A View from the US Copyright Office: Serving the Public, Congress, the Courts, and More from 2001 to 2021

Abstract

Abstract The US Copyright Office marked its 150-year anniversary in 2020, and held a year of celebratory events into 2021. This chapter looks at several Copyright Office workstreams, achievements, and trends during the first twenty-one years of this millennium, January 2001 through December 2021. Congress adopted important new copyright legislation and also requested that the Office conduct policy studies and reports, several of which later became law. As a result of legislative activity on copyright, there has been a rise in regulatory activity necessary to implement new laws. In addition, the Copyright Office had been steadfastly committed to its work in administering the Copyright Act, which includes its registration, recordation, and statutory licensing services, all of which are especially important given that the ever-expanding digital environment created new ways for the Office to deliver its services. Finally, looking beyond our borders, international developments, ranging from multilateral to bilateral work, kept the Office busy in its role to advise Congress and the executive agencies on both international and domestic copyright matters.