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Copyright has been a part of U.S. law since the nation’s founding. Congress passed the first federal copyright law in 1790, and has updated it throughout the years to keep up with the times. Our copyright timeline explains more of copyright’s history.
The United States copyright law is contained in chapters 1 through 8 and 10 through 12 of Title 17 of the United States Code. The Copyright Act of 1976, which provides the basic framework for the current copyright law, was enacted on October 19, 1976, as Pub. L. No. 94-553, 90 Stat. 2541.
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.
View current Copyright Law of the United States and related laws contained in Title 17 of the U.S.Code. Learn More
I want to name a third party as the copyright claimant, such as a music publisher or record label. Can I do that? A third party may be named as the copyright claimant if that party owns all of the exclusive rights initially belonging to an author of all of the works in the group being registered.
The Copyright Office will update and expand the Index periodically. The Fair Use Index is designed to be user-friendly. For each decision, we have provided a brief summary of the facts, the relevant question(s) presented, and the court’s determination as to whether the contested use was fair.
There may be situations in which the reproduction of a photograph may be a “fair use” under the copyright law. Information about fair use may be found at Fair Use Index.
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United Statesto the authors of “original works of authorship” that are fixed in a tangible form of expression.
Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture.
Are you a writer or do you know one? Copyright protects most types of written works, also known as literary works. This video discusses what literary works copyright protects, what it means to be a copyright holder, and how you can register your literary works with the U.S. Copyright Office.