Copyright Law
Copyright law research involves primary legal sources such as statutes, cases, and administrative law. A compiled legislative history will be useful when you are trying to ascertain the legislative intent behind a particular copyright statute.
In most instances, it is best to begin your research with a review of secondary sources such as research guides, background materials, treatises, and law review articles. Secondary sources help you frame your questions before you begin researching "the law" and often provide references to primary sources, rules, or forms.
As you continue your research, you may want to consult current awareness tools to keep current on legal developments that may affect your research.
Practice materials such as forms or copyright registrations are available in print and electronic sources. Practice aids are helpful for learning about U.S. Copyright Office procedures and how to register a copyright. The U.S. Copyright Office web site is a great resource for basic information about copyrights.
Statutory Research
Statutory research requires searching the United States Code, then updating your research by searching for Public Laws not yet codified. Sources for copyright statutes in the United States Code are listed here. See the Federal Statutory Research guide for sources of public laws.
United States Code, Title 17
Print: Law Pappas
LexisNexis: USCS Title 17 - Copyrights, Copyright Act of 1976
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - U.S. Code Annotated (FIP-USCA database)
Internet: United States Code Title 17 via GPO Access
Internet: United States Code Title 17 via Cornell Legal Information Institute
Legislative Histories
Nimmer on Copyright contains selective legislative history materials, such as congressional committee reports, for various copyright acts.
The following compiled legislative histories for copyright acts are available at the Pappas Law Library. See the Federal Legislative History Research guide for information on how to compile a legislative history for other copyright statutes.
Copyright Act of 1909:
Legislative History of the 1909 Copyright Act
Print: Law Annex KF2989.53.A15 L44 1976 (6 vols.)
Online: HeinOnline
Copyright Act of 1976:
Omnibus Copyright Revision Legislative History
Print: Law Annex KF2989.55 .A15 1976 (11 vols.)
Online: HeinOnlineThe Kaminstein Legislative History Project : A Compendium and Analytical Index of Materials Leading to the Copyright Act of 1976
Print: Law Annex KF2989.56.A16 K35 (6 vols.)
Online: HeinOnline
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Federal Copyright Law: The Legislative Histories of the Major Enactments of the 105th Congress
Print: Law Annex KF 2988.8 1999
Online: HeinOnline
No Electronic Theft Act/Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Federal Copyright Law: The Legislative Histories of the Major Enactments of the 105th Congress
Print: Law Annex KF 2988.8 1999
Online: HeinOnline
Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998
Federal Copyright Law: The Legislative Histories of the Major Enactments of the 105th Congress
Print: Law Annex KF 2988.8 1999
Online: HeinOnline
Case Law Research
Specialized reporters, finding tools, and electronic sources for copyright decisions are listed here. See the Federal Case Law Research guide for general Federal case reporters, digests, and other case finding tools.
Reporters
The United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Finding tools
The United States Patents Quarterly. Annual Digest.
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U51
Electronic Sources for Copyright Decisions
LexisNexis: Copyright Cases, Federal
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - Cases (FIP-CS database)
HeinOnline: Decisions of the United States Courts Involving Copyright (1789-1985)
Administrative Law Research
Regulatory research requires searching the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), then updating your research with the Federal Register. Sources for copyright regulations are listed here. See the Federal Administrative Law Research guide for further guidance on finding and updating federal regulations.
Code of Federal Regulations: Title 37, Chapter II
Print: Law Pappas
LexisNexis: Federal Register and CFR - Patent, Copyright and Trademark
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - Code of Federal Regulations (FIP-CFR database)
Internet: Code of Federal Regulations Title 37 via HeinOnline (1938-1983)
Internet: Code of Federal Regulations Title 37 Chapter II via GPO Access
Internet: Code of Federal Regulations Title 37 Chapter II via U.S. Copyright Office
Federal Register
Print: Law Pappas (current 6 months), Law Annex:
KF 70 A2
LexisNexis: Federal Register and CFR - Patent, Copyright and Trademark
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - Federal Register (FIP-FR database)
Internet: Federal Register via HeinOnline
Internet: Federal Register via GPO Access
Internet: Copyright Notices from the Federal Register (1993-date)
Secondary Sources
Research Guide
"Copyright Law", chapter 4 of Specialized Legal Research provides exhaustive coverage of copyright law sources in print and electronic formats.
Print: Law Ref Desk KF 240 .S63
Background Reading
Understanding Copyright Law
Print: Law Reserve KF 2994 .L43 2005Copyright Law in a Nutshell
Print: Law Reserve KF 2994 .34 2008Internet: U.S. Copyright Office - Copyright Basics
Internet: FindLaw - Copyright Law
Major Treatises and Looseleaf Services
Copyright Law and Practice
Print: Law Reserve KF 2994 .P38Goldstein on Copyright
Print: Law Reserve KF 2994 .G65
Nimmer on Copyright
Print: Law Reserve KF 2991.5 N5
LexisNexis: Nimmer on CopyrightPatry on Copyright
Print: Law Reserve KF2994 .P382
Westlaw: Patry on Copyright
Finding Articles in Journals and Law Reviews
Specific sources for articles on copyright law are listed here. For a detailed guide on finding legal articles, see Find Articles in Legal Journals.
LexisNexis: Intellectual Property Law Reviews
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property Texts and Periodicals Combined (IP-TP database)
Current Awareness
BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal
Print: Law Looseleaf KF 2972 .P38
Online: BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright JournalCopyright Law Reporter
Print: Law Looseleaf KF 2991.5 C65 (current)The United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Practice Materials
Forms
American Jurisprudence Legal Forms (v.5B)
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .A41Current Legal forms, with Tax Analysis (v.2)
Print: Law Reference KF 6286 R3Nichols' Cyclopedia of Legal Forms Annotated (v.3)
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .N5West's Legal Forms: Intellectual Property--Copyrights & Trademarks (v.25A)
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .L53
Internet: U.S. Copyright Office Forms
Federal Copyright Registrations
LexisNexis: U.S. Copyrights Combined Files
Internet: Online U.S. Copyright Office Records
Copyright Practice Aids
Copyright Registration Practice
Print: Law Annex KF 3004 .H39Compendium II: Compendium of Copyright Office Practice...
Print: Law Annex KF 3002 .A82 (current)Copyright Office Circulars
Internet: Copyright Information Circulars and Fact Sheets
U.S. Copyright Office
The U.S. Copyright Office web site provides a variety of practice materials as well as publications for practitioners and lay persons. For example:
Copyright Basics gives basic information about copyright, works that are protected under copyright law, and how to register a work. The Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright page provides information about the U.S. Copyright Office and basic procedures.
How to Register a Work provides information on the various types of works that can be registered and step-by-step instructions on how to register them.
Page maintained by Raquel Ortiz
Last updated: April 2008