Finding Owners of Copyright
American law once required works to be registered with the Copyright Office in order to obtain protection. While that is no longer the case, works are registered with the Copyright Office because registration provides benefits to the copyright owner. It also provides constructive notice to infringers that the work is copyrighted.
The Copyright Office has an online database that includes information on new and renewed copyrights filed from January 1, 1978. Information on older copyrights was published in the Catalog of Copyright Entries. The Indiana University Libraries has a nearly complete set in print of the CCE volumes. All of the volumes of the CCE have been scanned as PDF's. An inventory of those volumes is maintained here by the University of Pennsylvania. That list links to the scans of the volumes.
For the ownership of musical compositions, there are several online databases that can help. Among these are the Copyright Office's registration records, the SongFile service of the Harry Fox Agency, the ASCAP and BMI combined ACE repertory database search, BMI's repertoire search, or SESAC's repertory search.
The online database Writers, Artists, and Their Copyright Holders (WATCH File) is a directory maintained by the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Reading to identify owners and contact information of copyright holders. For example, it reveals that Sylvia Plath's copyrights are owned by her estate, which is represented by the London publisher of Faber & Faber.
Artstor is a non-profit organization that licenses photographs and images of art, primarily to schools and libraries. They have a large database that can help locate rights holders. The Artists Rights Society (ARSNY) represents thousands of visual artists including Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, and Pablo Picasso and can identify owners and issue licenses.
Catalog of Copyright Entries in Print
Unless noted, these items are all in the Wells Library, East Tower, 10th Floor at Z642 .A2.
- Dramatic compositions copyrighted in the United States, 1870 to 1916 byCall Number: Auxiliary Library Facility (off-site storage) Z5781 .U55Publication Date: 1918Covers 1870 to 1916
- Motion pictures, 1894-1912, identified from the records of the United States Copyright Office. byCall Number: Auxiliary Library Facility (off site storage) PN1998 .W25Publication Date: 1953Covers 1894 to 1912.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries, Cumulative Series: Motion Pictures byCall Number: Wells Library, East Tower, 9th Floor PN1998 .U615Collects information from yearly volumes into compilations, one covering 1912 to 1939, a secon covering 1940 to 1949, a third covering 1950 to 1959, and a final volume covering 1960 to 1969.
- Catalogue of title entries of books and other articles. byCovers 1902 to 1906.
- Catalog of copyright entries. Part 1, group 1: Books. byCovers 1908 to 1946.
- Catalog of copyright entries. Part 2: Periodicals. byCall Number: Wells Library, East Tower, 10th Floor Z642 .A2Covers 1906 to 1946.
- Catalog of copyright entries. Part 3: Musical compositions. byCovers 1906 to 1946.
- Catalog of copyright entries. Part 3, Musical compositions [microform]. byCall Number: Cook Music Library - Journals -Microfilm -- ML1024Publication Date: 1970Covers 1906 to 1946
- Catalog of copyright entries. Part 4: Works of art byCovers 1906 to 1946.
- Catalog of copyright entries. Part 5, Music [microform]. byCall Number: Cook Music Library - Journals -Microfilm -- ML1025Publication Date: 1970Covers 1946 to 1970.
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Part 1A, Books. byCovers 1947 to 1953.
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Part 2: Periodicals. byCovers 1947 to 1977.
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Part 5, Music. byCall Number: Volumes for 1957 to 1967 are in the Wells Library, East Tower, 10th Floor. Volumes from 1968 to 1977 are in the Cook Music Library, Z642 .A2
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Part 5A, Published music byCovers 1947 to 1956.
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Part 5B, Unpublished music. byCovers 1947 to 1956.
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Part 6, Maps.Covers 1947 to 1950.
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Part 6, Maps and atlases. byCall Number: 1951 to 1959 volumes are in Wells, 1960 to 1977 volumes are in ALF.Covers 1951 to 1977.
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Parts 12-13: Motion pictures. byCovers 1973 to 1977.
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Parts 12-13: Motion pictures. byCovers 1947 to 1949.
- Catalog of copyright entries, third series. Parts 7-11A: Works of art. byCovers 1947 to 1977
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 3, Performing arts. byCall Number: Cook Music Library Z653 .U59Covers 1978
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 3, Performing arts [microform].Call Number: Cook Music Library - Journals - Microfiche -- Z653 .U59Covers 1979 to 1982.
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 4, Motion pictures & filmstrips. byCall Number: Wells Library, East Tower, 9th Floor PN1998 .U6153Covers 1978
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 4, Motion pictures & filmstrips [microform]. byCall Number: Wells Library - EastTower, 2nd Floor, Microforms - LC Fiche -- PN1998 .U6153Covers 1979 to 1982.
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 5, Visual arts [microform].Call Number: Wells Library - East Tower, 2nd Floor, Microforms - LC Fiche -- Z642 .U685Covers 1979 to 1982.
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 6, Maps. byCall Number: Auxiliary Library Facility (off-site storage) Z6028 .U477Covers 1978.
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 7, Sound recordings. byCall Number: Cook Music Library Z653 .U595Covers 1978
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 7, Sound recordings [microform]. byCall Number: Cook Music Library - Journals - Microfiche -- Z653 .U595Covers 1979 to 1982
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 8, Renewals. byCall Number: Wells Library, East Tower, 10th Floor Z642 .U69Covers 1978.
- Catalog of copyright entries, fourth series. Part 8, Renewals [microform]. byCall Number: Wells Library, EastTower, 2nd Floor - Microforms - LC Fiche -- Z642 .U69Covers 1978 to 1980 and 1982.
This page was created by Michael Eshleman, April 2015.