Today is International Women’s Day. Here in the United States, we are in the midst of celebrating women’s history month. In recognition of these events, the Copyright Office wants to call attention to the women who contribute to creativity—both those who work (or have worked) in the Office and those who register their creative works. […]
The following is a guest post by Emma Kleiner, Barbara A. Ringer Program fellow. Can a gossip website use copyrighted images of celebrities without first obtaining a license? Is an author allowed to incorporate elements from a Dr. Seuss book into his own manuscript? You can find clues to answer these questions–and many others–in the […]
The following is a guest post by Shawn Gallagher, management and program analyst. As a child growing up in the 1970s, one of my most prized possessions was a Luke Skywalker action figure. He was the hero of my youth, and I was surprised to learn recently that Luke wasn’t always a Skywalker. He was […]
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 […]
The following is a guest post by Samantha Kosarzycki, legal intern, Office of Public Information and Education. It just wouldn’t feel like the holidays in our house without the annual showing of It’s a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, Scrooged, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Out of all the heartwarming holiday classics, I always considered It’s […]
The following is a guest post by Whitney Levandusky, attorney-adviser, Office of Public Information and Education. Greetings, copyright applicants! When you visit the U.S. Copyright Office’s online registration on December 18, you may notice a few differences. We’re updating our software! I’m here to talk about the Single Application. It’s a simplified registration method that […]
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 […]
The following is a guest post by Erik Bertin, deputy director of registration policy and practice. Today is an important milestone in U.S. copyright law. It is the last possible day for serving a notice of termination under section 304(d) of the Copyright Act, which governs some older works. Authors or their heirs may use […]
The following is a guest post by Whitney Levandusky, attorney-adviser, Office of Public Information and Education. On September 21, the Copyright Office released a fresh batch of circulars. Circulars are publications intended to provide a general audience with up-to-date and authoritative copyright information. They have been used by the Office since the late 1800s, and […]
I taught group fitness classes for many years, and I choreographed hundreds of complex step routines. I learned from some of the best choreographers in the industry, all who were willing to share their genius. I always wondered how much of their work I could legally use. Could they register a copyright for it? Could […]