Celebrating 1976 Copyright Act @ 50 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the 1976 Copyright Act, and we are leaning in. Interview Series Our Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Elizabeth Townsend Gard, has interviewed over fifty people engaged in the making and interpretation of copyright law over the last fifty years and before. The idea was to capture the stories of those who lived it — in government, private practice, industry, trade organizations, non-profits, and in academy. This is the debut series of the new podcast, Copyright Fixation, and we have also produced edited, heavily sourced transcripts that will be published in the Journal. Each week more episodes and transcripts will be published and are available on the website, as well as at Westlaw, Lexis, Heinonline, and other third-party platforms. The 1976 Copyright Act @ 50 Interview Series Volume 73 of the Journal We have packed it with lots of goodies related to the 50th anniversary, starting with the transcript from Mid-Winter meeting panel, “A Brief History of Copyright Revision,” with moderator, Eric J. Schwartz and panelists Molly Van Houweling and Justin Hughes. Issue 2 of the Journal is slated to focus on International Aspects of the 1976 Copyright Act. Issue 3 of the Journal will be focused on technology and the 1976 Copyright Act. Issue 4 will be devoted to the “Future of Copyright,” with a co-sponsored conference at George Washington, October 1-3, 2026. And finally, Issue 5 – our Online Forum and Podcast – will house all of our Interviews and additional activities throughout the year. Visit Volume 73 The Future of Copyright Conference Other Activities We have other activities planned for the year. Students are working on short papers about the Copyright Studies leading up to the 1976 Copyright Act. We have our “Then and Now” blog series, curated by Zvi Rosen starting as well, and he is concentrating on the “Making and Implementation of the 1976 Copyright Act.” We keeping our eye on all of the festivities and conferences about the 1976 Copyright Act. And our Editor-in-Chief is slowing reading through the “Great Copyright Books,” as a listical series, as well take time to reflect on who we are and how we got here. Want to be part of the festivities? We would love it! Write for us! Short pieces or long! Essays, research papers, or practioner notes all welcome. Scholars, practioners, and students are all welcome to submit an idea or a paper. Send them directly to eic@copyrightsociety.org. Want to be a Copyright Society Student Fellow? Want to be part of our Peer Review Board? Again! Email Elizabeth Townsend Gard at eic@copyrightsociety.org.
