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<p class=MsoNormal>A warning to catalogers about using the presence of the
copyright symbol to date something “[not before 1909]” based on that
symbol being first introduced by the 1909 US copyright act, which took effect
July 1, 1909: section 18 says that the symbol was NOT to be used for “printed
literary, musical, or dramatic work” (where the law required the word “Copyright”
or abbreviation “Copr.”). I can't remember if that was mentioned or
not at the Bib Standards Committee meeting where the act was mentioned, so
apologies if this is already common knowledge.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The copyright notice could consist of "the letter C
inclosed within a circle" ONLY for "works specified in subsections
(f) to (k), inclusive, of section five of this Act."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Here's the full list of works in section five:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(a) Books, including composite and cyclopaedic works,
directories, gazetteers, and other compilations;<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(b) Periodicals, including newspapers;<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(c) Lectures, sermons, addresses, prepared for oral delivery<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(d) Dramatic or dramatico-musical compositions; <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(e) Musical compositions; <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(f) Maps; <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(g) Works of art; models or designs for works of art; <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(h) Reproductions of a work of art; <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(i) Drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical
character; <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(j) Photographs<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>(k) Prints and pictorial illustrations<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>See http://www.copyright.gov/history/1909act.pdf for
the full text.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>This isn't to say that people didn't "illegally" put
the c-in-a-circle on printed literary, musical, or dramatic work, just that
it's unlikely a major publishing house (with lawyers) would do so, and risk
losing its copyright. No idea when the law changed to extend the use of the
symbol to works in subsections (a) through (e).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> EB.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>--------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Erin C. Blake, Ph.D. | Curator of Art &
Special Collections | Folger Shakespeare Library | 201
E. Capitol St. SE | Washington, DC 20003-1004 | office
tel. (202) 675-0323 | fax: (202) 675-0328 |
eblake@folger.edu | www.folger.edu<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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