As we celebrated the rich cultural contributions of African Americans throughout history, I started exploring creative works inspired by African Americans. Here, three Copyright Office staff members share their stories of creating their own works inspired by works of African Americans.
You may have heard that the Supreme Court recently confirmed that you are required to register a U.S. work before you can file a lawsuit alleging that someone has infringed the copyright in the work. But what do you do if you applied to register the work and the Copyright Office refused your application?
On January 1, thousands of 1924 works entered the public domain. An important part of the copyright lifecycle, you can use works in the public domain freely to inspire your own creativity. Explore some of the notable additions from George and Ira Gershwin, Buster Keaton, W. E. B. Du Bois, and more.
Many creative works are protected by copyright. Learn which ones may be protected, and what to do if you feel your idea has been taken.
As the holiday season approaches, consumers purchase many games as gifts. Of all the games I’ve played, Bingo stands out as a favorite. Bingo has a long history—as a game and as source for many works registered with the Copyright Office. As a teenager growing up in Pittsburgh, I volunteered at my church’s weekly Bingo […]
A new Copyright Office video details how you can share material you find on internet without infringing on other’s copyright.
The U.S. Copyright Office’s Learning Engine YouTube series will instruct viewers on copyright and the Copyright Office.
Today we celebrate the forty-sixth anniversary of Barbara Ringer’s appointment as the first female Register of Copyrights. While her tenure was long before my time in the Copyright Office, I’m in awe of her dedication to intellectual property law and especially to equality and diversity in the workplace. Ringer earned her law degree and joined […]
The U.S. Copyright Office released a new tool that will help remitters catch errors in their electronic title lists before submission.
In the short time I’ve been part of the U.S. Copyright Office, I’ve had several conversations that follow this same general scenario: “You work for the Copyright Office? Isn’t that where every copyright in America is registered? Should I go there with my idea that I want to protect? Will they take a family recipe?” […]