Overview

The U.S. Copyright Office oversees an ambitious agenda for legislative and institutional reform of the American copyright system. One current focus is the means for improving the management of and access to copyright ownership information. The Office is investigating digital recordation and registration systems across the public and private sectors and considering which tools and practices may best enhance current copyright information management methods. This practicum investigated the challenges of tracking and recording copyrights in the digital era, and explored the opportunities that various options might offer for enhancing user access to copyright information. Students worked closely with the U.S. Copyright Office and the Register of Copyrights in developing a broad report on policy options for discussion at a series of public roundtables on the “Strategic Plan for Recordation of Documents.”