U.S. Catalog of Copyright Entries
The Catalog of Copyright Entries, published by the U.S. Copyright Office, contains copyright registration and renewal records. The U.S. Copyright Office has not digitized their records prior to 1978, so there are various online “digital” versions of the catalog for pre-1978 works. The version linked below is published by the University of Pennsylvania. These records also include copyright renewals for works between 1923 and 1978, since former U.S. Law required renewals of copyrights in order to remain protected. There are thousands of works that were never renewed during that time period, and if they were not renewed they are now considered to be in the public domain in the United States for failure to comply with U.S. Copyright formalities.
A famous example of a copyright renewal failure is the 1946 classic It’s A Wonderful Life, which failed to renew its copyright in 1974. However, in 1990, Republic Pictures successfully reclaimed its film rights by capitalizing on its ownership of the source material, the short story "The Greatest Gift," which is still under copyright. These rights, along with rights to the film's musical score, mean that airings and screenings of It's A Wonderful Life still require royalties and licensing today.
Catalog of Copyright Entries - for researching copyright registration and renewals for works published between 1923 and 1978.