Copyright: Home

Note: You will come across circulars from 2011 and 2021. Internally they refer to other circulars, some of which have changed numerically. Always refer to the main list of circulars on the U.S. Copyright Office website.

Best practices for copyright issues in the visual arts

"A community of librarians, copyright scholars, policy wonks"

from Columbia University. Includes a Fair Use Checklist, Copyright Quick Guide, and Model Permission Letters

In this film, lawyer Angela Perry discusses how businesses can avoid unwittingly violating copyright law, and the dangers of downloading and using copyrighted material. She also discusses how copyright holders can protect their copyrights.

This documentary explores the three questions that are crucial in determining fair use exemptions for documentary filmmakers. It presents illustrative examples from nonfiction films that use pre-existing footage, music, and sound from other individuals' creations without the need to seek permission or pay fees. Through on-camera interviews with noted documentarians, film and legal experts, the documentary also reviews relevant court cases and clarifies fair use issues.

NewsNet is the Copyright Office’s notification system. It includes alerts on new Copyright Office website postings and other announcements.