U.S. Copyright Office Unveils Online Records Search
The U.S. Copyright Office is about to launch a new and improved system that will make it easier for people to search copyright records online. The system includes more than 20 million digital copyright registration and pre-registration records from 1978 to the present.
Once the new feature is launched in mid-August, users will be able to search one integrated database for records on multiple types of copyrighted works, such as text, audio and video. Between this new service and Stanford University’s new Copyright Renewal Database, which covers books between 1923 and 1963, users now have more copyright registration information at their fingertips than ever before.
The Copyright Office’s integrated search feature is the latest in a number of improvements it has in the works to bring its systems into the digital age. In June, the Office announced testing of a new copyright registration system that will allow users to register copyrights online.
