NUL Copyright
This blog is to share information and insight on copyright law, trends and practices and how they may affect the Northwestern University community.
July 2007 Archives
July 29, 2007
Book copyright renewal database
The Stanford University Libraries have mounted a searchable database of copyright renewals for books published in the United States between 1923 and 1963.
As the site explains, this period is important because holders were required to publish the work with a visible copyright notice, and to renew the copyright after an initial 14 year period. If the holder failed to renew, the work is now in the public domain. This site only contains book renewal records, but post-1978 copyright registration records are searchable on the U.S. Copyright Office site and may be of some help in tracking down a copyright owner. The Copyright Office has also issued a very useful circular, "How to investigate the copyright status of a work." In addition, Peter Hirtle's chart "Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States" is a great quick-reference tool to help with an initial diagnosis of copyright status.
July 25, 2007
Copyright Information and Services website
There is a new area of the NUL website devoted to copyright information for the NU community.
http://http://www.library.northwestern.edu/services/copyright/
Section 108 Study Group
Use this URL to find out the latest on the Section 108 Study Group.
http://www.loc.gov/section108/
The work of this group has the potential to greatly affect libraries and how certain aspects of copyright law are applied. It does not appear as though there is much new information on the site right now, but that could change any time!
