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Recording Industry Association of America

The website of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) provides information about the organisation and its role in representing the US recording industry. One of its key goals is to help protect its members' legal rights in areas such as copyright enforcement and webcasting. Information on the site covers topical matters such as anti-piracy, copyright issues, music copyright notices and music and the internet. There is information about federal, state and international laws governing these areas.

National Intellectual Property Center

Website of the National Intellectual Property Center (previously the Georgian Patent Office) the body responsible for granting patents and registering trademarks in Georgia. The site provides history and background to the setting up of the Center and the development of the legal framework relating to intellectual property protection in Georgia. There is guidance to patent law, trademark registration and copyright protection in Georgia including copies of the relevant legislation (in English) and PDF copies of required forms.

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(Writers, Artists, and Their Copyright Holders) is a database providing contact details for copyright holders who have unpublished material in libraries in North America and the United Kingdom.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.

International Portal of the University of Alicante on Intellectual Property and Information Society

This website is produced by the Law Faculty of the University of Alicante in Spain. It covers industrial and intellectual property law and the information society and is aimed at researchers, students, and professionals. The site provides a database of national, international and European Union legislation (in the original language) and a set of links to other relevant websites.

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 non-profit making company formed in 1982 by the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society and the Publishers' Licensing Society to protect the interests of rights owners. The CLA issues licences for organisations wishing to make copies from books and journals and passes the money on to the rights owners. The site has background information on copyright issues, getting clearance and guidance for education, business, government and other public bodies that need to obtain licences.

Artlaw

Online version of the Artlaw column which is published in Art Monthly and made freely available on the Artquest website. The column is written by barrister Henry Lydiate and deals with legal issues affecting artists. The archive can be browsed by subject. Subjects covered include contracts, money, studios, copyright issues, censorship and publication rights. Each subject heading has an introduction and a list of links to the relevant articles. Articles date back to 1976 and are presented in full-text in HTML format.

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

A freely available 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.

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