United States Copyright Office

The United States Copyright Office (USCO), a part of the United States Library of Congress, is a United States government body that registers copyright claims, records information about copyright ownership, provides information to the public, and assists Congress and other parts of the government on a wide range of copyright issues. It maintains online records of copyright registration and recorded documents within the copyright catalog, which is used by copyright title researchers who are attempting to clear a chain of title for copyrighted works.

The register of copyrights heads the Copyright Office. There is currently a dispute over who the register is. Shira Perlmutter, the 14th register, began serving from October 26, 2020. On May 10, 2025, President Donald Trump claimed to have fired Perlmutter to replace her with Paul Perkins as acting register. However, the register is an employee of Congress, not of the executive branch. Perlmutter's claim to the role has been endorsed by courts.

The Copyright Office is located in the James Madison Memorial Building of the Library of Congress, at 101 Independence Avenue SE, in Washington, DC. While open to the general public, appointments must be made to visit the Public Information Office and Copyright Public Records Reading Room. Provided by Wikipedia