HOW TO OBTAIN A COPYRIGHT.
[By A. R. Spofford, Librarian of Congress]
Every applicant for a copyright must state distinctly the name and residence of the claimant, and whether right is claimed as author, designer, or proprietor. No affidavit or formal application is required.
A printed copy of the title of the book, map, chart, dramatic or musical composition, engraving, cut, print, or photograph, or a description of the painting, drawing, chromo, statue, statuary, or model or design for a work of the fine arts, for which copyright is desired, must be sent by mail or otherwise, prepaid, addressed, "Librarian of Congress, Washington, D.C." This must be done before publication of the book or other article.
A fee of 50 cents, for recording the title of each book or other article, must be inclosed with the title as above, and 50 cents in addition (or one dollar in all) for each certificate of copyright under seal of the Librarian of Congress, which will be transmitted by early mail.
Within ten days after publication of each book or other article, two complete copies must be sent prepaid, or under free labels, furnished by the Librarian, to perfect the copyright, with the address, "Librarian of Congress, Washington, D.C."
No copyright is valid unless notice is given by inserting in every copy published, "Entered according to the act of Congress, in the year ——, by ——, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington," or, at the option of the person entering the copyright, the words "Copyright, 18—, by ——."
The law imposes a penalty of $1*0 [Transcriber's Note: Illegible] upon any person who has not obtained copyright who shall insert the notice "Entered according to act of Congress," or "Copyright," or words of the same import, in or upon any book or other article.
Each copyright secures the exclusive right of publishing the book or article copyrighted for the term of twenty-eight years. Six months before the end of that time, the author or designer, or his widow or children, may secure a renewal for the further term of fourteen years, making forty-two years in all.
Any copyright is assignable in law by any instrument of writing, but such assignment must be recorded in the office of the Librarian of Congress within sixty days from its date. The fee for this record and certificate is one dollar.
A copy of the record (or duplicate certificate) of any copyright entry will be furnished, under seal, at the rate of fifty cents.
Copyrights cannot be granted upon Trade-marks, nor upon Labels intended to be used with any article of manufacture. If protection for such prints or labels is desired, application must be made to the Patent Office, where they are registered at a fee of $6 for labels and $25 for trade-marks.
Up to 1849 the secretary of state had the care of issuing copyrights. It was then assigned to the department of the interior, newly created. In 1870 it was transferred to the librarian of congress.