Copyright registrations for 1963

Copyright registrations from 1963 are available from this page. Registrations were classified by category, with renewals included in the same volume as original registration in most cases.

The following types of records are available here:

A guide to abbreviations used in the records is now available, as are some summary statistics.

1963 original copyrights were due to be renewed in 1990 and 1991 (see the Copyright Office database for registrations for these years.) Original copyrights for 1963 renewals date from 1935 and 1936. 1935 copyrights could also be renewed in 1962, and 1936 copyrights could also be renewed in 1964. To find out more about researching copyright renewals, see this page.

To see if a book can go online, you may have to check not only the "Books" category, but also the "periodicals" category, if parts of the book first appeared in a periodical, and the "artwork" category if you want to scan any of the illustrations. If the book is a play, or a set of lectures or addresses, check the "Drama and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery" category too.

Books and Contributions to periodicals: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Part 1 (Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Periodicals: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Part 2 (Periodicals) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Drama: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Parts 3-4 (Drama and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Music: Original registrations and renewals

Maps: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Part 6 (Maps and Atlases) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Artwork: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for parts 7-11A (Works of Art; Reproductions of Works of Art; Scientific and Technical Drawings; Photographic Works; Prints and Pictorial Illustrations) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Commercial prints and labels: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for part 11B (Commercial Prints and Labels) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Motion pictures and filmstrips: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Parts 12 and 13 (Motion Pictures and Filmstrips) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Summary statistics

Copyright Registrations for Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals, January-June 1963
Books, pamphlets, and serials manufactured in the United States 32,927
Books manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 1,840
Books in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 405
Total 35,172
Contributions to newspapers and periodicals 1,230
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 2,262
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals [not given in Part 1]
Copyright Registrations for Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals, July-December 1963
Books, pamphlets, and serials manufactured in the United States 32,357
Books manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 2,015
Books in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 363
Total 34,735
Contributions to newspapers and periodicals 1,247
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 2,588
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals [not given in Part 1]
Copyright Registrations of Periodicals, January-June 1963
Periodicals manufactured in the United States 34,982
Periodicals manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 210
Periodicals in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 84
Total 35,276
Renewals 1,504
Copyright Registrations of Periodicals, July-December 1963
Periodicals manufactured in the United States 35,656
Periodicals manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 238
Periodicals in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 65
Total 35,959
Renewals 1,930
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, January-June 1963
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 380
Class D: Dramatic and dramatico-musical works published in the United States 142
Class D: Dramatic and dramatico-musical works published abroad 54
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 1,165
Dramas registered in Class A 84
Dramas registered in Class BB 1
Total 1,826
Renewals, Classes C and D 405
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, July-December 1963
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 483
Class D: Dramatic and dramatico-musical works published in the United States 133
Class D: Dramatic and dramatico-musical works published abroad 88
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 1,167
Dramas registered in Class A 67
Total 1,938
Renewals, Classes C and D 406
Copyright Registrations of Music, January-June 1963
Musical compositions published in the United States 6,471
Musical compositions published abroad 4,333
Unpublished music 27,079
Dramatico-musical compositions registered in class D 67
Music and books about music registered in class A 388
Total 38,338
Renewals 4,629
Copyright Registrations of Music, July-December 1963
Musical compositions published in the United States 5,730
Musical compositions published abroad 4,079
Unpublished music 26,698
Dramatico-musical compositions registered in class D 68
Music and books about music registered in class A 397
Total 36,972
Renewals 4,507
Copyright Registrations for Maps, January-June 1963
Class F: Maps published in the United States 1,136
Class F: Maps published abroad 16
Maps and atlases registered in Class A 89
Total 1,241
Renewals 45
Copyright Registrations for Maps, July-December 1963
Class F: Maps published in the United States 909
Class F: Maps published abroad 10
Maps and atlases registered in Class A 66
Total 985
Renewals 74
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, January-June 1963
Class G: Works of art and designs for works of art published in the United States 2,340
Class G: Works of art and designs for works of art published abroad 57
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 666
Class H: Reproductions of works of art 1,733
Class I: Published drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 179
Class I: Unpublished drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 252
Class J: Published photographs 262
Class J: Unpublished photographs 106
Class K: Prints and pictorial illustrations 1,459
Total 7,054
Renewals, Class G 5
Renewals, Class H 1
Renewals, Class I 9
Renewals, Class J 2
Renewals, Class K 49
Total renewals 66
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, July-December 1963
Class G: Works of art and designs for works of art published in the United States 1,959
Class G: Works of art and designs for works of art published abroad 16
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 555
Class H: Reproductions of works of art 2,301
Class I: Published drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 225
Class I: Unpublished drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 189
Class J: Published photographs 293
Class J: Unpublished photographs 96
Class K: Prints and pictorial illustrations 1,644
Total 7,278
Renewals, Class G 25
Renewals, Class H 1
Renewals, Class I 3
Renewals, Class J 140
Renewals, Class K 124
Total renewals 293
Copyright Registrations for Commercial Prints and Labels, January-June 1963
Commercial prints and labels published in the United States 3,609
Commercial prints and labels published abroad 0
Total 3,609
Renewals 37
Copyright Registrations for Commercial Prints and Labels, July-December 1963
Commercial prints and labels published in the United States 3,445
Commercial prints and labels published abroad 0
Total 3,445
Renewals 121
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, January-June 1963
Class L: Published motion picture photoplays 1,302
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 23
Class M: Published motion pictures other than photoplays 404
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 51
Filmstrips registered in Class A 29
Filmstrips registered in Class J 171
Total 1,980
Renewals: Classes L and M 566
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, July-December 1963
Class L: Published motion picture photoplays 1,442
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 44
Class M: Published motion pictures other than photoplays 454
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 28
Filmstrips registered in Class A 48
Filmstrips registered in Class J 231
Total 2,247
Renewals: Classes L and M 555

The above figures show original and renewal registrations for the categories shown above for the time periods shown, but do not necessarily represent the exact number of entries in these issues of the Catalog.

Catalog pages for this year were scanned by the Copyright Office, by Google, by the Universal Library Project, by Penn's Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image (with volumes loaned from Stanford), by John Mark Ockerbloom (with microfilm loaned from the Free Library of Philadelphia), and by Greg Weeks. If you would like to contribute better copies, email onlinebooks@pobox.upenn.edu. (Please don't send any images by email unless I ask for them.)