U.S. Copyright Office Compendium bilding

Copyright Compendium

The U.S. Copyright Office Compendium is intended for use primarily by Copyright Office staff members, but may also be used as a guide by creators, licensees, applicants, lawyers, academics, the public, and occasionally, by the courts. In contrast to the Copyright Act or Copyright Office regulations, the Compendium doesn’t contain the force of law. However, sometimes a court may defer to the Copyright Office Compendium on an issue that is not specifically addressed by the Copyright Act or Copyright Office regulations.

The Compendium, which can be found below and here (from IP Illustrated), is now in its third edition.

Chapter 100 U.S. Copyright Office and the Copyright Law: General Background