Copyright is a form of protection provided to authors of original works including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and other intellectual works, published and unpublished, as described by the Copyright Office. U.S. copyright law is defined in Title 17 of the U.S. Code.
Copyrights are registered by the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress.
For detailed information on copyright registrations, copyright records, copyright law and more, please visit the United States Copyright Office website.
Copyrights in the U.S. are jointly protected by the U.S. Copyright Office, under the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (to a lesser extent).
The USPTO is concerned with copyright policy, such as advising other branches of the U.S. government, assisting international copyright treaty negotiation and implementation, and copyright education, among other roles. For more, visit the USPTO Copyright Policy webpage.
The majority of copyright administration--registration, filing, and legal--are under the purview of the U.S. Copyright Office. For more information about the basic functions, history, and mission, visit the Copyright Office Overview webpage.