U.S. Copyright Office circulars
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English: Information on this page is copied from https://www.copyright.gov/circs/. (US-PDGov)
Circulars are published by the Copyright Office to provide up-to-date and authoritative information to a general audience. Circulars are arranged below by topic and cover the basics and fundamental concepts of copyright law, highlights of policies and procedures of the Copyright Office, and registration issues for specific categories of works. For full details regarding the Office’s policies and procedures, refer to the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, third edition.
Please note: in September 2017, the Office began releasing refreshed and updated circulars. A complete guide to circular updates can be found here.Español: Circulares de la Oficina de Derechos del Autor de los Estados Unidos
Foundations of Copyright[edit]
- Copyright Basics (Circ. 1)
- Fundamentos de los Derechos de Autor (Circ. 1) (Spanish / Español)
- Copyright Registration (Circ. 2)
- Copyright Notice (Circ. 3)
- Copyright Office Fees (Circ. 4)
- Cargos por Servicios Prestados en la Oficina del Derecho de Autor (SL 4E) (Spanish / Español)
- Copyright Office Deposit Account (Circ. 5)
- Renewal of Copyright (Circ. 6A)
- Duration of Copyright (Circ. 15a)
- Extension of Copyright Terms (Circ. 15t)
Office Practices and Procedures[edit]
- Best Edition of Published Copyrighted Works for the Collections of the Library of Congress (Circ. 7B)
- Responding to a Mandatory Deposit Notice (Circ. 7C)
- Mandatory Deposit of Copies or Phonorecords (Circ. 7D)
- Supplementary Copyright Registration (Circ. 8)
- Special Handling (Circ. 10)
- Using the Single Application (Circ. 11)
- Recordations of Transfers and Other Documents (Circ. 12)
- Calculating Fees for Recording Documents in the Copyright Office (Circ. 12A)
- Cálculo de cargos por Archivo de Documentos y Avisos de Terminación de Contratos (SL 4DE) (Spanish / Español)
- Obtaining Access to and Copies of Copyright Records and Deposits (Circ. 6)
- How to Obtain Permission (Circ. 16A)
- Limitations on Information and Services Provided by the Copyright Office (Circ. 17)
- Privacy: Copyright Public Records (Circ. 18)
- Deadlines for Replying to Copyright Office Correspondence (Circ. 19)
- Requests for Reconsideration (Circ. 20)
- How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work (Circ. 22)
- The Copyright Card Catalog and the Online Files of the Copyright Office (Circ. 23)
Copyright Concepts[edit]
- Copyright Registration for Derivative Works (Circ. 14)
- Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians (Circ. 21)
- Works Made for Hire (Circ. 30)
- Works Not Protected by Copyright (Circ. 33)
- Multiple Works (Circ. 34)
- International Copyright Relations of the United States (Circ. 38A)
- Copyright Restoration under the URAA (Circ. 38B)
- Federal Statutory Protection for Mask Works (Circ. 100)
- Pseudonyms (FL 101)
- Contribution to Collective Work (FL 104)
Visual Arts Works[edit]
- Copyright Registration for Pictorial, Graphic, and Sculptural Works (Circ. 40)
- Deposit Requirements for Registration of Claims to Copyright in Visual Arts Material (Circ. 40a)
- Copyright Claims in Architectural Works (Circ. 41)
- Copyright Registration of Photographs (Circ. 42)
- Cartoons and Comic Strips (Circ. 44)
- Copyright Registration of Games (FL 108)
Performing Arts Works[edit]
- Copyright Registration for Motion Pictures Including Video Recordings (Circ. 45)
- Copyright Registration of Musical Compositions (Circ. 50)
- Copyright Registration of Choreography and Pantomime (Circ. 52)
- Copyright Registration for Multimedia Works (Circ. 55)
- Copyright Registration of Sound Recordings (Circ. 56)
- Musical Compositions and Sound Recordings (Circ. 56a)
Literary Works[edit]
- Copyright Registration of Computer Programs (Circ. 61)
- Copyright Registration for Single Serial Issues (Circ. 62)
- Group Registration of Newspapers (Circ. 62a)
- Copyright Registration for Group of Serial Issues (Circ. 62b)
- Copyright Registration of Contributions to Periodicals (Circ. 62c)
- Copyright Registration for Secure Tests and Test Items (Circ. 64)
- Copyright Registration for Automated Databases (Circ. 65)
- Copyright Registration of Websites and Website Content (Circ. 66)
- Copyright Registration of Books, Manuscripts, and Speeches (FL 109)
Licensing[edit]
- Compulsory License for Making and Distributing Phonorecords (Circ. 73)
- How to Make Statutory License Royalty EFT Payments via Wire (Circ. 74a)
- How to Make Statutory License Royalty EFT Payments via ACH Credit (Circ. 74b)
- How to Make Statutory License Royalty EFT Payments Using Pay.gov (Circ. 74c)
- The Licensing Division of the Copyright Office (Circ. 75)
- Copyright Office Licensing Division Service Fees (Circ. 76)