On August 1, 2024, the Copyright Office hosted a public webinar, Level Up Your Copyright Public Records Search, sharing ways of searching copyright public records using our pilot of the new Copyright Public Records System (CPRS). CPRS is an easy-to-navigate, highly searchable database with the ability to download, save, email, and share public records such as registration and renewal information and recorded documents. CPRS is the second component to be made publicly available as part of the Office’s expanding Enterprise Copyright System (ECS).
If you missed this webinar, you can check out the full recording and links to resources shared during the event on our website.
The sixty-minute webinar started with an introduction by Assistant Register and Director, Office of Copyright Records Denise Wofford. Wofford offered a historical overview of making copyright records publicly accessible, tracing the process from the consolidation of the Copyright Office under the Library of Congress in 1870 to the present day.
Wofford also briefly touched on the 2025 decommissioning of the legacy system that supports the existing Copyright Office Online Public Catalog. CPRS will become the sole source of authoritative online copyright information on registrations and recordations by summer 2025 upon retirement of the legacy system.
Next, Deputy Director, Office of Public Information and Education George Thuronyi demonstrated the CPRS pilot’s powerful search capabilities by sharing several examples of how users can easily conduct basic and advanced searches in CPRS by keyword, name, and title and how to download, save, and email recent searches. Thuronyi also discussed duration of copyright, which can be helpful to users when researching information about copyright registration and ownership.
Finally, Copyright Specialist Michael Goldfine of the Records Research and Certification Division provided information on supplemental on-site resources and online research and support services the Office provides to the public. His presentation included ways to request copies of records, deposit materials, and search reports in the Office’s custody and what to expect when visiting the Copyright Reading Room, which is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except holidays.
The webinar concluded with a lively question-and-answer session, where speakers answered questions attendees submitted live ranging from “Can I see the deposit material for a registration?” to “Are there plans to include the older copyright records in CPRS currently only available onsite in your Washington, DC, location?” and much more.
Please check out the full recording and links to resources shared during the event on our website.
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Comments (8)
I have music rights that go back to the 1975`s . fleetwoodmac. Carly Simon.
I wasn’t able to tend the webinar and I am requesting the recording be made available by email. I appreciate your help.
Thank you for your comment. The recording for the webinar is available at this link: https://www.copyright.gov/events/level-up/, if you click the tab that says “Video.” Unfortunately we are not able to send the recording via email as the file size is too large. Thank you!
Sadly, I missed it. For some reason I always get reminders and this time the Copyright forgotten to remind me of the infringement that has occurred on my work?Maybe it’s because I don’t have the Copyright recordings there anymore? But in the Library of Congress Collections! Hallelujah!!!
If someone inquires about my work the copyright office should upload that inquiry into my account for free.
How is this preventing cyber stalking and infringement? I know of cyber stalkers right now who like that the copyright office doesn’t make it easy for copyright holders to edit their registration and get info on who has accessed/inquired about their copyright. And why do copyright holders have to pay that much fees.
Does the webinar include information about copyright outside of the U.S.? I’m in Ireland and would like to know how to research copyright on tunes that I’d like to arrange for harp. I understand that rights very from country to country, but there’s no one place with all the information about how to research worldwide. Thank you.
Thank you for your comment. This webinar focuses on how to search copyright public records within the U.S. through the Copyright Public Records System (CPRS) pilot and does not cover international copyright systems. Copyright laws and rights vary from country to country. You may wish to consult local copyright resources or explore the resources provided by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for information on copyright in various countries. Additionally, please refer to Circular 38A which may also provide useful information: https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ38a.pdf.