[DCRM-L] Copyright symbol introduced in 1909, but not for "printed literary, musical, or dramatic work"

[Erin Blake]

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.

 

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."

 

Here's the full list of works in section five:

(a) Books, including composite and cyclopaedic works, directories,
gazetteers, and other compilations;

(b) Periodicals, including newspapers;

(c) Lectures, sermons, addresses, prepared for oral delivery

(d) Dramatic or dramatico-musical compositions; 

(e) Musical compositions; 

(f) Maps; 

(g) Works of art; models or designs for works of art; 

(h) Reproductions of a work of art; 

(i) Drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character; 

(j) Photographs

(k) Prints and pictorial illustrations

 

See  http://www.copyright.gov/history/1909act.pdf for the full text.

 

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).

 

   EB.

 

--------------------------------------------------

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 at folger.edu  |  www.folger.edu

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20110123/b34568a8/attachment.htm