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April 17, 2006

Copyright Office Exhibition Closes for Renovation

A Library exhibition devoted to the role of copyright in America closed recently in conjunction with a yearlong renovation of the Copyright Office facilities.

The exhibition, "By Securing to Authors: Copyright, Commerce and Creativity in America," has been on display on the fourth floor of the Library’s James Madison Building since December 1984. A new exhibition is planned to open in 2008 after the Copyright Office renovation is complete in 2007.

Established in the Library of Congress in 1870, the Copyright Office houses the mint record of American creativity. The Copyright Office enriches the Library of Congress collections through the requirement to deposit two copies of each published work for copyright registration or for deposit under the mandatory provisions of the copyright law. Approximately 1 million copyrighted items are selected annually to be transferred to the Library’s collections.

The exhibition features a wide range of items that been copyrighted in America, including original "Ken" and "Barbie" dolls, the typescript of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech and a statue of the "Maltese Falcon" that was used in the film of the same name. The many examples of American pop culture, such as a "Star Wars" pop-up book and "Bert" and "Ernie" Muppet figures made the exhibition a popular attraction for school groups visiting the Library of Congress. They also demonstrated that the protection copyright offers to commercially successful works insures profits for creators.

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PR 06-086
04/17/06
ISSN 0731-3527

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