626 lines
29 KiB
Plaintext
626 lines
29 KiB
Plaintext
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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by: Inez Harrison
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[This information is a compilation from various Circulars and Forms
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from the U.S. Copyright Office.]
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ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
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³NOTE: A great deal of time has been spent gathering this ³
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³ information and should prove to be resourceful for any and ³
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³ all. If your specific needs are not included, there is ³
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³ information informing you where to get this information from.³
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³ ³
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³ If you have information, from the Copyright Office, not ³
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³ included, I would appreciate it for inclusion. ³
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ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º WHAT IS COPYRIGHT? º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United
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States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of "original works of
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authorship" including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain
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other intellectual work. This protection is available to both published
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and unpublished works. Section 106 of the Copyright Act generally gives
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the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others
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to do the following:
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- To reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or phonorecords;
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- To prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted work;
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- To distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work to
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the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental,
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lease, or lending;
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- To perform the copyrighted work publicly, in the case of
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literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes,
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and motion pictures and other audiovisual works; and
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- To display the copyrighted work publicly, in the case of
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literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes,
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and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the
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individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work.
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It is illegal for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the
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Act to the owner of copyright. These rights, however, are not unlimited
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in scope. Sections 107* through 119 of the Copyright Act establish
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limitations on these rights. In some cases, these limitations are
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specified exemptions from copyright liability. One major limitation is
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the doctrine of "fair use", which is given a statutory basis in section
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107 of the Act. In other instances, the limitation takes the form of a
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"compulsory license" under which certain limited uses of copyrighted
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works are permitted upon payment of specified royalties and compliance
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with statutory conditions. For further information about the
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limitations of any of these rights, consult the Copyright Act or write
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to the Copyright Office.
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*-Section 107 contains a list of various purposes for which the repro-
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duction of a particular work may be considered "fair", such as
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criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, etc. Factors considered
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include:
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(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether
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such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit
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educational purposes;
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(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
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(3) the amount and substantially of the portion used in
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relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
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(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or
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value of the copyrighted work.]
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Copyright is not like a patent, where you own the item outright.
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Instead you have certain rights to protect your work from others
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making a "PROFIT" on something that you produced. The limitations
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on exclusive copyrights are rather liberal, as long as you are not
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trying to make a profit. The means of transmission or reproduction do
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not matter in regard to written works.
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Although the courts have considered and ruled upon the fair use
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doctrine over and over again, no real definition of the concept has
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ever emerged. Indeed, since the doctrine is an equitable rule of
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reason, no generally applicable definition is possible, and each case
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raising the question must be decided on its own facts.
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The Committee has amended the first of the criteria to be considered -
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"the purpose and character of the use" - to state explicitly that this
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factor includes a consideration of "whether such use is of a
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commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purposes."
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Guidelines:
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(i) Poetry: (a) A complete poem if less than 250 words and if
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printed on not more than two pages or,
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(b) from a longer poem, an excerpt of not more
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than 250 words.
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(ii) Prose: (a) Either a complete article, story or essay of less than
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2,500 words or,
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(b) an excerpt from any prose work of not more than 1,000
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words or 10% of the work, whichever is less, but in
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any event a minimum of 500 words.
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(Each of the numerical limits stated in "i" and "ii" above may
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be expanded to permit the completion of an unfinished line of a
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poem or of an unfinished prose paragraph.)
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º WHO CAN CLAIM COPYRIGHT? º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed
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form; that is, it is an incident of the process of authorship. The
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copyright in the work of authorship "immediately" becomes the property of
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the author who created it. Only the author or those deriving their
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rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright.
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In the case of works made for hire, the employer and not the employee is
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presumptively considered the author. Section 101 of the copyright
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statute defines a "work made for hire" as:
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(1) a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her
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employment; or,
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(2) a work specially ordered or commissioned for use as a
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contribution to a collective work, as a part of a motion
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picture or other audiovisual work, as a translation, as a
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supplementary work, as a compilation, as an instructional
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text, as a test, as answer material for a test, or as an
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atlas, if the parties expressly agree in a written instrument
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signed by them that the work shall be considered a work made
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for hire...
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The authors of a joint work are co-owners of the copyright in the work,
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unless there is an agreement to the contrary.
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Copyright in each separate contribution to a periodical or other
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collective work is distinct from copyright in the collective work as a
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whole and vests initially with the author of the contribution.
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TWO GENERAL PRINCIPLES
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- Mere ownership of a book, manuscript, painting, or any other copy
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or phonorecord does not give the possessor the copyright. The law
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provides that transfer of ownership of any material object that
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embodies a protected work does not of itself convey any rights in
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the copyright.
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- Minors who claim copyright, but state laws may regulate the
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business dealings involving copyright owned by minors. For
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information on relevant state laws, consult an attorney.
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º WHAT WORKS ARE PROTECTED? º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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Copyright protects "original works of authorship" that are fixed in a
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tangible form of expression. The fixation need not be directly
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perceptible, so long as it may be communicated with the aid of a
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machine or device. Copyrightable works include the following
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categories:
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(1) literary works;
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(2) musical work, including any accompanying words;
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(3) dramatic works, including any accompanying music;
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(4) pantomimes and choreographic works;
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(5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;
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(6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works;
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(7) sound recordings; and
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(8) architectural works.
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These categories should be viewed quite broadly: for example, computer
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programs and most "compilations" are registerable as "literary works";
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maps and architectural plans are registerable as "pictorial, graphic,
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and sculptural works."
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º WHAT IS NOT PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT? º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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Several categories of material are generally not eligible for
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statutory copyright protection. These include among others:
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- Works that have -not- been fixed in a tangible form of expression.
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- Titles, names, short phrases and slogans; familiar symbols or
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designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering,
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or coloring; mere listing of ingredients or contents.
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- Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts,
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principles, discoveries, or devices, as distinguished from a
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description, explanation, or illustration.
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* Works consisting -entirely- of information that is common
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property and containing no original authorship.
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º HOW TO SECURE A COPYRIGHT º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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COPYRIGHT SECURED AUTOMATICALLY UPON CREATION
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The way in which copyright protection is secured under the present law is
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frequently misunderstood. No publication or registration or other
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action in the Copyright Office is required to secure copyright (see
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NOTE). There are, however, certain definite advantages to registration.
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Copyright is secured -automatically- when the work is created, and a work
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is "created" when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time.
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"Copies" are material objects from which a work can be read or visual
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perceived either directly or with the aid of a machine or device, such as
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books, manuscripts, sheet music, film, videotape, or microfilm.
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"Phonorecords" are material objects embodying fixations of sounds
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(excluding, by statutory definition, motion picture soundtracks), such as
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audio tapes and phonograph disks. Thus, for example, a song (the "work")
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can be fixed in sheet music ("copies") or in phonograph disks
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("phonorecords"), or both.
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If a work is prepared over a period of time, the part of the work that is
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fixed on a particular date constitutes the created work as of that date.
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º PUBLICATION º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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Publication is no longer the key to obtaining statutory copyright as
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it was under the Copyright Act of 1909. However, publication remains
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important to copyright owners.
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The Copyright Act defines publication as follows:
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"Publication" is the distribution of copies or phonorecords of a work
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to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental,
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lease, or lending. The offering to distribute copies or phonorecords
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to a group of persons for purposes of further distribution, public
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performance, or public display, constitutes publication. A public
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performance or display of a work does not of itself constitute
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publication.
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º [NOTE: Before 1978, statutory copyright was generally secured by the º
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º act of publication with notice of copyright, assuming compliance with º
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º all other relevant statutory conditions. Works in the public domain º
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º on January 1, 1978 (for example, works published without satisfying º
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º all conditions for securing statutory copyright under the Copyright º
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º Act of 1909) remain in the public domain under the current Act. º
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º º
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º Statutory copyright could also be secured before 1978 by the act of º
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º registration in the case of certain unpublished works and works º
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º eligible for an interim copyright. The current Act automatically º
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º extends to full term (section 304 sets the term) copyright of all º
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º works in which an interim copyright was subsisting or was capable of º
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º being secured on December 31, 1977. º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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A further discussion of the definition of "publication" can be found in
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the legislative history of the Act. The legislative reports define "to
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the public" as distribution to persons under no explicit or implicit
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restrictions with respect to disclosure of the contents...
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- When a work is published, it may bear a notice of copyright to
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identify the year of publication and the name of copyright owner
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and to inform the public that the work is protected by copyright.
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Works published before March 1, 1989, must bear the notice or
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risk loss of copyright protection. (See discussion of "NOTICE OF
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COPYRIGHT" below)
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- Works that are published in the United States are subject to
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mandatory deposit with the Library of Congress.
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- Publication of a work can affect the limitations on the exclusive
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rights of the copyright owner that are set forth in sections 107
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through 119 of the law.
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- The year of publication may determine the duration of copyright
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protection for anonymous and and pseudonymous works (when the
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author's identity is not revealed in the records of the Copyright
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Office) and for works made for hire.
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- Deposit requirements for registration of published works differ
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from those for registration of unpublished works.
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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For works first published on and after March 1, 1989, use of the
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copyright notice is optional, through highly recommended. Before March
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1, 1989, the use of the notice was mandatory on all published works, and
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any work first published before that date must bear a notice or risk
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loss of copyright protection.
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Use of the notice is recommended because it informs the public that the
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work is protected by copyright, identifies the copyright owner, and
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shows the year of first publication. Furthermore, in the event that a
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work is infringed, if the work carries a proper notice, the court will
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not allow a defendant to claim "innocent infringement" -- that is, that
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he or she did not realize that the work is protected. (A successful
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innocent infringement claim may result in a reduction in damages that
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the copyright owner would otherwise receive.)
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The use of the copyright notice is the responsibility of the copyright
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owner and does not require advance permission, or registration with,
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the Copyright Office.
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FORM OF NOTICE FOR VISUALLY PERCEPTIBLE COPIES
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The notice for visually perceptible copies should contain all of the
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following three elements:
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1: The symbol <c> (the letter C in a circle), or the word "Copyright,"
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or the abbreviation "Copr."; and
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2: The year of first publication of the work. In the case of
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compilations or derivative works incorporating previously
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published material, the year date of the compilation or derivative
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work is sufficient; and
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3: The name of the owner of copyright in the work, or an
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abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally
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known alternative designation of the owner.
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Examples: Copyright 1991 John Doe
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Copr. 1991 J. Doe
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(c) 1991 LooneyPoems
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The "C in a circle" notice is used only on "visually perceptible copies".
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Certain kinds of works--for example, musical, dramatic, and literary
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works--may be fixed not in "copies" but by means of sound in an audio
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recording. Since audio recordings such as audio tapes and phonograph
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disks are "phonorecords" and not "copies", the "C in a circle" notice is
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not used to indicate protection of the underlying musical, dramatic, or
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literary work that is recorded.
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POSITION OF NOTICE
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The notice should be affixed to copies or phonorecords of the work in
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such a manner and location as to "give reasonable notice of the claim of
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copyright".
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º OMISSION OF NOTICE AND ERRORS IN NOTICE º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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The information in this section applies only to works first published
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on and after January 1, 1978, and before March 1, 1989.
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The publication of copies or phonorecords with no notice or with
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incorrect notice will not automatically invalidate the copyright or
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affect ownership. However, certain errors in the notice or publication
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without a notice, if not corrected, may eventually result in the loss of
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copyright protection or in a change in the length of the term of copyright
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protection. The extent of the remedies available to a copyright owner may
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also be affected when someone innocently infringes a copyright by relying
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on an authorized copy or phonorecord with no notice or
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with an incorrect notice.
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OMISSION OF NOTICE
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"Omission of notice" is publishing without a notice. In addition, some
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errors are considered the same as omission of notice. These are:
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- A notice that does not contain the symbol <c> (the letter C in a
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circle), or the word "Copyright" or the abbreviation "Copr." or, if
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the work is a sound recording, the symbol <p> (the letter P in a
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circle);
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- A notice dated more than 1 year later than the date of first
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publication;
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- A notice with a name or date that could reasonably be considered
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part of the notice;
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- A notice that lacks the statement required for works consisting
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preponderantly of U.S. Government material; and
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- A notice located so that it does not give reasonable notice of the
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claim of copyright.
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The omission of notice does not affect the copyright protection and no
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corrective steps are required if:
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1: The notice is omitted from no more than a relatively small number
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of copies or phonorecords distributed to the public; or
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2: The omission violated an express written requirement that the
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published copies or phonorecords bear the prescribed notice.
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In all other cases of omission, to preserve copyright:
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1: The work must have been registered before it was published in any
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form or before the omission occurred or it must be registered
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within 5 years after the date of publication without notice; and
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2: The copyright owner must make a reasonable effort to add the notice
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to all copies or phonorecords that are distributed to the public in
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the United States after the omission is discovered.
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If these corrective steps are not taken, the work will go into the
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public domain in the United States after 5 years after publication.
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At that time all U.S. copyright protection will be lost and cannot be
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restored.
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ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
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º DURATION OF COPYRIGHT º
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ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
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WORKS ALREADY UNDER STATUTORY PROTECTION BEFORE 1978
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For works that had already secured statutory copyright protection before
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January 1, 1978, the 1976 law retains the old system for computing the
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duration of protection, but with some changes.
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|
|
|
Duration Under The Previous Law
|
|
|
|
Under the law in effect before 1978, copyright was secured either on the
|
|
date a work was published, or on the date of registration if the work
|
|
was registered in unpublished form. In either case, the copyright
|
|
lasted for a first term of 28 years from the date it was secured. During
|
|
the last (28th) year of the first term, the copyright was eligible for
|
|
renewal. If renewed, the copyright was extended for a second term of 28
|
|
years. If not renewed, the copyright expired at the end of the first
|
|
28-year term. The term of copyright for works published with a
|
|
copyright date earlier than the actual date of publication is computed
|
|
from the date in the copyright notice.
|
|
|
|
Works Originally Created On And After January 1, 1978
|
|
|
|
For works that are created and fixed in a tangible medium of expression
|
|
for the first time on and after January 1, 1978, the Copyright Act of
|
|
1976 does away with all renewal requirements and establishes a single
|
|
copyright term and different methods for computing the duration of a
|
|
copyright. Works of this sort fall into two categories:
|
|
|
|
1: Works created on or after January 1, 1978: The U.S. copyright law,
|
|
for works created after its effective date, adopts the basic "life-
|
|
plus-fifty" system already in effect in most other countries. A
|
|
work that is created (fixed in tangible form for the first time)
|
|
after January 1, 1978, is automatically protected from the moment
|
|
of its creation, and is given a term lasting for the author's life,
|
|
plus an additional 50 years after the author's death. In the case
|
|
of "a joint work prepared by two or more authors who did not work
|
|
for hire", the term lasts for 50 years after the last surviving
|
|
author's death. For works made for hire, and for anonymous and
|
|
pseudonymous works (unless the author's identity is revealed in
|
|
Copyright Office records), the duration of copyright will be 75
|
|
years from the first publication or 100 years from the creation,
|
|
whichever is shorter.
|
|
|
|
2: Works in existence but not published or copyrighted on January 1,
|
|
1978: Works that had been created before the current law came into
|
|
effect but had neither been published nor registered for copyright
|
|
before January 1, 1978, automatically are given Federal copyright
|
|
protection. The duration of copyright in these works will
|
|
generally be computed in the same way as for new works: the life-
|
|
plus-50 or 75/100-year terms will apply to them as well. However,
|
|
all works in this category are guaranteed at least 25 years of
|
|
statutory protection. The law specifies that in no case will
|
|
copyright in a work of this sort expire before December 31, 2002,
|
|
and if the work is published before that date the term will extend
|
|
another 25 years, through the end of 2027.
|
|
|
|
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
|
|
This is a short listing of publications available from the Copyright
|
|
Office.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application Forms
|
|
|
|
For Original Registration:
|
|
|
|
Form TX: for published and unpublished non-dramatic
|
|
literary works (books, pamphlets, computer
|
|
programs, manuscripts, poems, etc.)
|
|
|
|
Form SE: for serials, works issued or intended to be
|
|
issued in successive parts bearing numerical or
|
|
chronological designations and intended to be
|
|
continued indefinitely (periodicals, news-
|
|
papers, magazines, newsletters, annuals,
|
|
journals, etc.)
|
|
|
|
Short Form/SE
|
|
and
|
|
Form SE/Group: Specialized SE forms for use when certain
|
|
requirements are met
|
|
|
|
Form PA: for published and unpublished works of the
|
|
performing arts (musical compositions, dramatic
|
|
works, pantomimes and choreographic works,
|
|
motion pictures and other audiovisual works)
|
|
|
|
Form VA: for published and unpublished works of the
|
|
visual arts (pictorial, graphic, and sculptural
|
|
works, including architectural works)
|
|
|
|
Form SR: for published and unpublished sound recordings.
|
|
|
|
For Renewal Registration
|
|
|
|
Form RE: for claims to renewal copyright in works
|
|
copyrighted under the law in effect through
|
|
December 31, 1977 (1909 Copyright Act)
|
|
|
|
For Corrections and Amplifications
|
|
|
|
Form CA: for supplementary registration to correct or
|
|
amplify information given in the Copyright
|
|
Office record of an earlier registration
|
|
|
|
|
|
CIRCULARS
|
|
|
|
Circular 1 - Copyright Basics [for overall information]
|
|
Circular 2 - Publications on Copyright
|
|
Circular 3 - Copyright Notice
|
|
Circular 15 - Renewal of Copyright
|
|
Circular 15a - Duration of Copyright
|
|
Circular 21 - Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by
|
|
Educators and Librarians
|
|
Circular 22 - How to Investigate the Copyright Status
|
|
of a Work
|
|
Circular 50 - Copyright Registration for Musical Compositions
|
|
Circular 56 - Copyright for Sound Recordings
|
|
Circular 56a - Copyright Registration of Musical Compositions
|
|
and Sound Recordings
|
|
Circular 61 - Copyright Registration for Computer Programs
|
|
Circular 62 - Copyright Registration for Serials on Form SE
|
|
Circular 92 - Copyright Law of the United States of
|
|
America
|
|
Circular R96 - Section 201.20 - Methods of Affixation
|
|
& Positions of the Copyright Notice on
|
|
Various Types of Works
|
|
Circular R99 - Highlights of the Current Copyright Law
|
|
|
|
|
|
[Use only the officially printed application form; using photocopies or
|
|
other reproductions of the application form may delay your registration]
|
|
|
|
|
|
ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
|
|
º COPYRIGHT INFORMATION KITS º
|
|
ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
|
|
|
|
Each Copyright Office information kid contains materials on the
|
|
particular kit's title, including -as appropriate-: circulars,
|
|
announcements, and application forms. When ordering, "indicate kit
|
|
number".
|
|
|
|
Books....................................109
|
|
Cartons..................................111
|
|
Computer Programs........................113
|
|
Contributions/Collective Works...........104
|
|
Copyright Searches.......................116
|
|
Drama....................................119
|
|
Fair Use.................................102
|
|
Games....................................108
|
|
General Visual Arts......................115
|
|
International Copyright..................100
|
|
Mask Works...............................120
|
|
Mini Copyright Information Kit...........118
|
|
Motion Pictures..........................110
|
|
Multi Media Kits.........................112
|
|
Music....................................105
|
|
Photographs..............................107
|
|
Poetry...................................106
|
|
Pseudonyms...............................101
|
|
Recipes..................................122
|
|
Renewals.................................117
|
|
Serials..................................114
|
|
Sound Recordings.........................121
|
|
Useful Articles..........................103
|
|
|
|
*The above circulars/forms are supplied by the Copyright Office free
|
|
of charge.*
|
|
|
|
Request circulars and forms by writing:
|
|
|
|
Copyright Office
|
|
Publications Section, LM 455
|
|
Library of Congress
|
|
Washington, D.C. 20559
|
|
|
|
|
|
Public Information Office telephone number: (202) 707-3000
|
|
-Use this number whenever you want general copyright information or have
|
|
questions relating to copyright registration. Recorded information is
|
|
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and information specialists are
|
|
on duty from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday except holidays.
|
|
|
|
The FORMS HOTLINE number is (202) 707-9100.
|
|
-Use the Hotline number (also available 24 hours a day) to request
|
|
application forms for registration or informational circulars if you know
|
|
which forms or circulars you want. [If you are unsure which form or circular
|
|
to order, call the Public Information Office number listed above.]
|
|
|
|
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
|
|
COPYRIGHT FEES INCREASE
|
|
|
|
The Copyright Fees and Technical Amendments Act of 1990 (Public Law
|
|
101-318) increases fees for Copyright Office services effective
|
|
January 3, 1991. This act marks the first adjustment of the fee
|
|
schedule since January 1, 1978.
|
|
|
|
Copyright fees are adjusted at 5-year intervals, based on increases or
|
|
decreases in the Consumer Price Index. The next adjustment is due in
|
|
1995. Contact the Copyright Office in January 1995 for the new fee
|
|
schedule.
|
|
|
|
The fee for registration of an original, supplementary, or renewal
|
|
claim is nonrefundable, whether or not copyright registration is
|
|
ultimately made.
|
|
|
|
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|