Mission Statement"
"The U.S. Copyright Office promotes creativity and free expression by administering the nation’s copyright laws and by providing impartial, expert advice on copyright law and policy for the benefit of all."
The copyright Office was created by the United States Congress in 1790, under authority gratnted it by the Consitution. In 1870, Cogress placed it under the control of the Library of Congress, where it reamins today.
Register Your Work: Registration Portal (Remember: Creators neeed NOT register their works to establish copyright, but doing so can improve your position of someone infringes your copyright.)
Recordation - Recording of transfers and terminations of copyright
Fees - List of the fees required for registration, recordation and other services of the Coright Office,
Copyright Claims Board - A path for resolution of copyright disputes that is less expensive than pursuing a claim in the Federal courts.
Copyright Public Records Portal - Free public databases for researching copyright; includes tutorials on searching retrieving and using copyright records.
- Search Copyrihgt Records: Copyright Public Records Portal - The current Search Portal enables the user to search copyright records from 1978 to the present by title or owner of the copyright. The records do not contain much more infomration than that, pllus the date and location of the copyright. There is a project to make available images of copyright cards from before 1978, but it is in "proof of concept" stage only.