On the Road to a Modern Copyright System

Partner Joshua Simmons authored this article that presents a narrative of the evolution of the copyright system from 1783 to the early days of the Copyright Office, considering along the way themes such as the requirements for registration, the use of the copyright system to build a national library, and the role of the Register in copyright policy. It also addresses whether the Copyright Office is required to be a department of the Library of Congress and whether the Register of Copyrights can be a primary exponent of copyright policy.

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