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World IP Day: How the Copyright System Builds Our Common Future

Posted by: Ashley Tucker

The following is a guest blog post by Miriam Lord, Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Public Information and Education.  Each year on April 26, the U.S. Copyright Office joins intellectual property organizations around the world in celebrating World Intellectual Property Day. This year’s theme, set by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), is …

Meet Sarah Beth Morgan: An Animation Artist Drawn to Purpose

Posted by: Ashley Tucker

The Copyright Office celebrates Women’s History Month and this year’s theme, “Women who advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion.” As part of this year’s celebration, Copyright Office staff sat down with Sarah Beth Morgan, an animation director, illustrator, and muralist who has practiced art across the country. Morgan attended Savannah College of Art and Design …

Pushing Boundaries: Hispanic and Latin American Creators Who Redefine Success

Posted by: Ashley Tucker

Since 1988, Americans have observed Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. This blog explores the impactful careers and creative contributions of Hispanic and Latin American creators: Linda Ronstadt, José Andrés, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Rita Moreno. Discover how their contributions are connected to the Copyright Office.

Meet Olivia Charmaine Morris: A Champion for “People of Color and Colorful People”

Posted by: Ashley Tucker

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month, when we recognize the history and impact of LGBTQ individuals in the United States. This year, the Copyright Office celebrates Pride Month and extends our World Intellectual Property Day campaign by spotlighting Olivia Charmaine Morris (she/her), who is a queer media mogul and entrepreneur …

Artist, Dakarai Akil, standing on top of a rectangle rug and in front of two red chairs and a red wall with a work of art hanging on it.

A Tale of Black Resistance through Collage Artwork

Posted by: Ashley Tucker

This year’s theme of Black Resistance is a reminder that while Black history holds captivating stories of innovation, triumph, pride, and joy, we must also acknowledge the many ways that African Americans have had to resist historic and ongoing oppression. As part of this year’s celebration, Office staff sat down with Dakarai Akil, a dynamic, Los Angeles-based collage artist, for a conversation about collage art, creative process, identity, and Black resistance. Akil has engaged with the copyright system, and over the span of his career, he self-published three art books and had his work published in The New York Times, Wired Magazine, and Readers Digest. Akil’s website describes his creations as “small windows into the worlds of Black surrealism & afrofuturism,” and he describes his own work as challenging expectations.

First comic to feature a team of Native American superheroes: Tribal Force by Jon Proudstar and Ryan Huna Smith

Celebrating the Firsts: First Comic to Feature a Team of Native American Superheroes

Posted by: Ashley Tucker

This year, we are celebrating Native American Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Day with a blog series called Celebrating the Firsts: Shining a Light on Trailblazing Artwork by Native Artists. This blog post is the third in the series and focuses on Tribal Force, a comic book by writer Jon Proudstar (Yaqui/Mayan) and artist Ryan Huna Smith (Chemehuevi/Navajo). Published in 1996, this work moved the needle forward as America’s first comic to feature a team of Native American superheroes.

In top right corner, an open ink bottle is next to a fountain pen. Some drips of ink surround the tip. YText reads, "First Published Novel by a Native American Woman: Wynema: A Child of the Forest by S. Alice Callahan"

Celebrating the Firsts: First Published Novel by a Native American Woman

Posted by: Ashley Tucker

This year, we are celebrating Native American Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Day with a blog series called Celebrating the Firsts: Shining a Light on Trailblazing Artwork by Native Artists. In this four-part series, we are recognizing five indigenous creators who have participated in our copyright system and enriched our culture. Join us on a …

The Art of Healing: A Nostalgic Ode to Black Hair Braiding

Posted by: Ashley Tucker

Black history tells powerful stories of innovation, perseverance, triumph, and celebration but also stories of loss, tragedy, trauma, and pain. Historically, African Americans have turned to art for its inexplicable healing powers. There is healing in African American spirituals and in praise dance; in African drums; and in beatboxing, in storytelling, and in rhythm and blues. …

The Life of a New Registration Specialist

Posted by: Ashley Tucker

For a deeper dive into the Office’s recent efforts to successfully improve registration pendency times, as well as a historical look at registration, see the Office’s response to Congressional letters received on March 14 and April 3 regarding registration processing times.  I was very excited to be selected as one of the twenty-five examiners hired …