Tag: Glossary

An assertion of ownership of the copyright in a work of authorship. A request to register a work of authorship with the U.S. Copyright Office.

The term “choreography” is derived from the Greek words “choreia,” meaning “dance,” and “graphikos,” meaning “to write.” A dance is a static and kinetic succession of bodily movements in certain rhythmic and spatial relationships and in relation to time and space. Choreography is the composition and arrangement of a related series of dance movements and… Continue reading Choreographic works

1) The act of signing an application to register a work with the U.S. Copyright Office. The individual who signs the application certifies that the information provided therein is correct to the best of his or her knowledge. 2) The preparation of a statement under the seal of the U.S. Copyright Office attesting to the… Continue reading Certification

An official record issued by the U.S. Copyright Office that bears the U.S. Copyright Office seal and the signature of the Register of Copyrights. The certificate denotes the fact that the Office has received a valid claim to copyright (i.e., an acceptable application, deposit, and filing fee) and that the claim has been registered by… Continue reading Certificate of registration

An abbreviation for the U.S. Copyright Office’s “Copyright Acquisitions Division.”

“The ‘best edition’ of a work is the edition, published in the United States at any time before the date of deposit, that the Library of Congress determines to be most suitable for its purposes.” 17 U.S.C. § 101.

An international treaty, the “Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works,” to protect literary and artistic works signed at Berne, Switzerland, on September 9, 1886, and all acts, protocols, and revisions thereto. The United States acceded to the Berne Convention and became a member on March 1, 1989.

A registration issued on or after January 1, 1978.

The portion of the application that describes the copyrightable material created by the author named in the application. In the online application, this portion of this statement typically appears in the Author Created field and/or New Material Included field. In the paper application it typically appears in the Nature of Authorship space and/or the Material… Continue reading Authorship statement

The portion of the online application that identifies the copyrightable material created by the author named in the application. In the paper application, this portion of the application is referred to as the “Nature of Authorship” space.