Five Questions with George Thuronyi, Deputy Director, Office Of Public Information And Education, U.S. Copyright Office

This post is by George Thuronyi of the Library of Congress.

Describe what you do at the Library of Congress.

My job is to educate and provide outreach to the public about the U.S. Copyright Office and copyright-related topics. So, on any given day, I answer questions about how creative people can register their copyrights, send out a tweet about fun facts, and talk to people interested in learning about how to be responsible users of copyrighted works. I’m lucky to work with a great team of professionals dedicated to spreading knowledge.

What is your favorite item from the Library’s online collections?

I’m fond of all the comic books. Many were submitted as copyright deposits and would most likely have been lost to history if they hadn’t been submitted for copyright registration.

Tell us about a memorable interaction with a Library visitor.

I met with a group of students, each of whom created a poem or drawing. I explained to them that their creative works were immediately protected by copyright.

One of the students registered her poem through copyright.gov and received an official registration certificate. She was thrilled! She and the other students learned about the importance of taking that extra step to create a public record of their intellectual property.

Explain why it is important for teachers to care about copyright.

Through an understanding of basic copyright-related concepts, teachers can help their students benefit from the copyright law and be responsible users of other people’s works. It’s never too early for students to learn!

What’s one thing you’d like to tell teachers about the Copyright Office?

Weʼre here to answer your questions and provide resources for you and your students. There’s plenty of useful information on our website, copyright.gov, for students and teachers alike. You can learn how to register a work, find out more about fair use, and discover how to search copyright-related records. Subscribe to our twitter feed and YouTube channel too.