LibGuides: Copyright and Fair Use: Researching Copyright

Researching Copyright

Depending on the types of items (books, articles, films, sound recordings, archival materials, etc.), determining the copyright holder may be very straightforward, or it may be very complex. The resources below are intended to help you in determining who may hold the copyright to items you plan to use in your research and/or teaching.

United States Copyright Office Catalog
The Copyright Office Catalog contains approximately 20 million records for works registered and documents recorded with the Copyright Office since 1978.

Included in one integrated database are registrations and preregistrations for books, music, films, sound recordings, maps, software, photographs, art, multimedia, periodicals, magazines, journals, newspapers, etc., as well as records for assignments, transfers, and other documents relating to copyright ownership.
How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work
Circular 22 of the U. S. Copyright Office.
Obtaining Access to and Copies of Copyright Office Records and Deposits
Circular 6 of the U. S. Copyright Office.

Copyright Terms and the Public Domain in the United States

Copyright Terms and Public Domain in the United States
A handy, standard guide to copyright terms created by Peter Hirtle, who is a Senior Policy Advisor for Cornell University Libraries and one of the leading figures in scholarship related to copyright and libraries.

Creative Commons Licenses

According to their website, "Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools." The site provides free copyright licenses that enable copyright holders to "give the public permission to share and use [their] creative work — on conditions of [their] choice."

To read more about Creative Commons licenses and how they work, visit the links below.

Forms and Factsheets

Copyright Forms
Online registration of copyright as well as the paper forms and applications are available through this link developed by the Library of Congress.
Copyright Factsheets
The U. S. Copyright office have 28 factsheets available that cover copyright fees, the copyright registration of photographs or poetry and pseudonyms. As well as many other topics.

FAQ about Copyright

Frequently Asked Qustion about Copyright
From the Library of Congress. This will provide answers to general questions, copyright protection, who can register, privacy, and definitions of terms.

Contact Us

Call The Desk at 508.565.1313

Email us

Make a Reference appointment