Copyright Law - Intermediate Level Issues.  

See also basic copyrights and advanced copyrights. 

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Joint Authorship

• The Legal Rights of Collaborators and Joint Authors by Lloyd J. Jassin.
  Suggestions and information on working with collaborators. 
• Copyright Ownership: The Joint Authorship Doctrine by Lloyd L. Rich.

International Laws and Conventions 

• Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works 
  This is the fundamental international copyright convention.  The US is a signatory. 
• Circular 38a - International Copyright Relations of the United States (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• International Copyright (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 

Transferring or Assigning Copyright Ownership

• Circular 12 - Recordations of Transfers and Other Documents (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 

Pseudonyms

• Pseudonyms (PDF only) by US Copyright Office.

Copyright Permissions

See also the specific industry, such as music or writers.

• Copyright Clearance Center
  For books and journals.  CCC, the largest licenser of text reproduction rights in the world, provides licensing systems for the reproduction and distribution of copyrighted materials in print and electronic formats throughout the world.  The company currently manages rights relating to over 1.75 million works and represents more than 9,600 publishers and hundreds of thousands of authors and other creators, directly or through their representatives. 
• Media Image Resource Alliance (MIRA) by the Media Photographers Copyright Agency (Copyright Clearance Center).
  For photographs and cartoons.
• Motion Picture Licensing Corporation
  For public performance rights to movies.
• iCopyright.com  
  For the works of online publishers.
• Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC)
  For the works of songwriters and publishers.  Now includes U.S. works.
• Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)
  For British authors.
• Permissions Group
  The Group negotiates permission to use copyrighted materials in text and trade books, CD-ROMS, and other media on behalf of publishers across the United States.

Minor or Specialized Copyright Permissions Web Sites

• Society of Architectural Historians' Image Exchange
• Allan Kohl's Art Images for College Teaching  
  AICT is a royalty-free image exchange resource for the educational community.
• CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International)

Public Domain

• New Rules for Using Public Domain Materials by Lloyd J. Jassin.
  An explanation on the proper use of public domain materials. 
• Public Domain Music from PD Info. 
  Discusses the law and has large list of public domain songs.
• Sound Recordings from PD Info. 
  Sound recording are different that the music/lyric sheets.  Know the difference.
• FAQ from PD Info. 
• Project Gutenberg Web Site
  Database of literature in the public domain. 
• National Archives and Records Administration
  US government archive.
• The Public Domain and the Impact of New Legislation by Lloyd L. Rich
• Symposium: The End Of Public Domain Or A Necessary Step To The Future?: Protecting Databases In A Post-Feist World by William F. Patry (Moderator), June Besek, Marci A. Hamilton, and Roger L. Zissu

Free Speech / First Amendment

• PMA's Commitment to Free Speech by Lloyd J. Jassin. 
  First Amendment highlights from the past year. 

Compulsory Licenses under Copyright Law

• Circular 73 - Compulsory License For Making and Distributing Phonorecords (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 74 - How To Make Compulsory License Royalty Payments Via Electronic Transfer of Funds (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 75 - The Licensing Division of the Copyright Office (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• CARP (Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panels)

Searching Copyright Office Records

• The U.S. Copyright Office has (at long last) launched a user-friendly internet search engine of three databases.  Though only in pilot testing, the databases appear functional.  
  • Database 1: Monographs (books, music, films, maps, software, art, multimedia, and sculpture. Also includes renewals)
  • Database 2: Serials (Periodicals, magazines, journals, and newspapers)
  • Database 3: Documents (Copyright ownership documents, such as name changes and transfers)
• Traditional Copyright Search Methods
  • Instruction Page for Searching Copyright Records by the US Copyright Office.
    A limited amount of information is publicly available online for every copyright that has been registered in recent years.  Most Internet browsers will be able to use the antiquated interface.  Be prepared, however, to spend an hour learning how to use this unfriendly, cumbersome search tool.   
  • Circular 6 - Access to and Copies of Copyright Records and Deposit (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
  • Circular 22 - How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work by US Copyright Office. 
  • Circular 23 - Copyright Card Catalog and the Online Files (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
  • Freedom of Information Act Requests by US Copyright Office. 

Copyright Registration in Misc. Categories

• Circular 40 - Copyright Registration for Works of the Visual Arts by US Copyright Office. 
• Circualr 40a - Deposit Requirements in Visual Arts Material by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 55 - Copyright Registration for Multimedia Works (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 62 - Copyright Registration for Serials on Form SE (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 62a - Group Registration of Newspapers and Newsletters on Form G/DN (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 

Correcting or Modifying a Copyright Registration

• Circular 8 - Supplementary Copyright Registration (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 

Miscellaneous Copyright Registration Issues

• Circular 10 - Special Handling (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 7c - Effects of not Replying within 120 Days to Copyright Office Correspondence (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 

Registration Fees

• Circular 4 - Copyright Fees by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 5 - How to Open and Maintain a Deposit Account in the U.S. Copyright Office  
• Electronic Funds Transfer Now Available for Replenishment of Accounts (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 

Duration and Renewal of Copyright Registrations

• Circular 15 - Renewal of Copyright (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 15a - Duration of Copyright: Provisions of the Law Dealing with the Length of Copyright    Protection (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 15t - Extension of Copyright Term (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 

Deposit Requirements for Copyright Registration

• Circular 7b - "Best Edition" of Published Copyrighted Works for the Collection of the Library of Congress (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 
• Circular 7d - Mandatory Deposit of Copies or Phonorecords by US Copyright Office. 

Derivative Works Copyright Registration

• Circular 14 - Copyright Registration for Derivative Works (PDF only) by US Copyright Office. 

Copyright Organizations

US Organizations

• Copyright Society of the USA

Non-US Organizations

• CANCOPY, the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency

Intermediate Copyright Books

• Intellectual Property: Licensing and Joint Venture Profit Strategies, 2nd Edition
  by Gordon V. Smith, Russell L. Parr (Hardcover)
• Getting Permission : How to License & Clear Copyrighted Materials Online & Off
  by Richard Stim (Paperback)
• The Copyright Permission and Libel Handbook : A Step-By-Step Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers (Wiley Books for Writers)
  by Lloyd J. Jassin, Steve C. Schecter (Paperback)
• International Copyright : Principles, Law, and Practice
  by Paul Goldstein (Hardcover - January 2001)
• The Public Domain : How to Find and Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More
  by Stephen Fishman (Paperback - January 2001)
• Copyright Law (Mastering Law)
  by Robert C. Lind (Paperback - August 2000)