and Cosima Wagner are mentioned as key actors who had a significant influence during the preparation of the draft.