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Blogs Categories: Uncategorized

Blogs Categories: Uncategorized

Celebrating the United States’ 40 Millionth Copyright Registration

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By Jaylen Johnson, attorney-advisor, and George Thuronyi, deputy director, of the Office of Public Information and Education Today, on our 152nd birthday, the U.S. Copyright Office celebrates a historic milestone: the 40 millionth copyright registration made in the United States! As we acknowledge this monumental achievement, we reflect on the importance of copyright registration and …

Copyright Office Presents at National Book Festival

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We’re geared up this weekend to welcome everyone to learn all about copyright. On Sept. 26 and 27, join the U.S. Copyright Office at the National Book Festival and learn about how copyright empowers todayʼs authors and protects diverse perspectives. We’ll be all-virtual this year, and that means people around the country, and even around …

Keep Moving Forward: Performance of the Copyright Office during COVID-19

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The following is a guest post by Maria Strong, Acting Register of Copyrights. The U.S. Copyright Office has taken a number of actions to ensure that mission-critical functions continue during the ongoing challenges caused by COVID-19. I commend our staff for maintaining a continued high level of service under these challenging conditions and greatly appreciate …

Decreased Processing Times for Copyright Registrations

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The following is a guest post by Robert J. Kasunic, Associate Register of Copyrights and director of Registration Policy & Practice. At the beginning of October, the Copyright Office updated our Registration Processing Times and FAQ, found on our registration portal, to reflect significant decreases in the time it takes us to review copyright registration …

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The Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act

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 The following is a guest post by Regan A. Smith, General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights. “When modes of music change, the fundamental laws of the state always change with them.” Plato, the Republic Book IV (Jowett tr.) Following unanimous votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate, today the President signed the …

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How Do You Measure a Summer at the Copyright Office?

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The following is a guest post by Ryan Kwock, summer law clerk in the Office of Policy and International Affairs This summer, I had the pleasure of serving as a law clerk in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Copyright Office. In addition to working on challenging domestic and international copyright …

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Virtual Card Catalog Phase II

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The following is a guest post by Tracie Coleman, Information Section head of the Licensing Division. I began my career in the U.S. Copyright Office in 1991. For ten years, I worked as a bibliographer in the Copyright Public Records Reading Room (CPRRR). When responding to public requests for copyright information, I was responsible for …

When One is Better Than Two: Simplifying Deposit Requirements

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The following is a guest post by Cindy Abramson, assistant general counsel. The Copyright Office has been hard at work trying to find ways to decrease wait times for registration applications and to decrease burdens placed on applicants. We are excited to announce today that we have published a new rule that helps further both …

Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions in the International Arena

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The following is a guest post by Aurelia J. Schultz, counsel for policy and international affairs. At its annual meeting in Geneva in October, the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) discussed the future work of the Intergovernmental Committee on Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore—called the IGC for short.  The IGC’s …

Copyright Creativity, Then and Now

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The following is a guest post by Claire Cahoon, a rising senior at Ithaca College, who is diving into history this summer at the U.S. Copyright Office, as part of the Library of Congress Junior Fellows Program. You never know what you’re going to find digging through the archives of Copyright deposits—it could be a …