Research Guides: Intellectual Property Law Research: Copyright

Major Treatises

Nimmer on Copyright
Available on Lexis with username and password.
Patry on Copyright
Available on Westlaw with username and password.
Copyright Law: A Practitioner's Guide
Available on PLI Plus at SLU or off campus via the proxy server.

Copyright Office Resources

The Copyright Office website provides a wealth of important information and resources. Visit the site to register a copyright, search copyright registrations, view the copyright statute and regulations, and find guidance on copyright issues.

Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices
The Compendium is the administrative manual of the Register of Copyrights concerning Title 17 of the United States Code and Chapter 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. It provides instruction to agency staff regarding their statutory duties and provides expert guidance to copyright applicants and practitioners.
Copyright Circulars
Circulars are published by the Copyright Office to provide up-to-date and authoritative information to a general audience. Circulars are arranged by topic and cover the basics and fundamental concepts of copyright law, highlights of policies and procedures of the Copyright Office, and registration issues for specific categories of works.
Copyright Forms
Copyright Law - Title 17
Copyright Regulations - Title 37

Fair Use Resources

Fair use is a statutory exception to a copyright holder's exclusive rights. Fair use allows use of otherwise copyright protected material without permission from the copyright holder in certain circumstances. The resources below explain fair use, illustrate how courts have interpreted fair use, and help users determine whether a given use is fair.

Patry on Fair Use
Available on Westlaw with username and password.

U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Index
The Fair Use Index tracks judicial decisions that have considered whether particular uses are fair or not fair. The decisions span multiple federal jurisdictions, including the U.S. Supreme Court, circuit courts of appeal, and district courts. For each decision, there is a brief summary of the facts, the relevant question(s) presented, and the court’s determination as to whether the contested use was fair.
Harvard's Fair Use Guide
A short guide with illustrations and references explaining the current state of the law of fair use.
Fair Use Checklist
An interactive checklist from the University of MInnesota to help users conduct a fair use analysis.

Stay Up to Date with Copyright Law

Copyright: Creativity at Work
The blog of the U.S. Copyright Office.
Stanford Fairly Used
News from the Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center and Fairly Used Blog

Study Aids

Copyright Law in a Nutshell by Mary LaFrance
Call Number: KF2994 .L34 2017 Law Study Aids and Online
Publication Date: 2017-01-13
This product offers a compact yet comprehensive and up-to-date overview of U.S. copyright law in an uncluttered and readable format. Coverage ranges from the fundamental concepts of originality, authorship, and infringement to the highly technical rules governing digital phonorecord deliveries and digital public performance rights in sound recordings, the safe harbor provisions that limit the liability of Internet service providers, and the anti-circumvention and copyright management information provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The evolving doctrines of fair use and contributory liability are also given thorough attention.
Examples and Explanations: Copyright by Stephen M. McJohn
Publication Date: 2018
Available online via the Online Study Aid Collection. Click title for access.
Examples and Explanations for Intellectual Property by Stephen M. McJohn
Call Number: KF2980 .M42 2018 Law Study Aids
Publication Date: 2018-08-30
Available in print and online.

Intellectual Property Law Research

Search Copyright Registrations

Michael-John Voss

Major Treatises

Copyright Office Resources

Fair Use Resources

Stay Up to Date with Copyright Law

Study Aids