Copyright

WATCH File

The WATCH File (Writers, Artists, and Their Copyright Holders) is a database providing contact details for copyright holders who have unpublished material in libraries in North America and the United Kingdom. WATCH is aimed at scholars who may wish to use this material. The database is produced jointly by the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at The University of Texas and the University of Reading Library. WATCH is searchable by name and a number of search tips are provided.

Hungarian Intellectual Property Office

The website of the Hungarian Patent Office provides guidance and legal information on obtaining patents and trademarks in Hungary. Copies of Hungarian laws and regulations are provided online along with contact details of Hungarian patent agents. The site also includes information on plant variety protection, utility model protection, trademarks, designs and copyright issues in Hungary. The Hungarian Industrial Property Database, which has information on patents, utility models, trademarks and designs protected in Hungary, is free to search on the site.

UK Copyright Service

The UK Copyright Service (UKCS) is a global intellectual property registration service based in the UK. The site has an online copyright registration facility. It also provides information on copyright registration, UK copyright law and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, and factsheets on topics such as copyright notices, music copyright and copyright in scientific papers. 

Copyright Licensing Agency

The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) is a not-for-profit company that provides blanket copyright licences for organisations wishing to make copies from books and journals and passes the money on to the rights owners. The site provides guidance on different types of copyright, the implications of generative AI, works excluded from CLA licences and other topics.

Artlaw

Online version of the Artlaw column from Art Monthly, which is written by barrister Henry Lydiate. The archive, which is hosted by the Artquest website, goes back to 1976. It can be browsed by topic, including art after death, artists' resale right, censorship, contracts, copyright, money, public policy and commissions, studios, and ways of working. There is also a keyword search facility. Artquest is an information hub for artists.

Copyright Tribunal

Website of the Copyright Tribunal, part of the UK Patent Office. The Copyright Tribunal was established in 1989, its main function being to make rulings regarding the terms and conditions of licences offered by, or licensing schemes operated by, collective copyright licensing bodies. The website explains the work of the Tribunal and provides procedural information and Tribunal decisions.

BitLaw

Online resource guide created by Daniel Tysver of the Minnesota-based law firm Beck & Tysver, which provides information on intellectual property and technology law. The site is divided into subject areas such as patent law, software patents, trademark law, copyright law and internet law. Each section has an executive summary followed by links to more in-depth coverage of the topic and specific pieces of legislation.

Williams Powell

Willams Powell is a London-based firm of patent and trade mark attorneys. Their website gives a brief introduction to and definitions of patents, trade marks, design and copyright. General guidance is provided on filing a patent, writing a patent specification, patent searching and the likely costs involved. There is also advice on choosing and registering trade marks. Advice for overseas patent and trade mark attorneys is given on the site and brief guidance for people wishing to register patents or trade marks abroad.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act Study

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was enacted into law in the United States on October 28 1998. Section 104 of the DMCA required the US Copyright Office to carry out this study, which is now published on their website. The study seeks to evaluate the relationship between technological change and copyright law, focusing on copyright related issues such as first sale doctrine, temporary incidental copies and archival copying of computer programmes. Feedback on these issues from the library community, publishers and private citizens forms part of the study. 

Copyright Renewal Database

Website providing access to Stanford University's Copyright Renewal Database containing copyright renewal records for books published in the United States between 1923 and 1963. During this period renewal registration was required to prevent the expiration of copyright. The records are held by the US Copyright Office and have been included in this searchable, browsable database. Records can be browsed by year, title or author and searched by keyword or using an advanced search option.

Subscribe to Copyright