Copyright registrations for 1953

Copyright registrations from 1953 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 summary statistics.

1953 original copyrights were due to be renewed in 1980 and 1981 (see the Copyright Office database for registrations for these years.) Original copyrights for 1953 renewals date from 1925 and 1926. All 1925 and 1926 copyrights have expired, even if they were renewed. 1925 copyrights could also be renewed in 1952, and 1926 copyrights could also be renewed in 1954. 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, check the "Drama" category too.

Books and Contributions to periodicals: Original registrations and renewals

We currently list the original volumes for Part 1 (Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals). These were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations. The January-June volume was organized differently from the July-December volume.

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

Original music registrations for 1953 were listed in Part 5A (Published Music) and Part 5B (Unpublished Music). Renewals were listed in Part 5C (Music Renewals). All of these parts were published in semiannual volumes.

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 1953
Books, pamphlets, and serials published in the United States 23,178
Books in foreign languages published abroad 1,997
Books in the English language first published abroad729
Total 25,904
Contributions to periodicals 1,790
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 1,778
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals 714
Copyright Registrations for Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals, July-December 1953
Books, pamphlets, and serials published in the United States 22,230
Books in foreign languages published abroad 1,685
Books in the English language first published abroad756
Total 24,671
Contributions to periodicals 1,582
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 1,416
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals 540
Copyright Registrations of Periodicals, January-June 1953
Periodicals 30,232
Renewals 735
Copyright Registrations of Periodicals, July-December 1953
Periodicals 27,924
Renewals 1,257
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, January-June 1953
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 429
Class D: Published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 208
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 1,593
Total 2,230
Renewals, Class C 6
Renewals, Class D 337
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, July-December 1953
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 365
Class D: Published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 292
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 2,076
Total 2,733
Renewals, Class C 4
Renewals, Class D 288
Copyright Registrations for Music, January-June 1953
Musical compositions published in the United States 4,735
Musical compositions published abroad 4,837
Total published music registrations 9,572
Unpublished music 23,393
Renewal registrations 5,114
Copyright Registrations for Music, July-December 1953
Musical compositions published in the United States 4,403
Musical compositions published abroad 3,584
Total published music registrations 7,987
Unpublished music 20,623
Renewal registrations 4,746
Copyright Registrations for Maps, January-June 1953
Class F: Maps published in the United States 1,104
Class F: Maps published outside the United States 2
Total 1,106
Renewals 302
Copyright Registrations for Maps, July-December 1953
Class F: Maps published in the United States 1,351
Class F: Maps published outside the United States 3
Total 1,354
Renewals 441
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, January-June 1953
Class G: Published works of art and designs for works of art 745
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 931
Class H: Reproductions of works of art 373
Class I: Published drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 272
Class I: Unpublished drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 289
Class J: Published photographs 384
Class J: Unpublished photographs 237
Class K: Prints and pictorial illustrations 1,865
Total 5,096
Renewals, Class G 13
Renewals, Class I 2
Renewals, Class J 3
Renewals, Class K 35
Total renewals 53
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, July-December 1953
Class G: Published works of art and designs for works of art 645
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 891
Class H: Reproductions of works of art 280
Class I: Published drawings or plastic works of a scientific or techn ical character 334
Class I: Unpublished drawings or plastic works of a scientific or tec hnical character 313
Class J: Published photographs 269
Class J: Unpublished photographs 186
Class K: Prints and pictorial illustrations 1,895
Total 4,813
Renewals, Class G 17
Renewals, Class I 2
Renewals, Class J 6
Renewals, Class K 143
Total renewals 168
Copyright Registrations for Commercial Prints and Labels, January-June 1953
Commercial prints and labels 6,268
Renewals 44
Copyright Registrations for Commercial Prints and Labels, July-December 1953
Commercial prints and labels 5,382
Renewals 23
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures, January-June 1953
Class L: Published motion picture photoplays 511
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 1
Class M: Published motion pictures other than photoplays 570
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 68
Total 1,150
Renewals: Classes L and M 241
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures, July-December 1953
Class L: Published motion picture photoplays 428
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 31
Class M: Published motion pictures other than photoplays 533
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 43
Total 1,035
Renewals: Classes L and M 248

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.

The images above were scanned by the Copyright Office, by Google, and by by the Universal Library Project, Greg Weeks, Michael Dyck, John Mark Ockerbloom, and the Penn Libraries. 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.)