[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 111 (Tuesday, July 11, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E 1405]]


  RECOGNITION OF THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF COPYRIGHT IN THE LIBRARY OF 
                                CONGRESS

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                        HON. CARLOS J. MOORHEAD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 11, 1995
  Mr. MOORHEAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 125th 
anniversary of the statute which established our national copyright 
system in the Library of Congress.
  Our Nation's Founding Fathers recognized not only the need to protect 
the rights and property of individual Americans, but also the 
importance of providing incentives to stimulate the economic and 
cultural growth of the United States. Thus, in article I, section 8 of 
the Constitution, they gave the Congress the power ``To promote the 
Progress of Science and Useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to 
Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings 
and Discoveries.''
  In 1870, Congress passed our first copyright law which established a 
system of copyright registration through the Federal district courts. 
This system was certainly inadequate in terms of keeping a readily 
accessible public record of copyright registration and an organized 
collection of the works which had been submitted for registration. The 
1870 legislation transferred the entire copyright business from the 
Federal courts to the Library of Congress. For the first time, our 
Nation had a central point for both copyright registration and for the 
holding of record copies of registered works.
  By bringing copyright into the Library of Congress the law also 
provided the basis for making the Library what it is today--our 
Nation's Library whose collections are a reflection of the entire 
breadth of American creativity. By 1875, copyright deposits became the 
most important source of acquisition for the Library. For works such as 
maps, musical scores, and graphic arts, copyright deposit accounted for 
almost 90 percent of all such material acquired by the Library.
  The Library's reliance on copyright deposits continues to this day. 
The Library of Congress collections now encompass almost 110 million 
items, a substantial number of which have come to the Library as a 
result of copyright. The type of material received has broadened over 
the years to include photographs, television shows, movies, compact 
discs, and computer programs on CD-ROM's. The value of the material 
transferred to the Library from the copyright system in fiscal year 
1994 was in excess of $15 million.
  The importance of the Copyright Office to the Library and the work of 
the Office in advancing the principles of copyright in a changing 
technological world is being acknowledged today by the Librarian of 
Congress, Dr. James Billington, in a program being held in the great 
hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Our Register of Copyrights, 
Marybeth Peters, will also address her staff on the current and future 
role of that important office.
  As chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property, 
I work closely with the Copyright Office on the significant copyright 
issues Congress must address. This year those issues include proposals 
to extend the term of copyright and to grant digital performance rights 
in sound recordings.
  Today I join Dr. Billington and Ms. Peters in saluting the Copyright 
Office for its work in keeping our national copyright system strong and 
for the role it continues to play in fortifying the Library of 
Congress.


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