Legal Definitions - Copyright Act of 1909

The Copyright Act of 1909 was a law in the United States that changed how copyright worked. It made copyright last for 28 years (which could be renewed for another 28 years), instead of just 14 years. It also said that copyright started when a work was published, not when it was registered with the Copyright Office. This law applied to all kinds of writing, not just books.

To get a copyright, people had to follow certain rules, like putting a copyright symbol on their work. This law was in effect from 1909 to 1977, when a new law replaced it. But some things that happened before 1978 still follow the old law.

For example, if someone wrote a book in 1960 and it was published in 1961, the copyright would last for 28 years from 1961. If the author renewed the copyright, it would last for another 28 years, until 2017. This law also affected other things that copyright owners could do with their work, like making copies or selling it.