U.S. Copyright Office Presents The Copyright Act Turns 50: An Inside View from the Copyright Office

The U.S. Copyright Office invites you to register to attend the event The Copyright Act Turns 50: An Inside View from the Copyright Office on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. eastern time.

The ninety-minute event will focus on the Copyright Office's role in the development, administration, and later updates of the Copyright Act of 1976 through an insider's lens, with contributions from individuals who participated as staff at the Copyright Office or on Capitol Hill.

With instrumental support from the Copyright Office, Congress passed the Act to modernize copyright law for a rapidly changing world, and it was signed into law on October 19, 1976. The principal provisions of the revised law took effect on January 1, 1978. The Office implemented the Act; administers the Act, including the registration and recordation systems; and has worked with Congress on amendments over time.

Upon its passage, the Act broke new ground by making the copyright system more accessible to creators and users of creative works and continues to provide a framework that promotes the Office's constitutional mission.

Please register to attend online.