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 […]
The following is a guest post by Claire Cahoon, a rising senior at Ithaca College, who is diving into history this summer at the U.S. Copyright Office, as part of the Library of Congress Junior Fellows Program. You never know what you’re going to find digging through the archives of Copyright deposits—it could be a […]
The following is a guest post by Alexandra El-Bayeh, registration specialist in the Office of Registration Policy & Practice. The Copyright Office’s new rule requiring applicants to file supplementary registrations online goes into effect today. On June 15, 2017 the Office published the final rule after receiving comments from the public. What is a supplementary […]
As a girl in the 1970s, Wonder Woman was my hero. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to twirl in circles and turn into a super hero? On top of that, she had the invisible plane, magic belt, bullet-stopping bracelets, the lasso of truth, and that awesome tiara. So when I found out Librarian of Congress Carla […]
The following is a guest post by Abioye Mosheim, attorney advisor, Office of General Counsel. Today, the Office is pleased to announce the launch of an online database of recent decisions (April 2016 to present) made by the Copyright Office Review Board. The Office will update the database as new decisions are issued. The Review […]
The following is a guest post by Sarang Damle, General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights. Those of you who subscribe to our NewsNet service may have noticed that, over the past year, the Copyright Office has gone on a rulemaking tear. Under the leadership of Acting Register of Copyrights Karyn Temple Claggett, my incredible […]
The following is a guest post by Brad Greenberg, counsel in the U.S. Copyright Office, Office of Policy and International Affairs. Copyright law and new technologies have a long history, arguably dating back to the Gutenberg Press in the 15th century—more than 200 years before passage of the matriarch of copyright statutes, Britain’s Statute of […]
As a teenager during the 1970s, I put on my bell-bottom pants and shiny shirt to groove to the latest disco hits. I was not alone. Disco culture was highly popular and spawned a vast array of music, dance, and fashion. The records of the U.S. Copyright Office show many thousands of registrations for the […]
Today is World IP Day, and as Acting Register of Copyrights, I had the honor and pleasure of hosting a program featuring remarks and a panel discussion focusing on the impact of creative works and performances on the lives of both creators and the public. Here are my remarks from today’s event. We are pleased […]
The following is a guest post by Rachel E. Fertig, a 2015–2017 Barbara A. Ringer Copyright Honors Fellow, serving as an attorney-advisor in the Office of General Counsel and Office of Policy & International Affairs. The Supreme Court’s March 22 opinion in Star Athletica, LLC v. Varsity Brands, Inc. answered a question that has perplexed […]