This series consists of printed blue-coloured forms "[J]" titled "The Copyright Act, 1878, Form of Requiring Entry of Proprietorship Under Part III".  The form is an application by the proprietor of a copyright (in this series, of paintings, drawings, works of sculpture, engravings and photographs) to register the particular copyright according to the details provided on the form.  The following details are then provided in columns: name and address of proprietor or author; description of nature and subject of work; date of first publication; whether with or without sketch, outline, or photograph of work.

A copy of the item being registered for copyright accompanies the forms.  The items consist of photographs of various sizes, some mounted, some as postcards; engravings; posters (some quite large); maps and other printed items.  D4477/2 are bound copies of engravings of maps or plans of the City of Adelaide, 1881.  
Each item is inscribed with a number that is allocated through the register in AP494/10.  One group of items (574 - 813) consisting of collotype engravings from photographs in the form of postcards, are from one proprietor (Sands and McDougall), and have an additional set of numbers (1 - 480) in red ink on both the items and the register. 

This series was transferred to the State Archives by Patents sub-office in April 1958. The records were returned to the Commonwealth Archives Office, South Australian Branch on the 2nd October 1968.