The following blog is authored by Ashley Tucker, with legal research by Jessica Chinnadurai and Laura Kaiser. Over the last several years on January 1, we have witnessed a new class of creative works entering the public domain in the United States. In 2026, a variety of works published in 1930, ranging from motion pictures to music …
By Shira Perlmutter, Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office As the year draws to a close, I am pleased to recognize an impressive slate of accomplishments at the U.S. Copyright Office. Despite some challenges, including a lengthy government shutdown, the Office continued to produce high-quality work and reliable service to the …
The Copyright Office has launched a modern, refreshed resource for young learners: the Copyright for Kids Activity Sheets. These activity sheets, designed for children under age twelve, teach copyright basics to users as they color, solve puzzles, play games, and create their own copyright-protected work. Upon completing the activity sheets, kids discover that they are both copyright users and owners.