How to Look Up Something to See if It's Copyrighted

You can look up registered copyrights online.

All original content is technically copyrighted. It belongs to the person who created it. In the United States, however, you must register your material with the United States Copyright Office if you want it protected in case of a lawsuit. Most copyrighted material has a copyright stamp somewhere on it. If you can't find this stamp, a simple search on the copyright office website will tell you if a piece of work is a registered copyright.

Instructions

1. Go to “copyright.gov.” This is the official United States Copyright Office website. It contains information on copyright law and a search function for existing registered copyrights.

2. Click the “Registrations and Documents” link under the “Search Copyright Records” section in the left column. Click the “Search the Catalog” link.

3. Type the title of the work, the creator or a keyword into the box. Choose the correct option from the window. Press “Begin Search.” Scroll through the results to locate your document.

Tips & Warnings

• Only materially copyrighted with the U.S. copyright office can be prosecuted under United States law.

• If your document doesn't show up on the catalog, it may still be copyrighted in three ways. First, it could have been copyrighted before 1978, in which case you'll need to search the Library of Congress copyright card catalog or contact the copyright office and pay for a search. Second, it could be copyrighted, since any original creation is technically under copyright, but not officially registered. Third, the copyright could be registered with a country outside of the U.S.

References

• United States Copyright Office: Public Catalog
• United States Copyright Office: The Copyright Card Catalog and the Online Files of the Copyright Office