diff -ur bs4.1307471_fixed/element.py bs4/element.py
--- bs4.1307471_fixed/element.py	2014-04-14 13:41:45.000000000 +0100
+++ bs4/element.py	2014-04-14 13:22:49.000000000 +0100
@@ -674,6 +674,9 @@
                 "'%s' object has no attribute '%s'" % (
                     self.__class__.__name__, attr))
 
+    def clone(self):
+        return type(self)(self)
+
     def output_ready(self, formatter="minimal"):
         output = self.format_string(self, formatter)
         return self.PREFIX + output + self.SUFFIX
@@ -878,6 +881,18 @@
             for element in self.contents[:]:
                 element.extract()
 
+    def clone(self):
+        """
+        Create a clone; a copy of the element and all contents.
+        """
+        copy = type(self)(None, self.builder, self.name, self.namespace,
+                          self.nsprefix, self.attrs)
+        for attr in ('can_be_empty_element', 'hidden'):
+            setattr(copy, attr, getattr(self, attr))
+        for child in self.contents:
+            copy.append(child.clone())
+        return copy
+
     def index(self, element):
         """
         Find the index of a child by identity, not value. Avoids issues with
Only in bs4: element.py.1307471_fixed.py
Only in bs4: element.py.orig
diff -ur bs4.1307471_fixed/tests/test_tree.py bs4/tests/test_tree.py
--- bs4.1307471_fixed/tests/test_tree.py	2014-04-14 13:41:45.000000000 +0100
+++ bs4/tests/test_tree.py	2014-04-14 13:40:34.000000000 +0100
@@ -1100,6 +1100,13 @@
         soup.a.string = cdata
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(soup.a.string, CData))
 
+    def test_clone(self):
+        soup = self.soup('<a><b>foo</b><!-- bar --></a>')
+        clone = soup.a.clone()
+        self.assertFalse(clone is soup.a)
+        self.assertTrue(clone.parent is None)
+        self.assertEqual(str(clone), str(soup.a))
+
 class TestElementObjects(SoupTest):
     """Test various features of element objects."""
 
Only in bs4/tests: test_tree.py.orig