Legal Entertainment Resources:Copyright: General Resources

• Ad Hoc Copyright Coalition The Coalition seeks to balance the rights and obligations of copyright owners with those of information publishers, distributors, and users.
• Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works from Cornell University Legal Information Institute. Full text of the Berne Convention, governing international copyright protections.
• Copyright Act of 1976 from Cornell's Legal Information Institute. Full text of the Act, all provisions of which are effective for copyrights after Jan. 1, 1978.
• Copyright Agency Ltd. Australian organization for the licensing of copyright works and protecting owners' rights under Australian law.
• Copyright Clearance Center Online Online resource to obtain clearance for use of a copyright work.
• Copyright Committee of the Association of American Publishers Includes a "Copyright primer", fair use rules, and articles on copyright of written works.
• Copyright Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court (since May 1990). All Supreme Court decisions affecting copyright since 1990.
• Copyright and Fair Use Site Maintained by Stanford University. Extensive resources for the fair use of copyright materials.
• Copyright Law Center from Law Journal Extra! News, articles, information, and resources for copyright law.
• Copyright Resources LLC Company created to advise, represent, negotiate contracts, rights and permissions, & licenses, and conduct searches for copyright holders.
• Copyright FAQ by Terry Carroll. An extensive overview of the ins and outs of copyright law up to 1994.
• Copyright Society of the USA Intended to foster interest in the study of copyright law. Provides a newsletter and research resources.
• The Copyright Website This site endeavors to provide real world, practical and relevant copyright information of interest to infonauts, netsurfers, webspinners, content providers, musicians, appropriationists, activists, infringers, outlaws, and law abiding citizens.
• Cornell University Law Information Institute: Copyright A comprehensive collection of information, case decisions, articles, and legislation on copyright law.
• Crash Course in Copyright created by University of Texas. The basics of who owns copyrights, what is fair use, and other information about copyrights.
• Digital Future Coalition The Digital Future Coalition (DFC) is committed to striking an appropriate balance in law and public policy between protecting intellectual property and affording public access to it.
• European Copyright User Platform The 'onestop shop' for information on European copyright developments including links on legislation, news, licensing and technical issues.
• Findlaw Intellectual Property Resources: Copyright Extensive resources for copyright law information.
• Friends of Active Copyright Education FACE is a sub-organization of the Copyright Society of the USA supporting education about copyright law.
• General Informtion About Copyrights Compiled by Oppendahl & Larson, LLP.
• Helpful Articles for Writers and Publishers by Ivan Hoffman. Articles and links with copyright information and the effects of various court cases on rights.
• The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) The International Intellectual Property Alliance is a coalition formed to represent the U.S. copyright-based industries in efforts to improve international protection of copyrighted works. Site includes the latest news and reports on issues in the Copyright arena.
• Internet Learning Technologies at Columbia University. Site provides information of interest to educators and others relating to copyright.
• Library of Congress The official web site for the government agency with whom copyrights are registered and a searchable database of all works contained in the library.
• Media Photographers' Copyright Agency Licensing entity created by the American Association of Media Photographers to license members' work in electronic environments.
• Molton & Meekins Art Law Information on the protection of visual arts in Hollywood and cyberspace and other issues of interest to artists.
• Motion Picture Licensing Corporation An independent copyright licensing service authorized to grant Umbrella Licenses to organizations and institutions for public performances of home videocassettes and videodiscs.
• Musicians Against Copyrighting of Samples An international organization constructing a network of musicians who oppose the copyrighting of samples, and providing a database of samples that may be freely used.
• Patents & Trademarks A California attorney responds to questions about patents, trademarks, and other issues in entertainment law.
• Patent, Trademark, & Copyright World General copyright information and links to copyright resources.
• ProtectRite Online copyright protection service.
• Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act Full text provided by American Intellectual Property Law Association.
• US Patent Trademark, and Copyright Information from Franklin Pierce Law Center
• Warnings & Cautions for Writers: Electronic Rights Links to information about rights and issues related to the Internet and electronic works.
• WGA Registration Service provided by the Writer's Guild of America to provide some legal protection to works with unregistered copyrights.
• World Intellectual Property Organization Information from the United Nations organization that oversees international intellectual property law and enforcement.
• When Works Pass Into the Public Domain This succinct site clarifies, in table form, duration of copyright for a work depending on when it was created, published, registered and renewed; the definitions pertain to U.S. copyright law since its inception. Created in 1995, and subsequently updated, by Laura Gassaway.