Intellectual Property Research Guide: Copyright

Between 1783 and 1786, before the Constitution was even drafted, 12 of 13 states passed copyright acts. The federal Constitution of 1787, subsequently ratified by the states, gave the Congress the authority to enact copyright laws for the nation. Our Constitution provides in Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, that:

[t]he Congress shall have power: to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.

From 1790 onward, Congress enacted 23 additional copyright statutes over the next 115 years. However, the statutes that affect U.S. copyrighted works are the Act of 1909 and the current Act of 1976.

The Copyright Act of 1909 remains relevant because certain issues involving items copyrighted before 1978 are still resolved by the terms of the earlier statute. The original Act, unamended, may be found at 35 Stat. 1075. The Act, as amended, may be found in Title 17 of the various editions of the United States Code published before 1982.

The Copyright Act of 1976 is found at passed at PL 94-553, 90 Stat. 2541 and as amended in Title 17 of the USC.

Intellectual Property materials are generally found in the call number range KF2971-KF3193.  Print resources are available in the Academic Success section (or on Reserve) on the 6th Floor or the 10th Floor of the Law Library. Related Subject Headings include the following.

Intellectual property -- United States

Copyright -- United States

Both Lexis and Westlaw have subject-specific tabs that can be added to your personal page to help focus your research. Be aware that all resources listed may not be available as part of UIC Law's academic subscription.

Jay Dratler, Jr., Intellectual Property Law: Commercial, Creative, and Industrial Property (Lexis). 10th Floor -  KF2979.D72

Michael A. Epstein, Epstein on Intellectual Property. 10th Floor - KF2976.5.E67

Roger E. Schechter & John R. Thomas, Intellectual Property: The Law of Copyrights, Patents, and Trademarks. 6th Floor (Academic Success & Reserve) - KF2980.S3

Howard B. Abrams, The Law of Copyright (Westlaw). 10th Floor - KF2994.A47

Melville B. Nimmer & David Nimmer, Nimmer on Copyright (Lexis). 10th Floor - KF2991.5.N5

William F. Patry, Patry on Copyright (Westlaw). 10th Floor - KF2991.5.P38

Marshall Leaffer, Understanding Copyright Law. 6th Floor (Academic Success) - KF2994.L43 2019

Stephen McJohn, Copyright: Examples and Explanations. 6th Floor (Academic Success) & 10th Floor - KF2995.M35 2018

Federal Copyright Law (HeinOnline). 10th Floor - KF2988.8

Legislative History of the 1909 Copyright Act. 10th Floor - KF2989.54.A15B79

Omnibus Copyright Revision Legislative History. 10th Floor - KF2988.8

Kaminstein Legislative History Project: A Compendium and Analytical Index of Materials Leading to the Copyright Act of 1976 (HeinOnline). 10th Floor - KF2989.56.A16K35