us copyright office: feb05-lore

Copyright Notices | February 2005 8 Copyright Lore ¤ Frank Evina Prior to the enactment of the second general revision of U. S. copyright law in 1870, the clerks of 44 judicial dis- tricts in the United States registered claims to copyright and issued certificates. A major reason for centralizing copyright registration and deposit in the Library of Congress was to ensure the creation in one location of com- plete and uniform records of copyright ownership . Unfortunately, many registration records main- tained by district court clerks during the first 80 years of American copyright were inconsistent and fragmentary. Therefore, when the 1870 Act went into effect, it was imperative that an efficient number- ing and record- keeping system be in place. In anticipa- tion of the large number of registration applications that would soon be sent to Washing- ton, the Library printed handsome leather-bound ledgers, lettered in gold and measuring approximately 12 by 18 inches, that provided space on each page for four separate copyright entries. Each entry was hand-written and personally signed by Librarian of Con- gress Ainsworth Rand Spofford, who served as de facto Register of Copy- rights until that position was created in 1897. This new function had an immediate impact on the overall operations of the Library, which was still housed in crowded quarters in the west front of the Capitol Building and employed a total of twelve staffers. In his 1870 report to Congress, Spof- ford stated, “The fact that upward of 5,000 copyrights have been recorded in the office during less than 6 months’ operation of the law , with the great additional labor and responsibility involved, suggests the necessity of increased assistance being provided for the Librarian. I have been obliged to employ two of the library force constantly upon the business of recording copyrights and preparing certificates of the same, besides devot- ing more than half of my own time to the prompt dispatch of the business involved.” Spofford asked Congress for two additional assistants to be employed in the copyright department at salaries of $1,800 and $1,200 respectively. By the end of 1870, a grand total of 5,600 copyright registrations were en- tered into several volumes of the copyright record books. The first registration made in the Library of Congress under the 1870 Act was for a book en- titled San Domingo, by De Benneville Randolph Keim (1841–1914). Both deposit copies of this book are preserved in the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Division. ‡ Service Flag Draws Distinguished Visitor Miss Nathalie Wells (right) examines the Copyright Office service flag honoring employees who served in World War II. The flag was the project of her father, David Wells, who retired in 1960 as head of the Miscellaneous Section (now the Visual Arts Section in the Examining Div ision). Miss W ells, whose visit was coordinated by Senior Public Information Specialist Frank Evina (left), also is a Library retiree. ‡ An original ledger from 1870 containing records of copyright registrations is on display outside lm-401. The Copyright Office and deposits as it appeared in 1898

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8/14/2019 US Copyright Office: feb05-lore

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Prior to the enactment of the secondgeneral revision of U. S. copyright law

in 1870, the clerks of 44 judicial dis-tricts in the United States registeredclaims to copyright and issued certifi-cates. A major reason for centralizingcopyright registration and deposit inthe Library of Congress was to ensurethe creation in one location of com-plete and uniformrecords of copy-right ownership.Unfortunately,many registrationrecords main-

tained by districtcourt clerks dur-ing the first 80

years of Americancopyright wereinconsistent andfragmentary.Therefore, whenthe 1870 Act wentinto effect, it wasimperative that anefficient number-

ing and record-keeping system bein place.

In anticipa-tion of the largenumber of registration applicationsthat would soon be sent to Washing-ton, the Library printed handsome

leather-bound ledgers, lettered in goldand measuring approximately 12 by

18 inches, that provided space on eachpage for four separate copyright entries.

Each entry was hand-written andpersonally signed by Librarian of Con-gress Ainsworth Rand Spofford, whoserved as de facto Register of Copy-rights until that position was created

in 1897. This newfunction had animmediate impacton the overalloperations of theLibrary, which

was still housed incrowded quartersin the west frontof the CapitolBuilding and em-ployed a total of twelve staffers. Inhis 1870 report toCongress, Spof-ford stated, “Thefact that upwardof 5,000 copy-

rights have beenrecorded in theoffice during lessthan 6 months’operation of the

law, with the great additional labor andresponsibility involved, suggests thenecessity of increased assistance being

provided for the Librarian. I have beenobliged to employ two of the library force constantly upon the business of

recording copyrights and preparingcertificates of the same, besides devot-ing more than half of my own time tothe prompt dispatch of the businessinvolved.”

Spofford asked Congress for twoadditional assistants to be employed inthe copyright department at salaries of $1,800 and $1,200 respectively.

By the end of 1870, a grand total of 5,600 copyright registrations were en-tered into several volumes of the copy-

right record books. The first registra-tion made in the Library of Congressunder the 1870 Act was for a book en-titled San Domingo, by De BennevilleRandolph Keim (1841–1914). Both de-posit copies of this book are preservedin the Library’s Rare Book and SpecialCollections Division. ‡

Service Flag Draws Distinguished Visitor

Miss Nathalie Wells (right) examines the Copyright Officeservice flag honoring employees who served in World War II. The flag was the project of her father, David Wells, who

retired in 1960 as head of the Miscellaneous Section (now theVisual Arts Section in the Examining Division). Miss Wells,

whose visit was coordinated by Senior Public InformationSpecialist Frank Evina (left), also is a Library retiree. ‡

An original ledger from 1870 containing records of copyright registrations is on

display outside lm-401.

The Copyright Office and deposits as it appeared in 1898