Copyrightability: What Practitioners Should Know About Registration and the U.S. Copyright Office

ABOUT THE EVENT:
How much creative authorship is sufficient for a work to be copyrightable? To learn more about how the U.S. Copyright Office decides questions of copyrightability, please join the Copyright Office’s newly-appointed General Counsel, Regan Smith, and Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Public Information and Education, Catherine Zaller Rowland, as they provide an in-depth look at the role of the Office’s Copyright Review Board, recent Board decisions, and litigation against the Office involving registration decisions. The presentation will also provide an overview of the copyright registration and appeals process.

SPEAKERS:

Regan A. Smith
General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights

The Office of the General Counsel (“OGC”) is headed by the General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights, who is an expert copyright attorney and one of four legal advisors to the Register. This Office assists the Register in carrying out critical work of the U.S. Copyright Office regarding the legal interpretation of the copyright law. The General Counsel liaisons with the Department of Justice, other federal departments, and the legal community on a wide range of copyright matters including litigation and the administration of Title 17. The General Counsel also has primary responsibility for the formulation and promulgation of regulations and the adoption of legal positions governing policy matters and the practices of the U.S. Copyright Office.

Catherine Zaller Rowland
Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Public Information and Education

The Office of Public Information and Education (“PIE”) is headed by the Associate Register for Public Information and Education, who is an expert copyright attorney and one of four legal advisors to the Register. This Office informs and helps carry out the work of the Register and the U.S. Copyright Office in providing authoritative information about the copyright law to the public and establishing educational programs. The Office publishes the copyright law and other provisions of title 17; maintains a robust and accurate public website; creates and distributes a variety of circulars, information sheets, and newsletters, including NewsNet; responds to public inquiries regarding provisions of the law, explains registration policies, procedures, and other copyright-related topics upon request; plans and executes a variety of educational activities; and engages in outreach with various copyright community stakeholders.

PRICE:
Members: $15
Nonmembers: $25; $15 government/nonprofit
Breakfast food is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Click Here to Register

Co-Sponsors:

Copyright Committee of the D.C. Bar Intellectual Property Law Community
U.S. Copyright Office

Special Thanks to:

Anna Chauvet, U.S. Copyright Office and Co-Chair, Copyright Committee of the D.C. Bar Intellectual Property Law Community

Brian R. Westley