The following is a guest post by Marilyn Creswell, 2020 Librarian-in-Residence for the U.S. Copyright Office. Sojourner Truth was a preacher, abolitionist, and suffragist. A lesser known fact is that she was also a copyright innovator. Truth was born in New York around 1797. Enslaved during her youth and early adulthood, she eventually gained freedom […]
Whether you’re teaching young students just starting out or preparing older students for life beyond high school, incorporating copyright concepts into your lesson plans can help engage a student’s creativity and foster an appreciation for the importance of protecting creative works. To get you started, here are six concepts that will help students better understand copyright.
The following is a guest post by Robert J. Kasunic, Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Registration Policy and Practice. This week, the Copyright Office released its registration processing times for the second half of fiscal 2020 (April–September 2020). We issue processing statistics twice during the fiscal year, so this latest update reflects registration […]
A summary of some of the protections and guidance copyright law provides to those participating in STEAM-related activities.
The following is a guest post by Mary Daniel, summer 2020 law clerk in the Office of Policy and International Affairs. Mary is a third year at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. The Halloween season is the time of year for horror movies and scary stories. However, sometimes it’s the horror […]
Del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, observamos el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, una celebración anual que rinde homenaje a las historias, culturas y contribuciones de los hispanos y latinoamericanos en los Estados Unidos. Aquí presentamos seis de los innumerables creadores del derecho de autor cuya creatividad ha influenciado y enriquecido la literatura estadounidense.
From September 15 to October 15, we observe National Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual celebration honoring the histories, cultures, and contributions of both Hispanic and Latin Americans in the United States. Here are just six of the countless copyright creators whose creativity has influenced and enhanced American literature.
Recently, Twilight series author Stephenie Meyer talked about her unpublished sequel to the original Twilight story, Forever Dawn. Shortly thereafter, the Library began receiving questions through the Ask a Librarian portal about how to view the unpublished manuscript registered with the Copyright Office (TXu001163060), which is only possible through an on-site visit in Washington, DC. […]
We’re geared up this weekend to welcome everyone to learn all about copyright. On Sept. 26 and 27, join the U.S. Copyright Office at the National Book Festival and learn about how copyright empowers todayʼs authors and protects diverse perspectives. We’ll be all-virtual this year, and that means people around the country, and even around […]
Today is Constitution Day, which is a day of great celebration in copyright. In addition to all of the other treasures in the Constitution, of which there are many, our country’s founding document includes the foundation for U.S. copyright law. In article 1, section 8, clause 8, the Constitution states that Congress has the power to enact laws to “promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.” And Congress obliged, passing the first federal copyright law in 1790, updating it throughout the years to address the changing times.