The Copyright Card Catalog and the Online Files of the Copyright Office

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Circular 23
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The Copyright Card
Catalog and the
Online Files of
the Copyright Office
Together, the copyright card catalog and the online files of the Copyright Office
provide an index to copyright registrations and records in the United States
from 1870 to the present. The copyright card catalog contains approximately 45
million cards covering the period 1870 through 1977. Registrations and records
for all works dating from January 1, 1978, to the present are searchable in the
online catalog, available at www.copyright.gov/records.
A large part of the literary, musical, artistic, and scientific production of
the United States and of foreign countries is recorded in these files. They are
an important supplement to the main catalog of the Library of Congress as a
bibliographical tool, in part because only a portion of the works deposited for
copyright are selected for inclusion in the Library’s collections, and the Library
does not always fully catalog those works it selects. The copyright card catalog
and the files are of particular value in searching for pamphlets, unpublished
music or dramas, lectures, and materials in the visual arts classifications.
Location and Use of the Card Catalog
The copyright card catalog is located in the Copyright Public Records Reading
Room (lm-404) on the fourth floor of the James Madison Memorial Building
of the Library of Congress. The public can use the catalog, which is staffed
by a Copyright Office employee, between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, eastern time,
Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Before starting your search,
consult Circular 22, How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work, available
on the Copyright Office website or from the staff member on duty.
Alternatively, Copyright Office staff can search copyright records for you.
Upon payment of an hourly fee, the Office will conduct a search and provide a
factual, noninterpretive report. To initiate a search, consult the staff member on
duty when you visit the Office, complete the form available at www.copyright.
gov/forms/search_estimate.html, or contact the Office at:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office–IRD
Records Research and Certification Section
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20559
fax : (202) 252-3485
tel : (202) 707-6850

Copyright Card Catalog and Online Files · 2
Searches will be done in turn as requests are received. For
current fees and information about acceptable methods of
payment, see Circular 4, Copyright Office Fees, or go to the
Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov.
Other Records that Supplement the
Card Catalog
The Copyright Office printed the Catalog of Copyright
Entries (CCE) from 1891 through 1978. From 1979 through
1982, it was published on microfiche. The catalog is divided
into parts according to the classes of works registered. Each
segment covers all registrations made during a particular
period. Renewal registrations from 1979 through 1982 appear
in section 8 of the catalog. Renewals prior to that time are
generally listed at the end of the volume containing the class
of work to which they pertain.
The Copyright Office has digitized the 661 volumes of the
catalog, and these are now available at http://archive.org/
details/copyrightrecords/. However, a search of the catalog
alone will not always provide the needed information. For
example:
• Since the catalog does not include entries for assignments
or other recorded documents, searches involving the own-
ership of rights must be supplemented by other resources,
such as those discussed below.
• The catalog entry contains the essential facts concerning a
registration, but it is not a verbatim transcript of the reg-
istration nor does it contain corrected entries. It does not
contain the address of the copyright claimant.
A published series, the Cumulative Catalogs of Motion
Picture Entries, provides detailed registration information
for motion pictures and filmstrips for the years 1894–1969.
Digitized images of these catalogs can be accessed at the fol-
lowing sites:
1894–1912: http://archive.org/details/Motion-
pict18941912librrich0013
1912–1939: http://archive.org/details/Motion-
pict19121939librrich0010
1940–1949: http://archive.org/details/Motion-
pict19401949librrich0010
1950–1959: http://archive.org/details/Motion-
pict19591960librrich0008
1960–1969: http://archive.org/details/Motion-
pict19601969librrich0013
Another published series of registrations of dramatic
works, Dramatic Compositions Copyrighted in the United
States, 1870–1916, is available as digitized images at the fol-
lowing sites:
Vol. 1, A–N: http://archive.org/details/Dramaticcom-
posit01libr0012_201303
Vol. 2, O–Z: http://archive.org/details/Dramaticcom-
posit02libr0012
Both of these collected sets are available in the Copyright
Office in the card catalog area.
None of these published volumes contain corrected
entries or the address of the copyright claimant.
Locating Copyright Registrations
Under the 1909 copyright law that was effective through
1977, a work could be registered in one of 15 different classes,
depending on its nature (for example, book, drama, painting).
The cards in the card catalog contain five key elements that
establish the history of any original registration. These ele-
ments are:
• the title of the work
• the author or authors
• the claimant or claimants, that is, the owner(s) of the
copyright, who may be different from the author(s)
• the date of publication, the day on which copyright
protection commenced, or the date of receipt for unpub-
lished works, and
• the registration number, which is a letter (depending on
the classification) followed by from one to seven digits
Any work by a U.S. national published or registered before
January 1, 1964, must have been renewed by an application
for registration in the 28th year following the original date
of publication or registration to continue its term of protec-
tion. However, copyrights in works registered or published
between January 1, 1964, and December 31, 1977, have an
automatic renewal for a full 95-year term of protection.
Although the period of protection is automatically renewed,
a renewal application may be submitted anyway. If the work
in question is more than 27 years old and less than 95 years
old, a renewal registration consists of all the following:
• the title and author(s) of the original work
• the renewal claimant or claimants
• the date on which the second term of protection com-
menced, and

Copyright Card Catalog and Online Files · 3
• the renewal registration number, which is the letter R or
the letters RE followed by from one to six digits
Since January 1, 1978, when the 1976 Copyright Act went
into effect, copyright registrations have been cataloged by
entering the appropriate information into an electronic
database. All the elements described for paper formats of
catalogs in the previous paragraph are also entered into the
database. However, the number of classes has been reduced,
with different letter codes preceding the digits. In addition,
the record now distinguishes among the date of creation
(the year in which the work was fixed in its form), the date
of publication (public distribution) where applicable, and
the effective date of registration (when the copy or copies
of the work, the fee, and the application were received in
the Copyright Office). Instructional material and computer
terminals are available in the card catalog area to enable the
researcher to retrieve information from the online database.
Search Strategies: Idiosyncrasies of the
Copyright Card Catalog
In general, each segment of the card catalog, all filing ele-
ments are divided into two alphabetized groups: personal
names followed by corporate names and titles. Thus, for
example, a researcher using the name or word White would
find Alice White and Zachary White before White Lithographs,
Ltd., and The White Monkey.
The copyright records are subject to a lack of standard-
ization in the romanization of names, cross-references, and
other filing elements. A researcher should take into account
any possible variant forms of names and titles. For example,
cross-references may not be provided for entries cataloged
under Chaikovskii and Tschaikowsky. Non-English names
such as de Mille and von Franz may appear under both the
prefix and the surname. A corporate entity such as Walt
Disney Productions may appear under that form or under
Disney (Walt) Productions. The post-1977 online records can
be sensitive to spacing and punctuation: Bank of America
NT&SA; Bank of America N.T.&S.A.; and Bank of America,
NT & SA are all different index entries within the electronic
files.
When working with some indexes predating 1938, use of
the published Catalog of Copyright Entries is recommended.
During that period, titles of books, lyricists, and even com-
posers were inadequately entered into the card catalog. The
printed volume is therefore invaluable for tracing elements
not found on the catalog cards. There is no subject index to
the card catalog.
The Copyright Office employee on duty in the card cata-
log area is always ready to answer further questions.
Copyright Office Records by
Chronological Periods
Over the years, with changes in the techniques of recording
copyright registrations, the Copyright Office has divided
these records into several chronological periods.
1790 –1870
During this period, claims to statutory copyright were reg-
istered in the office of the clerk of each of the United States
district courts. These records are on microfilm, located in the
card catalog area. Entries in the records are arranged first by
district court, then alphabetically with chronological entries
under each letter. Indexing, which is sporadic, is in the front
of some volumes. The original district court record books
are housed in the Rare Book and Special Collections Divi-
sion of the Library of Congress. The earliest records have
been published by the Library of Congress in Federal Copy-
right Records 1790–1800.
1870 –1897
The oldest part of the card catalog is a general index and
covers registrations from 1870 through 1897, and is used
primarily for historical purposes since, in general, any work
published or registered prior to 1923 would no longer be under
copyright protection in the United States. Author, title, and
claimant entries for all types of works are interfiled in one
alphabet. The first word of a title, or a keyword within the
title, and the names of the author and claimant are the basic
filing elements. The year date and number found next to the
entry lead to the record books where the full copyright facts
are recorded. These books may be reviewed in the Copyright
Public Records Reading Room (lm-404), between 8:30 am and
5:00 pm eastern time, Monday through Friday except federal
holidays.
1898 –1937
Beginning with 1898, there is a separate file for each class of
copyrighted works or groups of closely related classes. From
July 1, 1909, to approximately November 6, 1937, copyright
applications were submitted on cards, which were used as the
main entries in the individual indexes, filed under the name
of the claimant.

Copyright Card Catalog and Online Files · 4
Books are accessible by separate author and claimant
indexes, but not by title, except for composite or anonymous
works and certain serials and other compilations.
Periodicals are filed from 1898 to 1909 in a claimant and
title index, and from 1909 to 1937 by claimant only.
Music can be located through claimant and title indexes.
Access by composer is limited; there are no entries under
lyricists’ names. This file also includes registrations for some
musical dramas.
Dramas from 1870 through 1916 are cataloged in the pub-
lished two-volume work, Dramatic Compositions Copyrighted
in the United States, 1870–1916, available in the Copyright
Public Records Reading Room (lm-404). Dramas and lec-
tures from 1909 through 1937 are indexed in the card catalog
by claimant and, after 1917, by title and author as well.
Graphic arts (including photographs, motion pictures,
engravings, and maps) are indexed primarily by claimant,
with a small working file containing some entries by author
and title. Maps are arranged by geographical area under the
name of each claimant or by the place name.
Renewals from 1909 through 1937 are indexed by claim-
ant, title, and, depending on the class of work being renewed,
author.
1938–1977
The card catalog from 1938 through 1977 is organized by
blocks of time, as outlined below. Therefore, the searcher
must know the approximate date of publication or registra-
tion. Within each segment of this part of the card catalog, all
original and renewal registrations are interfiled alphabeti-
cally under author’s name, claimant’s name, and title.
1938 – 1945 This part of the card catalog, which
actually began in November 1937, is also known
as the general index. Like the general index of
1870–1897, all classes of registrations are interfiled
in one alphabetical sequence. The claimant is
the main entry on the original registration card,
and added-entry cards exist for the author, title,
source author, and source title in the case of a
derivative work and for the name of any other
person who had some responsibility in the cre-
ation of the work. Similar added-entry cards for
related names and titles are interfiled throughout
the rest of the card catalog. Beginning in 1938,
the principal access to maps is by claimant, with
added entries for place name and author.
1946 –1954 The same consolidated index cover-
ing all classes of registrations is in use for works
cataloged from 1946 through 1954, but extensive
cross-references replace the information formerly
given on each added-entry card.
1955–1970 For this period, cards are interfiled
alphabetically as described above, but added-
entry cards once again provide full information
for each registration.
1971 –1977 This section of the card catalog, also
interfiled alphabetically, covers the period from
1971 through December 31, 1977, the last day
on which works were registered under the 1909
copyright law.
1978–present
Registrations for all works dating from January 1, 1978, to
the present, as well as renewals and recorded documents, are
available for searching in the online Copyright Office catalog
at www.copyright.gov. Select Search Copyright Records.
Commercial Prints and Labels
Commercial prints and labels were initially registered by the
U.S. Patent Office. Two book files, Commercial Prints and
Labels Registered in the United States Patent Office, one for
1876–1921 and the other for 1922–40, contain photocopied
lists of Patent Office registrations for prints and labels. The
lists for 1922–40 are duplicated by a single alphabetical file
in the card catalog, arranged by claimant. Congress gave the
Copyright Office responsibility for registering prints and
labels in 1940, and they are interfiled in the card catalog after
1940 as a separate registration class.
Assignment and Related Documents Index
and Automated Documents Catalog
After establishing the facts of copyright registration, the
researcher may wish to determine whether the ownership of
the copyright has been transferred or otherwise altered.
The Assignment and Related Documents Index is the
source for tracing documents clarifying the ownership of
copyrights that have been officially recorded in the Copyright
Office from 1870 through 1977. Legal documents, including
wills and contracts transferring copyright from one person
or firm to another, are among the kinds of documents

Copyright Card Catalog and Online Files · 5
indexed. Assignor-transferor and assignee-transferee files
are separate until August 15, 1941, and are thereafter inter-
filed through 1977. A single title file covers the period 1928
through 1977. There is no title file prior to 1928.
Access to assignment documents recorded after 1977 is
available online at www.copyright.gov. The documents are
cataloged and filed by the names of the parties involved and
by title. Instructional material is available at computer termi-
nals in the Copyright Public Records Reading Room (lm-404)
to help the researcher retrieve the data in this file.
After locating the information needed in the files, the
researcher may view microfilm copies of the documents
themselves on reader-printer machines in the Copyright
Public Records Reading Room (lm-404). All recorded assign-
ments and documents from 1870 to approximately 1994
are on microfilm. Available online in the Copyright Public
Records Reading Room only are scanned images of all
recorded documents from 1870 to the present. The quality
of these scanned images varies, and a patron may be better
served by utilizing the microfilm. Early documents, in vari-
ous formats, are also bound in books from 1870 to 1953.
“Notice of Use” and
“Notice of Intention to Use” Files
Notice of use and notice of intention to use files are a part of
the copyright card catalog, but they create a different kind of
record.
Under the 1909 copyright law, the copyright owner of a
musical composition had the exclusive right to make the first
mechanical recording of the work. After the owner had ini-
tially recorded the work, he or she was required to submit to
the Copyright Office a notice of use. The work could then be
recorded by anyone for a fixed royalty fee or by negotiating a
separate contract. Notices of use from 1909 through 1952 are
located in separate title and claimant files; from 1953 through
1977 they are interfiled in the card catalog under title and
claimant only. Under the current law effective in 1978, a
copyright owner need only register a claim to copyright to
be entitled to receive royalties, so the notice of use file is no
longer active.
Notices of intention to use, filed by those wishing to
record copyrighted music, are filed by title only in a separate
index covering the period 1909 to 1977. Under the current
law, interested parties can file a notice of intention to obtain
a compulsory license in the Licensing Division of the
Copyright Office. Researchers should consult the Licensing
Division concerning public inspection of this file. Call (202)
707-8150 or email licensing@copyright.gov.
Further Services for the Researcher
After having established the facts of copyright registra-
tion, the researcher may wish to obtain certified copies of
the original applications or copies of the works themselves.
These services, subject to certain restrictions and to availabil-
ity of the material, are provided by the Copyright Office for
a fee. Details are available in Circular 6, Obtaining Copies of
Copyright Office Records and Deposits. The Office can initiate
in-process searches as well as searches in the correspondence
and unfinished business files (where available) of the Copy-
right Office for material that may contain original letters
from authors and publishers, deposit copies (possibly unique
examples) on which no cataloging action has been under-
taken, and similar information.
The researcher can inspect any of the original record
books and applications stored in the Copyright Office.
For Further Information
By Internet
Online registration, circulars, announcements, regulations,
other related materials, and all copyright application forms
are available from the Copyright Office website at www.
copyright.gov. To send an email communication, click on
Contact Us at the bottom of the homepage.
By Telephone
For general information about copyright, call the Copyright
Public Information Office at (202) 707-3000 or 1-877-476-
0778. Staff members are on duty from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm,
Monday through Friday, eastern time, except federal holidays.
Recorded information is available 24 hours a day. To
request application forms and circulars, call the Forms and
Publications Hotline at (202) 707-9100 and leave a recorded
message.
By Regular Mail
Write to:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office–
COPUBS
101 Independence Avenue
SE
Washington,
DC 20559

Copyright Card Catalog and Online Files · 6
U.	 S.	 Copyright O2ce · L ibrary 	of Congress · 343 I ndependence 	A	 	v	 	enue 	S	 	E	 	· W ashington, 	D	 	C 	5466 · w w	 w	 . c opyright.gov
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