Copyright registrations for 1972

Copyright registrations from 1972 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.

1972 original copyrights could have renewals filed in 1999 and 2000 (see the Copyright Office database for registrations for these years), but they automatically renewed even if no renewal was filed. Original copyrights for 1972 renewals date from 1944 and 1945. 1944 copyrights could also be renewed in 1971, and 1945 copyrights could also be renewed in 1973. 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.

Sound recordings

Copyright registrations for sound recordings began in February of this year. One volume covered all registrations from February through December 1972. There were no renewals.

Summary statistics

Copyright Registrations for Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals, January-June 1972
Books, pamphlets, and serials manufactured in the United States 50,444
Books manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 3,010
Books in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 307
Total 53,761
Contributions to newspapers and periodicals 1,146
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 3,460
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals [not given in part 1]
Copyright Registrations for Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals, July-December 1972
Books, pamphlets, and serials manufactured in the United States 45,307
Books manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 2,774
Books in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 252
Total 48,333
Contributions to newspapers and periodicals 1,000
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 3,405
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals [not given in Part 1]
Copyright Registrations of Periodicals, January-December 1972
Periodicals manufactured in the United States 82,345
Periodicals manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 891
Periodicals in the English language registered for ad interim copyright 715
Total 83,951
Renewals 3,596
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, January-June 1972
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 1,073
Class D: Domestic published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 150
Class D: Foreign published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 36
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 1,930
Dramatic works registered in class A 64
Total 3,253
Renewals, Classes C and D 465
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, July-December 1972
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 831
Class D: Domestic published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 193
Class D: Foreign published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 55
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 1,616
Dramatic works registered in class A 57
Total 2,752
Renewals, Classes C and D 350
Copyright Registrations of Music, January-June 1972
Domestic published musical compositions 6,606
Foreign published musical compositions 4,145
Unpublished music 39,851
Dramatico-musical compositions registered in class D 35
Music and books about music registered in class A 685
Total 51,322
Renewals 4,451
Copyright Registrations of Music, July-December 1972
Domestic published musical compositions 5,602
Foreign published musical compositions 3,537
Unpublished music 35,849
Dramatico-musical compositions registered in class D 40
Music and books about music registered in class A 545
Total 45,573
Renewals 4,154
Copyright Registrations for Maps, January-June 1972
Class F: Domestic published maps 895
Class F: Foreign published maps 3
Maps and atlases registered in Class A 65
Total 963
Renewals 54
Copyright Registrations for Maps, July-December 1972
Class F: Domestic published maps 777
Class F: Foreign published maps 5
Maps and atlases registered in Class A 69
Total 851
Renewals 74
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, January-June 1972
Class G: Domestic published works of art and designs for works of art 3,210
Class G: Foreign published works of art and designs for works of art 46
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 1,241
Class H: Domestic published reproductions of works of art 1,787
Class H: Foreign published reproductions of works of art 26
Class I: Domestic published drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 364
Class I: Unpublished drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 209
Class J: Domestic published photographs 580
Class J: Unpublished photographs 115
Class K: Domestic prints and pictorial illustrations 2,211
Class K: Foreign prints and pictorial illustrations 11
Total 9,800
Renewals, Classes G-K 267
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, July-December 1972
Class G: Domestic published works of art and designs for works of art 2,973
Class G: Foreign published works of art and designs for works of art 132
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 1,043
Class H: Domestic published reproductions of works of art 1,653
Class H: Foreign published reproductions of works of art 54
Class I: Domestic published drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 350
Class I: Foreign published drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 1
Class I: Unpublished drawings or sculptural works of a scientific or technical character 161
Class J: Domestic published photographs 490
Class J: Foreign published photographs 1
Class J: Unpublished photographs 122
Class K: Domestic prints and pictorial illustrations 1,982
Class K: Foreign prints and pictorial illustrations 7
Total 8,969
Renewals, Classes G-K 123
Copyright Registrations for Commercial Prints and Labels, January-December 1972
Domestic published commercial prints and labels 3,916
Foreign published commercial prints and labels 2
Total 3,918
Renewals 3
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, January-June 1972
Class L: Domestic published motion picture photoplays 650
Class L: Foreign published motion picture photoplays 5
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 14
Class M: Domestic published motion pictures other than photoplays 802
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 76
Filmstrips registered in Class A 54
Filmstrips registered in Class J 519
Total 2,120
Renewals: Classes L and M 630
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, July-December 1972
Class L: Domestic published motion picture photoplays 454
Class L: Foreign published motion picture photoplays 10
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 7
Class M: Domestic published motion pictures other than photoplays 478
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 44
Filmstrips registered in Class A 62
Filmstrips registered in Class J 356
Total 1,411
Renewals: Classes L and M 596

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, with an additional image provided by Juliet Sutherland. 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.)