Test Your Knowledge
Think you know copyright? Test your knowledge with our trivia wall, which incorporates information found in our exhibit, Find Yourself in Copyright, and throughout our website. Hint: Refresh the page for more questions!
True or False:
International copyright automatically protects an author’s work worldwide.
False. Although there are international copyright treaties that set minimum standards for member countries, copyright protection is national and depends on the laws of each country.
Learn more about international copyright relations.
Which of the following is in the public domain?
- A. Works created by the U.S. government
- B. Procedures
- C. Works published in 1925 or before
- D. All of the above
D. The public domain includes works with an expired copyright term and materials that copyright law never protects, such as procedures and U.S. government works, among others. Public domain works are free to use.
Learn more about the public domain in our Learning Engine series video and on our blog.
True or False:
Only those who are eighteen and older can register their works for copyright protection.
False. Minors may claim copyright, and the Copyright Office issues registrations to minors; however, state laws may regulate the business dealings involving copyrights owned by minors.
Learn more about the basics of copyright in Circular 1.
How were the first movies registered for copyright?
Copyright law did not protect motion pictures until 1912, but some of the first movies were created in the early 1880s and registered with the Office as a series of photographs.
Learn more in our Copyright Lore articles on Fred Ott’s Sneeze and the 1912 Townsend Amendment.
How many pages was the original Copyright Act?
The original Copyright Act was just two pages long. The current version weighs in at 456 pages.
Learn more about copyright history on our Timeline of Copyright Law.
True or False:
Known as “poor man’s copyright,” mailing a copy of your work to yourself provides the same benefits as registering it with the Copyright Office.
False. Mailing a copy of your work to yourself does not provide additional protection. The only way to register your work, and receive the benefits of registration, is by submitting a complete application to the Copyright Office.
Learn more about registration in our Learning Engine series video.
Which state passed the first copyright statute?
Connecticut passed the first copyright statute in January 1783. All other states at the time, except for Delaware, followed suit.
Today, federal law exclusively governs copyright in the United States, while state laws may only cover rights not protected under federal law.
Learn more about copyright history.
True or False:
Copyright law protects computer programs.
True. While creators registered computer programs before this date, on December 12, 1980, Congress amended copyright law to confirm copyright protection of computer programs.
Learn more about the types of works you can register.
Who was the first Register of Copyrights?
Librarian of Congress John Russell Young appointed Thorvald Solberg as the first Register of Copyrights on July 1, 1897. Solberg led the Office for thirty-three years, also making him the longest-serving Register.
Learn more about the Registers of Copyright.