This summer, the Copyright Office reached a new milestone in our modernization efforts: one million card catalog records have been digitized with searchable metadata and added to the Office’s Copyright Public Records System (CPRS) pilot. Learn more about CPRS, the Office’s digitization efforts, and historical registration application cards in this blog post.
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.
The U.S. Copyright Office has now released over 9 million digitized pages documenting copyright registrations for books, periodicals, and unpublished musical works found in the Copyright Historical Record Books Collection
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 …
Earlier this year, on January 1, new group of creative works entered the public domain in the United States. Learn more about some of the works published in 1927 that anyone can now use without the copyright owner’s permission.
More than once, a cover of a hit song has become an even bigger hit than the original. According to American Songwriter, it happened with songs such as “Respect” (written and originally recorded by Otis Redding, remake by Aretha Franklin), “All Along the Watchtower” (written and originally recorded by Bob Dylan, remake by Jimi Hendrix), …
The best edition physical deposit requirement for copyright registration has long been a key part of U.S. copyright law, but in recent years, the U.S. Copyright Office has worked to clarify and simplify some of the deposit requirements. This blog post outlines some of the recent changes and where to find more information.
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.
While athletic moves or goal celebrations are creative, they are not protected by copyright law. Creative works inspired by sports, however, may be protected by copyright, such as photographs, movies, and music.
