[ Music ]
>> Catie Rowland: Good afternoon everyone.
Thank you for joining us for today's celebration
of the Copyright Office's 150th birthday.
Every day, copyright employees come to work to
help fulfill copyright's constitutional mandate.
Each day, our staff examines claims
for registration and recordation.
They answer public inquiries, and they
prepare educational materials amongst
so many other things.
And in the almost 55,000 days since the office's
inception, the staff has worked tirelessly
to inform and serve the American public.
For these almost 55,000 days, the Copyright
Office has been there to help everyone
in the copyright ecosystem and to
help copyright evolve with the times.
Truth be told, it is the staff
that makes the office great.
From our first registrar, Thorvald Solberg,
to each technician, who helps guide the public
in the right direction, it is our people who
have breathed life into this great institution.
I am honored to be part of this team
and to introduce the celebration
of our sesquicentennial.
I hope you enjoy our program,
which shows how interesting
and unique and crucial the office is.
Whitney Levandusky, an attorney advisor in our
Office of Public Information and Education,
will be your guide on this journey.
Whitney.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thanks, Catie, and
thank you, everyone, for joining us today
to celebrate the 150th anniversary
of the Copyright Office.
I'm Whitney Levandusky, and joining me today
we have a panel of speakers with a wealth
of knowledge about the history and
importance of the Copyright Office.
First, we have John Cole, the inaugural
Library of Congress historian author
and founding director of the
Library Center for the Book.
During his more than 50 years at the Library,
John has extensively researched the history
of the Library of Congress
and the Copyright Office.
Also with us today is Frank Evina,
a retired senior information specialist
for the Copyright Office.
Frank began his nearly four decade
career with the office 50 years ago,
just as the office was celebrating
its 100th anniversary.
Considered the office's unofficial archivist,
Frank's work included curating the
prior Copyright Office exhibit.
And finally, joining us today is Heather
Wiggins, a supervisor in the Literary Division
of the Registration program
in the Copyright Office.
She's also an adjunct professor at
the Catholic University of America,
where she teaches copyright and licensing in the
Department of Library and Information Science.
As we'll discuss today, in many ways,
copyright is a reflection of the history
and culture of America at any point in time.
Before we begin, we have a
question for everyone to consider.
If you could build a copyright time capsule to
be opened in 25 years, what would you put in it?
If you have an idea, let us know in the
Q and A section, and we'll share some
of your ideas at the end of the event.
Another note about that Q and A section,
if you have any questions for us,
please put them in the bottom, and
we will hold the questions for a Q
and A period at the end of this event.
So, the framers of the U.S.
Constitution gave Congress the authority
to pass federal copyright legislation
in Article 1, Section 8, which states,
"Congress shall have the power to promote
the progress of science and the useful arts
by securing for a limited time to
authors and inventors the exclusive right
to their respective writings and discoveries."
On May 31, 1790, George Washington signed
into law the Copyright Act of 1790.
This first federal copyright law was limited
in scope, protecting only books, maps,
and charts for 14 years with a
renewal period of another 14 years.
It directed authors and publishers
to register works
at the U.S. District Court where they resided.
In the decade that followed, Congress would
amend copyright law to expand the length
of protection, the types of works covered,
and the exclusive rights of authors as well
as revise the process for
gaining copyright protection.
And then, on July 8, 1870, Congress
centralized the administration
of copyright law in the Library of Congress.
In the 150 years since, the Copyright Office
has provided critical services helping copyright
owners to protect their work and preserving
a public record of the country's creativity.
The office has also driven the evolution of
copyright law from the Copyright Act of 1909
to the Copyright Act of 1976, and most recently,
the Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte
Music Modernization Act.
So, earlier, I've asked you to share what
you would put in a copyright time capsule.
I have another question for you.
How many copyright registrations
were received in 1870,
the first year of the Copyright
Office and the Library of Congress.
If you have a guess, put it in your Q and A,
and we'll check back in a little bit later.
So, let's begin.
Here we are, 150 years.
And I'd like to direct a
question to my panelists.
What does this anniversary mean to you?
What do you think it means
to the Copyright Office.
And so, we'll begin with John.
John, as someone who has deeply researched
the beginning of the Copyright Office
and was present at our 100th
anniversary, can you start us off?
>> John Cole: Sure.
As a librarian and as a historian, I'm
really happy to be part of this panel.
I have more than a 50-year career
at the Library, as you mentioned,
and the panel represents a good deal
of the research that I have done.
I'm also happy to be reunited
with my old friend, Frank Evina.
Back in 1970, one of my first assignments as
a very junior Library of Congress employee was
to help out in the anniversary centennial
exhibit at the Copyright Office.
As a result, I was able to publish
the very first article I did,
which not surprisingly is called Ainsworth
Rand Spofford and the Copyright Law of 1870.
Spofford was my subject, but also, I
was determined that I should learn more
about how this amazing man centralized
copyright at the Library of Congress
and also built the National Library.
What he really did was to merge the
national library idea with copyright,
and that was an extremely
important way for us to move ahead.
It really is important that we honor Spofford
but also take a look at copyright and creativity
and being part of this event
is a wonderful way to sort
of make my 50-year career come back
home, and I'm very happy to be here.
Thank you.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank you, John.
And Frank, what does this
anniversary mean to you?
>> Frank Evina: I began my library career
in August of 1970, just as they were winding
down the 100th anniversary
celebration of copyright.
And I had heard so much about this
department and what it meant to the Library,
and my first job was working in
the Copyright Office mailroom.
But it was not your typical mailroom where you
see lots and lots of letters and envelopes.
This was the area where all these creative
works were coming in, not only from every corner
of the country but from all over the world.
Books, music, films, maps, art, and
yes, even three-dimensional objects,
which I don't think Spofford could ever imagine
would be coming into the U.S. Copyright Office.
But these items all represent the
creation of our country, our people,
and the fact that it was centralized under
one roof and is not pointed out by one man,
could never foresee into the future what types
of works would be created and what we would have
to be dealing with and how this law
that was signed by George Washington
in 1790 really had to be flexible.
It had to change.
It had to grow with the times
and with the country.
And working there and seeing all these
things and witnessing the gradual changes
that were happening, was really overwhelming,
and now, in retirement life, 50 years later,
being invited to come back and share
some of my memories and experiences,
it's almost a surreal experience, and
I'm delighted to have the opportunity.
>> Whitney Levandusky: And we're
delighted to have you, Frank.
Thank you for joining us.
And Heather, what does this
anniversary mean to you, 150 years?
>> Heather Wiggins: Well, first, it's
an honor to participate in this program
and to celebrate the 150th
anniversary of the Copyright Office.
Thank you to everyone who helped put this
together and to the other panelists, our guests,
and to all the staff at the Copyright
Office, whose hard work, service,
and dedication to this work
inspires me every day.
The anniversary means a lot
to me for several reasons.
This year has really been unprecedented for
many reasons, and I think about all the things
that has happened for the nation
and the world in 150 years.
Each moment has been marked
by some form of creative work.
We have the guest of hindsight,
so we can see all the achievements
and really get to marvel at them.
I also share this stage with John and
Frank, whose experiences have paved the way
for my colleagues and I currently.
It really feels like we're reaching back
into time and getting handed a baton.
This is a baton that continues the principles
of service and commitment to the copyright law,
to our stakeholders, and to everyone
who is committed to creativity.
It also says to evolve with the times, to
continue to encourage this nation's creativity,
and to continue moving forward
towards future advancements.
I can use this moment to dream about the
progress that we might see in another 150 years.
It's very forward looking.
This is a moment that is built on so many,
the sacrifices, the talents of many people
who are committed to creating
something that would outlast them.
This is about not only the legacy left for
us from those who came before us but also
about a legacy that we're creating right now
and what we hope to leave for those who come
after us and for those who will celebrate
the 175th and the 200th anniversary.
Thank you.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank
you so much, Heather.
And I really appreciate what you just said
about being committed to and creating a legacy
that outlasts us, and we think about
that perhaps in our day-to-day work
at the Copyright Office, but then that's also
reflected in the efforts of so many people
who register their works with us.
And, you know, Frank spoke about the flexibility
of copyright law and the need to respond
to the creators and how ultimately what happens
is that the registered works that are part
of the Copyright Office records
are a larger reflection of us
and a larger reflection of the United States.
And I'd like to focus and
expand on that, if we could.
Heather. I'd like to return to you if I can.
Your professional work is centered on engaging
with people either through copyright application
or through the classroom, and these
people are creating many works today.
Can you speak a bit about how your work engages
with the creativity of the American public?
>> Heather Wiggins: Sure.
So, one of the best parts about
my work here in the office
and in the classroom is engaging with people.
One of the beautiful parts of working in the
office and in registration, specifically,
is that we receive works
from all over the country
and all over the country and all over the world.
Creativity is a mental ability,
and anyone is capable of doing it.
And people are creating on a daily basis.
And what we receive provides a snapshot of
history, what is happening at this moment.
As people engage in creative activities in
works, and as they send things to the office,
we are able to tell what's going on
in the world, and we are able to see
that to create is to show your humanity.
So, we hold these works as sacred
because we know that someone out there,
that this is so important
to them, this piece of work.
It's an important part of who they
are and also who we are collectively.
In the classroom, I love to see the students
get excited about this topic and that twinkle
in their eyes when they understand not
only how creativity and copyright co-exist,
but how copyright is really
infused in everything.
And also that this is one piece of what makes
up the larger cultural identity of this nation.
Thank you.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Sure, and thank
you so much for touching on a couple
of really important points, you know,
that the works that we receive are part
of our cultural identity and also holding the
works as sacred and as important because we know
that those works are then important
to the creators and copyright owners
as well as the American public at large.
And this idea that not only is the Library
a reflection of American creativity
but also an important holder and
keeper of American creativity.
That's an idea that extends, you know,
today, but all the way back to 1870.
And I think, John, if I could give you a
moment to expand on this idea, you know,
what we receive is a reflection
of American culture,
and this is part of Spofford's
original vision for a national library.
Can you elaborate on how
Spofford was able to get this done
to consolidate copyright registration
with the Library of Congress?
>> John Cole: Of course I can.
Let me take you back to Cincinnati,
believe it or not, in 1845.
That's when a young Ainsworth Rand
Spofford arrived from New England,
and he got a job as a bookseller.
He learned so much about copyright by
being a bookseller, working in a bookshop,
becoming a literary entrepreneur.
He brought Ralph Waldo Emerson
west for the first time,
for example, to speak at his bookstore.
He also worked as an editorial writer, and
one of his topics was the British library,
which had, he learned about it and
how central a collection was important
to it at its very beginning.
His best friend was librarian,
Reuben Stephenson,
who was a head of the mercantile library.
But Spofford worked hard to learn
about the culture around him.
He formed the Literary Society of
Cincinnati, and one of his first papers
in 1854 was the History of Copyright.
So, he was well equipped to come to
Washington in 1861 for his newspaper
to cover the first battle of Bull Run.
He paid a visit to the Library, the tiny Library
of Congress, only seven or eight employees,
in the Capitol, to meet its librarian,
Dr. John G. Stephenson, a physician.
He happened to be the brother of Spofford's best
friend, Reuben Stephenson, back in Cincinnati,
and Spofford was offered the job of
assistant librarian, and he decided,
we have correspondence back to Cincinnati,
to his wife, whether or not to take this job.
Well, he took it, and he soon discovered and was
motivated to start thinking about the Library
of Congress as perhaps expanding
to become the national library.
In 1864, before he became Librarian of Congress,
he actually wrote, and I have a quick quotation
for you, "the United States will never possess
a public library, which can be called national
until Congress shall take a more liberal view of
the value and importance of such a collection."
Quickly developing his own talents as
a nonpartisan, cultural entrepreneur,
he made friends with many members of Congress
that he had met back in Ohio, and he put them,
once he was named -- first of all, his
friends helped him get the job as librarian.
He had to petition Lincoln to show he had
the political support, and indeed he did.
And this was the skill that he developed to
start pushing this great idea that he had
that the Library of Congress could
be the national library as well.
Combining that, once he became librarian on
the last day of 1864, appointed by Lincoln,
not too far from the time Lincoln was
assassinated, Spofford gained support
for this notion that the copyright
law should be centralized as a means
of building this wonderful collection
that every great civilization needed.
And it was important to him to centralize it
at the Library of Congress, and it was a great,
really quite a wonderful achievement.
It was really on his mind as he kind
of stacked the library committee
to get copyright into the picture.
He made a friend of Thomas Jenks,
the congressman from Rhode Island,
who was on the patent committee,
and Spofford took to him his ideas,
Spofford's idea of centralizing all
copyright activity, registration,
and deposit, at the Library of Congress.
The patent bill was in the midst of being
revised, and the Congressman Jenks agreed
to attach the centralization of the
copyright at the Library of Congress
as an amendment to the patent bill.
Spofford carefully prepared his case.
He'd already talked with the
head of the patent office.
He had support.
Jenks went with him, took Spofford's 1600
word letter saying why this should happen
to Congress, made a short speech.
Everyone agreed on the patent bill with this
copyright attachment, and Ulysses Grant signed
that bill on July 8, 1870,
and that was the beginning,
and I will continue my tale a little later.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank you so much.
So, just from that answer you can see how
much forethought and long-term work it took
to consolidate copyright into the Library
of Congress, and from that, you know,
that early days of working and
nonpartisan engagement with people
across the federal government, comes
this legacy of building collection.
And, you know, Frank had
mentioned earlier that, you know,
there was no way that Spofford could
imagine what those collections would mean.
So, Frank, so much of your work was focused
on preserving the works that were received
through copyright registration, and you
were once crowned the Keeper of Kitsch.
Can you talk a bit about the breadth
of culture as reflected in our records?
>> Frank Evina: The classes of
material have grown dramatically,
originally in the first copyright law, you
could only copyright maps, charts, and books,
and then as time progressed, the
Congress saw fit to pass legislation
and amendments to add other categories of work.
Interesting point, music wasn't
registerable for copyright protection,
so what they would do is they would
submit the music and call it a book,
and that's how the 44 judicial districts
would enter it into their record.
But starting in 1870, everything got modernized
and straightened out, and categories [inaudible].
But the Keeper of Kitsch title, that
involves the registration of art work,
and the copyright law before 1976 required the
actual deposit of a three-dimensional item,
whether it was a doll or a toy or a game, and in
'76, that ended, and we had quite a collection,
and it was determined that we would
never ever again have the opportunity
to collect these kinds of works.
And these work happened to cover the 1950s,
the '60s, and halfway through the '70s.
So, we took on the task of sorting through
all the material and selecting the items
that we thought would be valuable in the
future for future study and also for exhibits.
And they have come in very, very handy,
but the idea that the mint record,
this is exactly what it constitutes.
The copyright deposits are the
mint record of American creativity.
And if you really look at the [inaudible]
about a particular photograph
or an advertising brochure
or even a three-dimensional toy,
every item is assigned a number and a date.
And you could research these items, and
we've had a lot of individuals doing books
on popular culture who have found the
copyright records to be absolutely invaluable,
because nowhere else is there this complete,
chronological record, starting from 1870,
all the way up to the present
time, and from time to time,
these records are very crucial
in settling a court case.
Anything that constitutes an office record, we
can certify it and put the copyright seal on it,
and these are crucial in litigation,
whether it's an old certificate,
a card out of the card catalog, or even some
of our literature that we produced 10, 20,
30 years ago, have come up from time
to time to verify a certain policy
that the office had concerning registration.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Yeah, you talk
about the importance of the records
for the breadth of copyright collections.
Is there a particular work that speaks to you or
stands out to you that you find in the records?
>> Frank Evina: Well, when we
installed the copyright exhibit in 1984,
in the Madison building, it was a golden
opportunity to really show the scope
because many, many people would never have
the opportunity to see some of these items,
and a lot of individuals don't
have any idea that there's so much
in your everyday life that's
protected by copyright.
A cereal box, your Corn Flakes,
the records that you play.
But, I think when we did the exhibit
in '84, we selected some items
that we wanted people to
say, wow, that is amazing.
I never knew that something like
that would be protected by copyright.
And the one I always like to
highlight is the Statue of Liberty.
It was copyrighted by Bartholdi in 1876,
ten whole years before the statue was built
and dedicated in New York Harbor, and the
Oscar award, the Academy of Motion Pictures,
a lot of our visitors were so surprised to
find out that that was protected by copyright.
The statue of Abraham Lincoln in the
Lincoln Memorial is protected by copyright.
We had a lot of things in everyday
life, and it spanned a period.
It was a timeline to 1870, all the way up to
1984, but it's incredible when people would come
in and see these things, and this really
had no concept of the scope of copyright.
All the different things you see in everyday
life that are protected by law and thankfully,
because of that act in 1790, signed by George
Washington, and the diligence of the Congress
in meeting the changes and making amendments,
we have an incredible protection
program going on here.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank you.
>> Frank Evina: And I'm glad to have
been part of it for 37 years.
I'm sorry I didn't make it to 50 like John.
[laughter]
>> Whitney Levandusky: And
how about you, Heather.
Do you have any particular
highlights that are memorable for you?
>> Heather Wiggins: Sure, well, I love to
bring students into the Copyright Office.
The card catalog is always a
source of fascination, and really,
what's inside of the card catalog is
really a true reflection of America.
And not only do the students see the
process, but they also see all of the people
who are committed to making that process work.
And most people are very impressed by
what we've collected, like Frank said.
The music, the books, the art, so much more.
And what they truly see are
the deep layers of what we do,
and the card catalog is an impression of that.
So, there you can see original applications
by authors like Zora Neale Hurston,
the application for Dr. King's I Have a Dream
speech, and you know that these are works
that have left a profound impact
on society and on this country.
What is even more impressive though is knowing
that every single day there is a work coming
into our office, multiple works, that
have the potential to do the same thing.
And because of that, we do treat each
work as if they will have that impact.
So, thank you.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thanks, so much.
So, we'll leave that moment with us.
So, Heather is not just looking back but looking
forward into the future and the fact that,
you know, we have all the works that will have
meaning today, tomorrow, and in the future.
And meditating on that, let's also
pause and look back at that question
that I'd asked before about
those 1870 registrations.
So, we did get a couple of replies.
Some of them were pretty
small, a couple hundred.
Some were pretty big, a couple
million, and then we had one answer
that was about in the ballpark of 5,000.
So, in 1870, the first year that the
copyright office was in the Library
of Congress, we received 5,599 registrations.
Then, in 1871, we received 12,831.
So, you can see from that jump that
the need was immediate, and, you know,
the work of the office began
in year one moving forward.
The next question to tickle your
brain is how many categories have been added
to the copyright law between 1870
and 1976 and then what were they?
I'll check back in with you again.
If you have a guess, you can put
it into the Q and A box below.
And talking about amending the law, I'd like to
transition us into a discussion about the role
of the Copyright Office in shaping and
adapting to changes in the copyright law.
And for this, I'd like to
have Frank start us off.
So, Frank, can you tell us a little bit about
the transition from the Copyright Office
under the 1909 act to the
Copyright Office under the 1976 act?
You arrived close to that moment
where that transition happened.
What was the office's role at the time,
and how did the Copyright Office
shape the direction of the law?
>> Frank Evina: It certainly was
a very special time in my life.
The copyright law hadn't been revised in 67
years, and the 1909 law was certainly out of date.
There was no sound recordings.
There was no theater
programs, no television, no radio,
and I know Mark Twain had some very
interesting comments about copyright law.
And whenever it's time to revise a
copyright law, there's always a lot of drama.
Anyway, it took 67 years to revise it.
The Copyright Office has an outstanding legal
team who works very closely with Congress,
and as John mentioned about Spofford,
I think he laid the groundwork.
He was wise in building up some
contacts in the U.S. Congress.
He certainly required their help, but the
law went into effect on January 1, 1978.
It was signed into law in January 1976.
So, we had not much, a little over a year to
prepare, and it was a major, major revision.
And a couple concepts a lot of
people really couldn't understand
at first is having protection
from the time of creation.
And the old copyright seal illustrated this.
It was the nip of an antique
pen, and the idea was
that when the author lifts his pen off
the paper, you're automatically protected,
even before you get the form and
send it into the Copyright Office,
you have rights in your creation.
And the other thing was the change in the forms.
The public office, I think it helped us a lot,
but we had 13 different application forms,
and that was a whittled down to
five or six in the beginning.
But it was overwhelming.
You have to have the form.
There was so much publicity
about the law being passed.
We had to adopt a new copyright seal.
There were so many little details that had to
be met and of course, the amount of inquiries
that came into the public office.
I remember the inquiry letters were stacked
on the floor, you know, almost two feet tall,
and of course, the telephone
inquiries were just overwhelming.
And a lot of people were still using the
old forms, and they had to be returned,
and they had to fill out the new form, and
the new form was confusing to some people.
And then we had to have them redo it.
But it really did, you know, change everything.
I mentioned the other day, it just came
back to me that the old copyright law,
it took so long to get legislation passed
that it may be last bill that
Theodore Roosevelt signed.
It was on inauguration day.
They actually put it in front of him as he was
walking through the rotunda in the Capitol.
So, there's sometimes a lot of drama
connected with copyright, copyright law.
But we had a massive training program for
both clerical staff and professional staff.
It was really an exciting time.
I'm so glad that I was part of it.
But you have to remember that
regulations had to be written.
The new forms had to be made available.
You were starting from square one.
So, being an information officer in the
Copyright Office was an exciting time,
but you really had to be quick on your feet.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank you, Frank.
And so, you mentioned the expertise
of the attorneys who advised Congress
at the Copyright Office over the years.
You know, Barbara Ringer is the one
that [inaudible] large in copyright history.
And, so, John, I was wondering if
you could detail a little bit more
of that early relationship between
the Copyright Office and Congress,
specifically the contributions of Spofford and
Solberg to helping to develop copyright law.
>> John Cole: Well, of course.
And I will try hard to bring us up
to the 20th Century in this history.
You mentioned, Whitney, that in
1870 though, once we had the law,
the copyright deposits started to flow in,
and Spofford suddenly had a new problem.
He was out of space, and in 1871, he started a,
it turned out to be a 20-year
campaign to get a building.
And the overflow was substantial, and every
once in a while he said in his annual reports,
if Congress doesn't help me, I soon will
preside over the greatest chaos in America.
Well, he got help from Congress, not only in
the collection building part of copyright,
but also he was the first
Register of Copyright.
So, he was balancing those
copyright promotion aspects along
with the space fight, none of which was easy.
Not only did he rely on his Congressional
friends from Ohio, but he made friendships
with Daniel Voorhees, who
was the senator from Vermont.
And also, a Senator from Illinois helped a lot.
But he also inserted the need for a building
into the Presidential addresses
of three Presidents.
One was his friend Rutherford
Hayes, once he became President,
and then the other two were Chester
Arthur in '81 and Grover Cleveland in '85,
and the new building wasn't
authorized until '86.
But he was diligent in his
duties as the first Register.
And on the screen every once in a while
you'll see a letter that Spofford wrote
to Walt Whitman, trying to verify the copies of
Leaves of Grass, and Whitman replied on the back
of Spofford's letter, and it came back in one,
he dated it the next day, to say that I write
on the back of the letter so you
really have the author's voice.
And this was typical of Spofford.
He had the detailed part going
as well as the other part.
He also, Spofford really gets the nod for
beginning the tradition of great public service
that the Copyright Office
now really embodies so well.
Here is a quote from 1878
that sums up his thinking
on these two important topics,
collections and the public.
There is almost no work which
may not at sometime prove useful
to the legislature of a great nation.
It is imperative that such a great national
collection be shared with all citizens.
For the United States is a republic,
which rests upon the public intelligence.
But as the mountains of books and prints and
other items from copyright grew around him,
they soon filled 16 storage rooms beneath
the Capitol, which is hard to believe.
And actually, he really couldn't devote as
much time as he wanted to other activities.
In 1896, the year prior to the move into the
new building, now the Jefferson Building,
the administration of his beloved copyright
law took up 75 percent of his time as well
as the full-time efforts of six
of the Library's 42 employees.
We've also seen the photo, I
hope, of the deposits that came
out of those 16 storage rooms, and eventually
really depict and represent the huge among
and the variety of materials that came to
the Library of Congress through copyright.
And I think --
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank you.
Yeah, and so that's a really great observation
and story about adapting to change
and engaging with Congressional stakeholders
and leadership across the country in order
to get the needs of the office recognized.
And so, I'd like to wrap it up
with Heather to expand a little bit
from the legislative relationship and
take a look at litigation a smidge.
We've heard about the legislative
work of the office.
Can you highlight some Supreme Court
copyright moments where the office is involved?
>> Heather Wiggins: Sure.
So, one of the key functions of the Copyright
Office that many people might not know
about is the role in providing advice to
the courts and other agencies on issues
of copyright law and policy and
also in helping to prepare documents
such as amicus briefs for cases in litigation.
There are a number of extremely important
cases that have gone to the Supreme Court,
and the office has provided vital input.
To put things in perspective, the
Supreme Court gets petitioned about seven
to eight thousand times per year to hear cases.
They hear about 100 to 150, and
between last year and this year,
there have been at least three major
copyright cases that they have chosen to hear.
That's a very big deal.
Examples are the Fourth Estate case, in
which the Supreme Court unanimously ruled
that registration of a copyright claim
has been made not when an application
for registration is filed but only
after the Copyright Office has processed
the application and registered the copyrights.
The office has also filed briefs in the
Star Athletica case versus Varsity Brands,
and more recently in Google versus
Oracle, which is a major case
that has very serious implications for
computer programs, software, and fair use.
And there are so many more.
There's a really great list, actually,
of these briefs in the amicus
briefs archives on our website.
I would like to point out that our
website is replete with valuable resources
that can help someone who needs a copyright
all the way to those seasons professionals.
It is also worth pointing out that the
office has a very lovely tool called the Fair
Use Index.
The Fair Use Index tracks a variety of
judicial cases that can help both lawyer
and nonlawyers understand the type of uses
that courts have determined
to be fair or not fair use.
And while that's not a substitute
for legal advice, it is a great tool.
Thank you.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thanks so
much for highlighting the wealth
of resources that the Copyright Office has.
It's material that has built up over 150
years, and you know, refers to that long
of expertise that we've developed over time.
So, we have a bit of a video.
We wanted to provide a moment to show
to show the intersection of creativity
and copyright within the work of our staff.
And while we get that loaded, I'm just
going to give you a little bit of an answer
to that last little trivia question.
There were by our count five categories
were added between 1870 and 1976.
That was visual arts in 1870, motion
pictures in 1912, sound records in 1972,
and pantomime and choreography in 1976.
All right.
So, please sit back for a few
minutes and enjoy this video.
[ Music ]
>> One hundred and fifty years ago,
the Copyright Office became the place
to register claims to copyright, record
information about copyright ownership,
and obtain copyright information.
Since 1870, we have solidified our
role in the nation's copyright system,
providing impartial expert advice on
copyright law to Congress, the courts,
other federal agencies, and importantly, you.
With about 400 employees across eight divisions,
Copyright Office staff represent diverse
perspectives, backgrounds, interests,
and abilities outside of those
required to perform their daily work.
We are musicians, visual artists,
writers, photographers, actors,
and fashion designers to name a few.
Along with our creativity, our deep knowledge
of copyright helps inform our daily work here
in the office as we answer your
questions, examine your claims,
and process your physical
and electronic deposits.
In this, our staff are both the Copyright
Office and part of copyright itself.
Today, we will introduce you
to a few of our colleagues,
who will share how their particular
talent helps you engage your creativity
through the services we provide
here in the Copyright Office.
>> I am a photographer.
Photography is an evolving medium, so
there's always something new to learn.
When I started in my first position in the
Copyright Office, I volunteered and took photos
for the copyright notices publication.
In my current position, I'm able to offer
research assistance to individuals seeking
to determine the copyright status
of photographic works.
Being one that has a strong appreciation
for the arts, it is easy for me to relate
to the patrons that I provide service to.
I strive to add value to their
experience with the Copyright Office.
[ Music ]
>> I get to listen to pieces and look at scores
and read scripts by authors who this is more
than just an application for them.
This is their work, and they're
really passionate about this,
and so this is very meaningful to
get to communicate with people.
It's so much more than the application, and I
think being able to take my own music background
and understanding how personal this is to a
musician or an artist I think is something
that is a really unique part of this job.
[ Music ]
By taking works in the public domain, we're able
to take solo piano pieces and create them then
for woodwind quintet and then play these
pieces, which are very well known
to our audiences in a completely new way.
It's something that we can constantly
go back and tap into this amazing area
of public domain repertoire that every
year new things are now eligible for us
to create new works, and to me,
it's a really great way to sort
of connect my own personal interests in music
with the job here at the Copyright Office.
[ Music ]
>> I engage my creativity as a
photographer and as a painter.
I make art about things I love, the mountains
I grew up in, my family, friends, and travel.
I joined the Copyright Office because I know
that creators are crucial to our economy
and to the creation of our shared history.
In my role as a public affairs
specialist, I get to do just that,
by helping creators understand
copyright law through blogs, tutorials,
tweets, and events like this one.
>> Writing has inspired my work at the office to
become more empathetic to the public we serve.
We all have a story, and when you craft
that story and register it with our office,
you are entrusting us with your dream.
I've always believed that the office
is also a repository of dreams.
I empower and engage the public we
serve by being patient and kind.
We can all use more of that.
I will be reading a short
excerpt from my unpublished work.
It's titled Lil' Big Man.
Right after bell work, Miss Thompson came
over and asked, are you okay, Damon, Jr.?
I said, "yeah, I mean yes," because
Miss Thompson won't let us say yeah
in her class because it is not professional.
I don't know what that means, but we
get in trouble if we say yeah and nah.
I do know what trouble is.
[ Music ]
>> I am a musician, violinist, a violist,
and back in the day I went to music school
and conservatory, but these
days, what I really love to do
on the weekends is teach Suzuki
violin to young children.
My students range from ages three to about 12.
And one of the things I love about teaching and
I find really challenging is learning to break
down these really difficult musical concepts
for students so that they have the skills
and knowledge that they need to
express themselves creatively.
And I see a really strong parallel between that
and what we do in the registration program.
So, when we communicate with applicants,
we're often explaining really complex
copyright concepts to help educate the applicant
so that they have the knowledge that
they need to protect their work.
[ Music ]
>> My talent is I'm a vocalist, and singing has
impacted my work in the office because I'm able
to combine my musical background with
my professional legal experiences
to bring a new perspective to my work.
[ Singing ]
I empower creativity in the public by
collaborating with a variety of artists.
>> These are just a few of our many talented
staff members working hard to provide you
with essential copyright services.
To learn more about what we
do and how we can help you,
visit our new Engage Your Creativity
webpage at copyright.gov/engage.
[ Music ]
>> Whitney Levandusky: This video
highlighted the intersection of creativity
and how that inspires our staff and their work,
and I'd like to end before question and answer
with a question for our panelists.
The purpose of the original Copyright
Office exhibit was to remind staff
of the importance of our daily work.
What do or did you carry with you to
help reinforce the work that you do?
Heather, would you like to kick us off?
>> Heather Wiggins: Sure.
I really think about the larger ecosystem,
so the creators who are submitting their work
for copyright but also the
people who work in the office,
like you saw in the video,
who are also creators.
We want people to know that their
work matters to us, because it does.
We are creating something that lasts, and
whether we don't know what the future holds,
but we do know that there
is something very beautiful
about the innate ability
of human beings to create.
I look at everything that our office receives
from all over the world, and what it tells me is
that people want to write, to
sing, to dance, make music, record,
and document our collective human experience.
It does start in our imagination, and for
some people, that just builds up to the point
where they have to get it out, and when they
do we're saying "Send it to us, we want it".
So, I carry that with me every day, and I'm
also very encouraged every day and in awe
of my colleagues, their commitment
to service, their love of creativity,
and their ability to ensure that
for thousands of people out there
that their dreams do become a reality.
So, thank you very much for
this opportunity, again.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank you.
Thank you so much, Heather.
That's a good, you know, thing to carry with us.
And John, final thoughts?
>> John Cole: Well, I can't help but
wondering what Mr. Spofford would think
about if he had seen what we've just witnessed
and felt about the wide variety of things
that are undertaken with copyright.
In his day, he barely was able
to look around he was so busy.
As I mentioned, he was the first
registrar, but he also worked hard
to get the Register's position in
the Library of Congress separate
from the librarian's position, and that happened
in the 1897 reorganization of the Library,
and he also had someone to recommend
as the first full-time Register,
and that was Thorvald Solberg, who actually
had worked at the Library of Congress,
and Mr. Spofford had full faith in him,
and I don't know to this day whether he
formally recommended him for the position,
but I know informally he
lobbied for it, and it happened.
That was his sort of gift to the future
was a full-time Register of Copyright
and a full-time office that gradually
grew and now has expanded in such a way
that I think even Mr. Spofford would be amazed.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank you,
and thank you, again, for, you know,
the emphasis on public service and legacy.
And Frank, what carried you and
helped to reinforce the work
that you did at the Copyright Office?
>> Frank Evina: Well, I spent my entire
Library career in the Copyright Office,
and I always said I was never bored.
I was so grateful for the opportunity to
work in various sections, and finally ending
up in the Public Information Office and
getting to meet these individuals face to face
as they brought in their creative
works and of course on the telephone.
But and then working on the exhibit and
having the opportunity to have some input
on what we could put out there and to show
to the American people when they get off
that elevator to go to the Public Information
Office and see the variety and scope
of creative works that Americans have
presented, and also, I mentioned before,
the preservation of these
documents, going back to 1870.
There were no application forms to
fill out until 1900, and very often,
deposits were kept with the application.
And with the Junior Fellows program
digging into this collection,
the fact that the Library preserved these for so
long, we found incredible, incredible treasures
that were never cataloged, never selected
by the custodial divisions, and luckily,
they still survived mainly
because of the copyright.
And to be part of that as a
historian and a collector,
it's a memory I'll always
treasure [inaudible].
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank you.
Thank you so much, Frank.
You know, we hear preservation,
legacy, the future, creativity,
all touchstones that we can carry
with us beyond this webinar.
And so, we've just two more
points before we'll let you go.
First, that we received some pretty
great suggestions for our time capsule.
I'll just highlight.
We've got everything from a
Betamax to Black's Law Dictionary.
So, we appreciate the wide variety and the
wide range that those two examples suggest.
And we have time for one question, and it's a
good one, because it helps us to take the things
that we've discussed today about, you know, the
past of copyright, the present of copyright,
and then the future, to take
this on and do some followup.
And so, I have a question
for all panelists here.
If you have someone, you're someone who is
interested in learning more about copyright,
what type of books or resources would
you read to learn more about copyright
or the history of the Copyright Office?
>> Heather Wiggins: Whitney.
I would suggest that they --
>> Whitney Levandusky: Yes, Heather.
>> Heather Wiggins: Write
to the copyright website
because it has so many useful information.
Even just in the about section you can learn a
lot anybody the history, and then you can look
at our circulars for a more easy to understand
guidance on some of the more complex topics.
But the whole website, there's even
a video series that you can watch
that has small snapshots
about topics like fair use.
So, that would be my starting
place, because it is the source.
So, go to the source.
[laughter]
>> Whitney Levandusky: Sounds good to me.
And how about you, John?
I think we've got another go
to the source answer here,
but what resources should people read if they're
interested in learning more about copyright?
>> John Cole: Well, I would have to go with
your website, of course, which I've learned
about in the process of being
involved in this wonderful program.
I've been interested in the history of copyright
from, as I said, I've came to the Library
of Congress and worked on that exhibit.
And I have to say that I have written a few
articles about the history of copyright,
that I've not continued that interest,
and I would encourage people to look
at actually the Library of Congress's, we have
a small history of the Library of Congress part
about the Library of Congress on the Library's
website, and that will get you some references
to some of the written material
about the history of copyright.
But I've thankful to be able to be
here to try to make the overall point
that today's Copyright Office has an important
history and that I think it's the perspective
of a historian and the futurists that
we're talking about, that come together.
And so, we can't forget the history, but
we have to concentrate on the future,
and that's really been, I think, a
successful part of today's program,
and I'm grateful to have been part of it.
Thank you.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Thank you, John.
And I would be remiss if I didn't also
highlight some of John's published work,
which is focused around the 1870 to 1890s
time period of the Copyright Office.
So, those publications have a wealth of
information on early copyright history.
And finally, Frank, any reading suggestions?
>> Frank Evina: Well, I agree.
The website.
I'll make it three.
I know back in the old days when I was
in information, we really put a lot
of effort into our publication program.
But when I see what's evolved over
the years and even this program,
what better place to learn
more about copyright and also
to contact the Public Information Office.
It's amazing how much those people know.
And that would be the best source.
But the publications are really
outstanding, and I'm really amazed.
Thirteen years, what has evolved in my old job.
And I'm delighted to see that.
>> Whitney Levandusky: Great.
Well, thank you so much, Frank.
And thank you to all of our panelists.
Thank you to John.
Thank you to Heather, and thanks to
you, our audience, for joining us today
as we celebrate our 150th anniversary.
As we mentioned, this program
will be made available online,
and you will also please check
out that copyright.gov/engage.
That is our campaign to commemorate 150 years.
And thank you, again, and have a wonderful day.
