This guide surveys materials available at the Hamilton County Law Library and freely available online that are useful in registering a copyright, researching the copyright status of a work, and learning about the law of copyright.
Disclaimer: Hamilton County Law Library staff, as a service to its patrons, provides reference services and information, including these research guides. To protect the public interest, Ohio law requires that legal advice and services be rendered only by qualified attorneys who are subject to the guidelines of the courts. Library staff members do not interpret the law, provide legal advice, or explain court procedures. The information provided is not a substitute for legal advice from a licensed attorney. None of our services shall be construed as giving legal advice.
Below you will find Sections of the United States Code pertaining to copyright
The Constitutional Provision Respecting Copyright
The Congress shall have Power . . .To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.
United States Constitution. Article 1, Section 8
Title 17, Copyrights
17 U.S.C. §§ 101 - 122 - Subject Matter & Scope of Copyright
17 U.S.C. §§ 201 - 205 - Copyright Ownership & Transfer
17 U.S.C. §§ 301 - 305 - Duration of Copyright
17 U.S.C. §§ 401 - 412 - Copyright Notice, Deposit, & Registration
17 U.S.C. §§ 501 - 513 - Copyright Infringement, & Remedies
17 U.S.C. §§ 601 - 603 - Importation & Exportation
17 U.S.C. §§ 701 -709 - Copyright Office
17 U.S.C. §§ 801 - 805 - Proceedings by Copyright Royalty Judges
17 U.S.C. §§ 901 - 914 - Protection of Semiconductor Chip Products
17 U.S.C. §§ 1001 - 1010 - Digital Audio Recording Devices & Media
17 U.S.C. § 1101 - Sound Recordings & Music Videos
17 U.S.C. §§ 1201 - 1205 - Copyright Protection & Management Systems
17 U.S.C. §§ 1301 - 1332 - Protection of Original Designs
17 U.S.C. Appendix A - The Copyright Act of 1976
17 U.S.C. Appendix B - The Digital Millenium Copyright Act
17 U.S.C. Appendix C - The Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004
17 U.S.C. Appendix D - The Satellite Home Viewer Extension & Reauthorization Act
of 2004
17 U.S.C. Appendix E - The Intellectual Property Protection & Courts Amendment Act
of 2004
17 U.S.C. Appendix F - The Prioritizing Resouces & Organization for Intellectual Property
Act of 2008
17 U.S.C. Appendix G - The Satellite Television Extension & Localism Act of 2010
17 U.S.C. Appendix H - Crimes & Criminal Procedure, U.S. Code
17 U.S.C. Appendix I - Judiciary & Judicial Procedure, U.S. Code
17 U.S. C. Appendix J - Title 44 - Public Printing & Documents, U.S. Code
17 U.S.C. Appendix K - The Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988
17 U.S.C. Appendix L - The Uruguay Round Agreements Act of 1994
17 U.S.C. Appendix M - GATT/Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPs) Agreement, Part II\
17 U.S.C. Appendix N - Definition of "Bern Convention Work"
Links above provided by the United States Copyright Office
A print version of the United States Code Service, Lawyers Edition including annotations is available for use at the Library.
37 C.F. R.- Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights
Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations is available in several formats.
The U.S. Copyright Office provides the full text of Title 37 on its website. It is searchable through an expandable table of contents.
The Government Publishing Office provides access to the Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Researchers can browse, search by citation, or search the full text of Title 37 using keywords.
Cornell Legal Information Institute
Cornell's Legal Information Institute provides the full text of Title 37 that is searchable by an expandable table of contents. Links to legislative history and related statutes are also available.
The Law Library is open Courthouse hours, Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:00.
For directions to the library, see: http://lawlibrary.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/about/directions/
We cannot provide research by phone or email, except for governmental officials and subscribers. Please come into the library for research guidance and self-help.
In person: Hamilton County Courthouse 1000 Main Street, 6th floor Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
By phone: 513.946.5300
On the web: http://lawlibrary.hamilton-co.org/
By fax: 513.946.5252
By email: reference@cms.hamilton-co.org