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Intellectual Property Law Research Guide

U.S. Copyright Law 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.

Copyright Registration provides information on the various types of works that can be registered, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to register them.

Background Reading

Understanding Copyright Law / by Marshall A. Leaffe
XXKF2994.L43 2010, D'Angelo Law, Reserve Room

Copyright Office Basics
U.S. Copyright Office

"Copyright Law", Chapter 4 of Specialized Legal Research (provides exhaustive coverage of copyright law sources in print and electronic formats)
XXKF240.S690 1987, D'Angelo Law, Reference Desk

Current Awareness Resources

Practice Materials

Forms

American Jurisprudence Legal Forms (v.5B)
Print: XXKF170.A542, Mansueto
Westlaw: AMJUR-LF

West's Legal Forms: Intellectual Property--Copyrights & Trademarks (v.25A)
Print: XXKF1384.A65W47 1981, Mansueto
Internet: U.S. Copyright Office Forms

Federal Copyright Registrations

LexisNexis: COPYRT;ALLCOPY
Internet: Copyright Records: Registrations and Documents

Copyright Practice Aids

Compendium II: Compendium of Copyright Office Practices...
Print: XXKF3002.A8290 1984, D'Angelo Law, Reserve Room (current)

Copyright Term and Publication and the Public Domain in the U.S. Internet
Internet: http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/training/Hirtle_Public_Domain.htm

Copyright Office Circulars
Internet: Copyright Information Circulars and Fact Sheets

Fair Use Resources

Copyright & Fair Use Resource Page
Internet: Stanford University Libraries

Major Treatises & Looseleaf Services

Copyright Law and Practice / by William Patry [3 vols.]
XXKF2994.P350 1994, D'Angelo Law, Bookstacks
Westlaw: PATRYCOPY

Goldstein on Copyright, 3rd ed. 2005-present. [4 vol.; loose-leaf]
XXKF2989.G65 2005, D'Angelo Law Library, Reserve Room
CCH: Goldstein on Copyright

Nimmer on Copyright, 1978-present. [11 vol.; loose-leaf; updated 3x year]
XXKF2991.5.N50 1978, D'Angelo Law Library, Reserve Room
LexisNexis: NIMMER

Case Law Research

 Reporters

The United States Patents Quarterly
Print: XXKF2975.3.B87, D'Angelo Law, Bookstacks
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library

Finding tools

The United States Patents Quarterly. Annual Digest.
Print: XXKF2975.3.U52, D'Angelo Law, Bookstacks

Electronic Sources for Copyright Decisions

LexisNexis: COPYRT;FEDCTS
Westlaw: FIP-CS (FIP-CS database)
Internet: Recent Supreme Court Cases (from Legal Information Institute, Cornell)

Statutes & Legislative Histories

Title 17 of the U.S. Code is the title that outlines United States copyright law.

 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 in the D'Angelo Law Library. See the Federal Legislative History research guide for information about compiling a legislative history for other copyright statutes.

Copyright Act of 1909

Legislative History of the 1909 Copyright Act
Print: XXKF2989.54.A150 1976, D'Angelo Law, Bookstacks (6 vols.)
Online: HeinOnline

Copyright Act of 1976

Omnibus Copyright Revision Legislative History
Print: XXKF2989.56.A15 2001, D'Angelo Law, Bookstacks (17 vols.)
Online: HeinOnline

The Kaminstein Legislative History Project : A Compendium and Analytical Index of Materials Leading to the Copyright Act of 1976
Print: Z642.K176, Regenstein Bookstacks (3 vols.) 
Online: HeinOnline

Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Federal Copyright Law: The Legislative Histories of the Major Enactments of the 105th Congress
Print: XXKF2989.8 1999, D'Angelo Law, Bookstacks (5 vols.)
Online: HeinOnline

DMCA Legislative History, Compiled by Home Recording Rights Coalition
Internet: HRRC

No Electronic Theft Act/Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Federal Copyright Law: The Legislative Histories of the Major Enactments of the 105th Congress
Print: XXKF2989.8 1999, D'Angelo Law, Bookstacks (5 vols.)
Online: HeinOnline

NET Legislative History, Compiled by the Library of Congress
Internet: THOMAS

No Electronic Theft Act Policy Team Report, Published by U.S. Sentencing Commission
Internet: USSC

Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998

Federal Copyright Law: The Legislative Histories of the Major Enactments of the 105th Congress
Print: XXKF2989.8 1999, D'Angelo Law, Bookstacks (5 vols.)
Online: HeinOnline

Bill Summary and Status, Compiled by the Library of Congress
Internet: THOMAS

House Report 105-452
Internet: FDsys

Administrative Law Research

Title 37, Chapter II of the Code of Federal Regulations is the section of the CFR that includes regulations related to copyright. See the Administrative Law research guide for information about the CFR and Federal Register.

Finding Articles in Journals and Law Reviews

LexisNexis and Westlaw both provide databases specifically for finding articles on intellectual property law.

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