Copyright

This circular provides guidelines for submitting a complete, accurate copyright claim. It covers: completing online and paper applications, submitting a filing fee, preparing a deposit copy, communicating with the copyright office, and determining when your registration takes effect.

This is your starting point for all things related to the registration of copyrights.

Search records of registered books, music, art, and periodicals, and other works, from 1978 on.
- Registration and recordation records from 1978 to the present
- Catalog card records with images of the 1898-1945 application cards
- Information about the author, claimant, parties, relevant dates, etc.
-Scans of recorded document certificates after 2014

Detailed tutorials providing guidance and best practices on searching the Copyright Public Records system from the U.S. Copyright Office,

The Virtual Card Catalog contains 41.5 million scanned card images from the U.S. Copyright Card Catalog, which provides an index to copyright registrations and other public records pertaining to ownership of copyrighted works. The catalog enables users to identify original copyright registration records and other U.S. Copyright Office records from 1870 through 1977.

From the U.S. Copyright Office, this Circular offers some practical guidance on what to look for if you are investigating the copyright status of a work.

An immensely useful resource, edited by John Mark Ockerbloom at the University of Pennsylvania, collecting links to scans of the Catalog of Copyright Entries and other resources from 1789-present.

Stanford's Copyright Renewal Database is a searchable index of the copyright renewal records for books published in the US between 1923 and 1963. Note that the database includes only renewal records, not original registrations, and only Class A (book) renewals received by the US Copyright Office between 1950 and 1992.

This ongoing project presents records of copyright ownership from the United States Copyright Office for the period from July 1891 through December 1977. The Catalogs of Copyright Entries (CCEs) are published compilations of copyright registration records cataloged in periods ranging from semiweekly to semiannually. There are 660 CCE volumes arranged by year, cataloging period, and class of material. The volumes are being digitized in reverse chronological order starting with 1977.

This page provides an overview of procedures for contacting and requesting permission from a copyright owner to use a copyrighted work, and includes some model permission request letters.

This pages outlines the basic process for obtaining permission to use a copyrighted work, including how to: Determine if permission is needed. Identify the owner. Identify the rights needed. Contact the owner and negotiate whether payment is required. Get your permission agreement in writing.

Writers Artists and Their Copyright Holders (WATCH) is a database of copyright contacts for writers, artists, and prominent figures in other creative fields.

The CCC can act as an agent to help you purchase permissions to use copyrighted works for a variety of purposes.

Find a Rightsholder is an easy-to-use search tool for anyone seeking rights or permissions for content published by US and UK publishers. Launched in spring 2025, it currently includes information for more than 3,500 imprints.