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
- Case Law Research
- Administrative Law Research
- Secondary Sources
- Current Awareness
- Practice Materials
- U.S. Copyright Office
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 for further guidance on finding and updating federal statutes.
United States Code, Title 17
Print: Law Pappas & Annex
LexisNexis: USCS Title 17 - Copyrights, Copyright Act of 1976
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - U.S. Code Annotated (FIP-USCA)
Internet: United States Code Title 17 [GPOAccess]
Internet: United States Code Title 17 [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
No Electronic Theft (NET) Act:
Federal Copyright Law: The Legislative Histories of the Major Enactments of the 105th Congress, vol. I
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, vol. II-III
Print: Law Annex KF 2988.8 1999
Online: HeinOnline
Digital Millennium Copyright Act:
Federal Copyright Law: The Legislative Histories of the Major Enactments of the 105th Congress, vol. III-V
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.
Specialized 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(1987-2006)Topical Index: United States Patents Quarterly
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
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 (Copyright Office Bulletin, vols. 1-49, 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)
HeinOnline: Code of Federal Regulations
Internet: Code of Federal Regulations Title 37 Chapter II [GPOAccess]
Internet: Code of Federal Regulations Title 37 Chapter II [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)
HeinOnline: Federal Register
Internet: Federal Register [GPOAccess]
Internet: Copyright Notices from the Federal Register 1993-date [U.S. Copyright Office]
Agency Decisions
HeinOnline: Decisions of the United States Courts Involving Copyright (Copyright Office Bulletin, vols. 1-49, 1789-1985)
HeinOnline: Decisions of the Commissioner of Patents and of the United States Courts in Patent and Trade-Mark and Copyright Cases
Secondary Sources
Research Guides
"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
Major Treatises and Looseleaf Services
Goldstein on Copyright, 3rd ed.
Print: Law Reserve KF 2994 G6512
Nimmer on Copyright
Print: Law Reserve KF 2991.5 N5
LexisNexis: Nimmer on CopyrightPatry on Copyright
Print: Law Reserve KF2994 .P382
Westlaw: Patry on CopyrightCopyright Law Reporter
Print: Law Looseleaf KF 2991.5 C65
Online: Copyright Law Reporter
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)
Online: CCH Business & Finance Internet Research NetworkThe 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 .A41
Westlaw: AMJUR-LFCurrent Legal forms, with Tax Analysis (v.2)
Print: Law Reference KF 6286 R3
LexisNexis: MATBEN;CLFTANichols' Cyclopedia of Legal Forms Annotated (v.3)
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .N5
Westlaw: NICHOLS-LFWest's Legal Forms: Intellectual Property--Copyrights & Trademarks (v.25A)
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .L53
Westlaw: WEST-LFInternet: 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, 2nd ed.
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 SheetsModel Jury Instructions: Copyright, Trademark, and Trade Dress Litigation
Print: Law Annex KF8984 .M63 2008
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 Jennifer Duperon
Last updated: October 2009