Searching the Databases
Search Fields / Abbreviations
Copyright Registration Categories
How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work
Sample Searches
Searching Online U.S. Copyright Office Records
http://www.loc.gov/copyright/rb.html
Copyright Office records, including registration information and recorded documents from 1978 to the present, are available through LOCIS (Library of Congress Information System).
To access LOCIS, you must have a telnet program on your computer and telnet access through your Internet service provider.
Search Help and Assistance
Help: The Copyright Office does not offer LOCIS search assistance or help with software, hardware, or other computer-related problems. If you have further difficulty connecting, please contact your Internet service provider for further assistance. Please consult the documentation before conducting your search, as only limited HELP screens are available once you begin. The guide gives detailed instructions on how to search, select, and display information contained in the databases.
Availability: LOCIS is available 24 hours a day except from Saturday 5:00 p.m. to Sunday noon (U.S. Eastern time) and on U.S. national holidays.
About the Interface: LOCIS was developed in the 1970s long before the GUI (Graphical User Interface) was in widespread usage. All commands are entered from the keyboard. The mouse is not used in this system.
Note for Windows users: Users of the default Windows telnet program may have to click on "Terminal" on the telnet toolbar, then click on "Preferences," and then checkmark "Local Echo."
For information on searching:
- the Copyright Office records and services provided by the Copyright Office, Reference & Bibliography Section, see:
- Notice of Intent to Enforce a Restored Copyright (NIE) documents, see:
- Paper and microfiche records from 1790 through 1978, see:
LOCIS Usage Guide
http://www.loc.gov/copyright/guide.html
There are 3 searchable databases available in LOCIS:
- COHM COPYRIGHT HISTORY MONOGRAPH FILE
- Contains records for works registered for copyright since January 1978. Included are books, films, music, maps, sound recordings, software, multimedia kits, drawings, posters, sculpture, etc. Also included are renewals of previous registrations. Many items are not retained in the Library's permanent collections. Updated weekly.
- COHS
- Serials (periodicals, magazines, journals, newspapers, etc.) registered
for copyright since 1978. Updated twice yearly.
- COHD
- References to documents relating to copyright ownership describing copyright legal transactions, such as name changes and transfers. Updated weekly.
The information in the databases is searchable by author, claimant, title,
and registration number. Searching by subject is not available.
To browse the records, use the "b" command as shown below.
You will be presented with a list of the 12 closest alphabetical
"hits."
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You type: b clancy, tom (author or claimant search)
or b blue suede shoes (title search)
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Press <ENTER> after typing commands.
For the next page of the BROWSE list, press <ENTER>.
You may use the "s" command to select particular records from the
browse list to create "sets."
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Select the line number on the left of the screen that
matches your search:
You type: s b6
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Press <ENTER> after typing commands.
Once you have created sets, use the "d" command to display
information about the items in a set.
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Your screen will show one or more SETS.
To display a set:
You type: d 1 (or the appropriate set no.)
To change display to ascending (earlier items first):
You type: set da
To return to descending:
You type: set dd
To return to the most recent alphabetical index:
You type: b b6--
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TIPS: Capitalization is not necessary.
To advance to the next screen, press <ENTER>
You may display the complete information about each record.
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Records displayed in a brief format may also be viewed in a
full format:
You type: d full 1 (or the appropriate record number)
In the full format, to advance to the next record:
You type: n
To return to the brief format:
You type: d brief 1 (or the appropriate record number)
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Use the "h" command to view information about the searches you have
made.
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You may view a history of the SETS you have created during your search:
You type: h
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The "l" command allows you to limit sets in the COHM database by
type of item.
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You may limit COHM sets to the type of items registered.
Alphabetic codes for type of item are displayed in the ECIF
field, position 2.
You type: L [set #]/code e ___
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You can combine sets with the "c" command to find items common to
both.
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You type: c 1 and 2 (or appropriate set nos.)
For additional combine options, type HELP COMBINE and press <ENTER>.
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You may keep specific items from the currently displayed set.
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You type: keep 1/3/5
Items will be kept in set 0. To proceed, press <ENTER>.
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The screen-display method can be adjusted.
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To substitute short for long prompts on the bottom of some screens:
You type: ps
To return to long prompts:
You type: pl
To return to the alphabetical index:
You type: b b6--
To display the set:
You type: d
To view records when first displayed with these commands, follow viewing instructions below.
You type:
page s1 displays brief records in sequential order starting at #1
page b10 displays bibliographic record #10 in full display
page np displays next page of full or brief displays
page pp displays previous page of full or brief displays
page d60 divides a guide record display beginning at record 60
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These codes describe the type of copyright registration associated with a work.
| TX |
nondramatic text works |
| SR |
sound recordings |
| RE |
renewal of copyright |
| VA |
visual arts (pictorial, graphic, sculptural) |
| PA |
performing arts (musical and dramatic works, motion pictures and other
audiovisual works) |
COPYRIGHT HISTORY MONOGRAPH FILE (COHM)
| IF YOU WANT TO: |
TYPE: |
FOLLOWED BY: |
FOR EXAMPLE: |
| Begin to search COHM |
BGNS |
COHM |
BGNS COHM |
| Browse the index terms |
BRWS |
word or phrase |
BRWS Asimov, Isaac |
| Select by Browse line |
SLCT |
line-number(s) |
SLCT b6-b12/b19 |
| Select by index term |
SLCT |
term |
SLCT Scarecrow |
| Display a set in short form |
DSPL |
set-number |
DSPL 3 |
| Display individual set item |
DSPL |
set-number/item |
DSPL 7/item |
| Show all sets created |
SHOW |
HIST |
SHOW HIST |
| Show description of COHM |
SHOW |
FILE COHM |
SHOW FILE COHM |
| Combine sets |
COMB |
set-expression |
COMB 1 or ... or 5 |
| Release unneeded set(s) |
RLSE |
set-number(s) |
RLSE 10 |
| End a search |
END |
|
END |
DISPLAYING RECORDS:
The LIST option for displaying contents of a set in COHM file lists all
items in the set by registration number.
Example: DISPLAY 1/LIST
The LTTL display is the standard display for the COHM file. All records
in the set are presented in registration number order in a short format
which includes the registration number, the title, and the claimant.
Example: DISPLAY 1
Copyright registrations are displayed as a unified record in the ITEM
display format. The data is presented with four character mnemonic tags
identifying the data fields.
Example:
DISPLAY 1/ITEM
ACCESSION NUMBERS:
Structure of Document Identifiers:
Each record in COHM is identified by Copyright registration number.
A two or three character alphabetic prefix indicates the class, followed by
a number assigned sequentially when the item is received. Dashes and blanks
are optional when keying a search for a registration number.
Examples:
TX-1-234
SR-2-468
VAu-5-678
SEARCHING RECORDS