Copyright registrations for 1971

Copyright registrations from 1971 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.

1971 original copyrights could have renewals filed in 1998 and 1999 (see the Copyright Office database for registrations for these years), but they automatically renewed even if no renewal was filed. Original copyrights for 1971 renewals date from 1943 and 1944. 1943 copyrights could also be renewed in 1970, and 1944 copyrights could also be renewed in 1972. 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. The title indexes were published in separate volumes.

Periodicals: Original registrations and renewals

The annual volume for part 2 (Periodicals) included both original and renewal registrations.

Drama: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Parts 3-4 (Dramas 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 annual volume for part 11B (Commercial Prints and Labels) 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. Project Gutenberg has a transcription of both volumes. Page scans can also be found below.

Summary statistics

Copyright Registrations for Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals, January-June 1971
Books, pamphlets, and serials manufactured in the United States 45,998
Books manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 3,226
Books in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 244
Total 49,468
Contributions to newspapers and periodicals 971
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 3,583
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals [not given in Part 1]
Copyright Registrations for Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals, July-December 1971
Books, pamphlets, and serials manufactured in the United States 46,847
Books manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 2,409
Books in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 307
Total 49,563
Contributions to newspapers and periodicals 862
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 3,471
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals [not given in Part 1]
Copyright Registrations of Periodicals, January-December 1971
Periodicals manufactured in the United States 84,100
Periodicals manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 672
Periodicals in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 807
Total 85,579
Renewals 4,043
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, January-June 1971
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 1,005
Class D: Domestic published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 188
Class D: Foreign published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 65
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 1,666
Dramatic works registered in class A 84
Total 3,008
Renewals, Classes C and D 444
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, July-December 1971
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 867
Class D: Domestic published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 180
Class D: Foreign published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 74
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 1,474
Dramatic works registered in class A 82
Total 2,677
Renewals, Classes C and D 535
Copyright Registrations of Music, January-June 1971
Domestic published musical compositions 6,926
Foreign published musical compositions 4,537
Unpublished music 38,602
Dramatico-musical compositions registered in class D 57
Music and books about music registered in class A 637
Total 50,759
Renewals 4,160
Copyright Registrations of Music, July-December 1971
Domestic published musical compositions 6,449
Foreign published musical compositions 3,628
Unpublished music 36,997
Dramatico-musical compositions registered in class D 46
Music and books about music registered in class A 610
Total 47,730
Renewals 5,034
Copyright Registrations for Maps, January-June 1971
Class F: Domestic published maps 944
Class F: Foreign published maps 5
Maps and atlases registered in Class A 126
Total 1,075
Renewals 31
Copyright Registrations for Maps, July-December 1971
Class F: Domestic published maps 738
Class F: Foreign published maps 4
Maps and atlases registered in Class A 81
Total 823
Renewals 36
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, January-June 1971
Class G: Domestic published works of art and designs for works of art 3,123
Class G: Foreign published works of art and designs for works of art 57
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 977
Class H: Domestic published reproductions of works of art 1,373
Class H: Foreign published reproductions of works of art 9
Class I: Domestic published drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 272
Class I: Foreign published drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 3
Class I: Unpublished drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 210
Class J: Domestic published photographs 458
Class J: Foreign published photographs 1
Class J: Unpublished photographs 1,153
Class K: Domestic prints and pictorial illustrations 2,198
Class K: Foreign prints and pictorial illustrations 2
Total 9.836
Renewals, Classes G-K 156
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, July-December 1971
Class G: Domestic published works of art and designs for works of art 2,484
Class G: Foreign published works of art and designs for works of art 39
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 888
Class H: Domestic published reproductions of works of art 1,592
Class H: Foreign published reproductions of works of art 32
Class I: Domestic published drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 190
Class I: Foreign published drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 2
Class I: Unpublished drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 294
Class J: Domestic published photographs 345
Class J: Unpublished photographs 102
Class K: Domestic prints and pictorial illustrations 2,305
Class K: Foreign prints and pictorial illustrations 2
Total 8,275
Renewals, Classes G-K 223
Copyright Registrations for Commercial Prints and Labels, January-December 1971
Domestic commercial prints and labels 4,224
Foreign commercial prints and labels 2
Total 4,226
Renewals 9
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, January-June 1971
Class L: Domestic published motion picture photoplays 687
Class L: Foreign published motion picture photoplays 9
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 8
Class M: Domestic published motion pictures other than photoplays 609
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 73
Filmstrips registered in Class A 77
Filmstrips registered in Class J 381
Total 1,844
Renewals: Classes L and M 454
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, July-December 1971
Class L: Domestic published motion picture photoplays 1,127
Class L: Foreign published motion picture photoplays 11
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 9
Class M: Domestic published motion pictures other than photoplays 458
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 52
Filmstrips registered in Class A 35
Filmstrips registered in Class J 265
Total 1,957
Renewals: Classes L and M 497

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 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.)