Guides to searching for information on the U.S. Copyright Law
Last updated April 2023.
Intellectual Property Resources
Copyright Law Overview
17 U.S. Code Title 17—COPYRIGHTS (Cornell University)
Copyright Advisory Services (Columbian University Libraries)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Copyright (American Library Association (ALA) )
Copyright & Intellectual Property (Association of Research Libraries)
Books on Copyright Law
· 101 Questions About Copyright Law / Andrew Alpern. Mineola (NY):
· Copyright Essentials for Librarians and Educators /
· Getting Permission: How to License & Clear Copyrighted Materials Online & Off / Richard Stim.
· Libraries and Copyright: A Guide to Copyright Law in the 1990’s / Laura N. Gasaway and Sarah K. Wiant.
· Multimedia Law and Business Handbook / J. Dianne Brinson and Mark F. Radcliffe.
· Patent, Copyright & Trademark / Stephen Elias. Berkeley: Nolo Press, 1997. [R/346.0482/EL42p/1997]
· Technology and Copyright Law: a Guidebook for the Library, Research, and Teaching Professions / Arlene Bielefield and
· The Copyright Handbook: How to Protect and Use Written Works / Stephen Fishman. 5th ed.
· The Copyright Primer for Librarians and Educators / Janis H. Bruwelheide. 2nd ed.
Online Copyright Tutorials
NCSU Copyright Tutorial: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/cdsc
Crash Course in Copyright: http://copyright.lib.utexas.edu/
Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines: https://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/copyright.cfm
Copyright for Teaching and Learning: https://ctl.iupui.edu/Resources/Instructional-Technology/Copyright-and-Fair-Use
Additional Copyright Resources
· C
· Copyright Term and Public Domain Chart http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm
· Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/
Justia BlawgSearch: Most Popular Copyright Blawgs: http://blawgsearch.justia.com/blogs/categories/copyright
· Stanford University Libraries Copyright and Fair Use: http://fairuse.stanford.edu/
· ALA Advocacy & Public Policy: Coyright: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/copyright
Public Domain Slider: https://librarycopyright.net/resources/digitalslider/index.html
· TEACH Act Toolkit: http://www.lib.lsu.edu/services/copyright/teach/index
· The TEACH Act finally becomes law: http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/teachact.htm
· WATCH: Writers, Authors and Their Copyright Holders: http://tyler.hrc.utexas.edu/
· Nolo: Law for All: http://www.nolo.com/
· LibraryLaw.com: http://www.librarylaw.com
· Library
· Library Web Page Legal Audit Checklist: http://www.librarylaw.com/LegalAuditChecklist.htm
Multimedia & Technology
· Intellectual Property & Technology Forum: http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/law/st_org/iptf/
· An Intellectual Property Law Primer for Multimedia and Web Developers: http://timestream.com/
· Legal Information for Internet Professionals: http://www.gigalaw.com/
· Multimedia Law and Business Handbook / J. Dianne Brinson and Mark F. Radcliffe.
Trademark Law
· United States Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/tac/tmlaw2.html
Information about
· Trademark Law Overview, Legal Information Institute: http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/trademark.html
· BitLaw - A Resource on Technology Law: http://www.bitlaw.com/trademark/index.html
· Primer on Trademark and Internet Addresses: http://www.loundy.com/JMLS-Trademark.html
· Overview of Trademark Law: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm
International Trademark Law
· International Trademark Association: http://www.inta.org/
· International Trademark Law Treaty: http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/tlt/
· Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol: http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/text.jsp?file_id=287432
Patent Law
· U.S. Patent Law, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/consolidated_laws.pdf
· U.S. Patent Rules, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/consolidated_rules.pdf
Information about
· U.S. Supreme Court Patent Decisions, Legal Information Institute: http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/cases/patent.htm
· Overview of Patent Law, Legal Information Institute: http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/patent.html
· BitLaw - A Resource on Technology Law: http://www.bitlaw.com/patent
· Patent Law at MIT: http://www.mit.edu/afs.new/athena/course/6/6.901/wwwori/patent.html
International Patent Law
· Patent Law Treaty: http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/plt/
Current Legislation & Case Law
US Constitution
Article I Section 8 | Clause 8 - Patent and
[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;"
US Code
US Regulations
Case Law