Copyright Awareness Week
March 21-25, 2005

The U.S. Copyright Office is participating in Copyright Awareness Week, which will be held from March 21-25, 2005. One of the goals of Copyright Awareness Week is to educate students on the importance of copyright in society. Many people are avid users of copyrighted materials such as music, film, books, magazines, art and photographs, but they have little or no understanding about how these works are protected or why our forefathers felt copyright protections should be included in our constitution. Likewise, many students are creators of works that enjoy copyright protection including music, poetry, photography, artwork, and even websites.

The Register of Copyrights has issued a statement supporting Copyright Awareness Week and discussing the importance of copyright in today's world.

During this week, teachers may arrange visits for students to the Copyright Office to get an orientation on copyright both as users and creators. This will include seeing the Copyright Office exhibit, a brief history and overview of current copyright issues, and a mini-workshop on how to register claims to creative works. For more information about copyright and the Copyright Office, see www.copyright.gov. To arrange for a visit to the Copyright Office, located on Capitol Hill at the Library of Congress, teachers should contact Peter Vankevich, Head of the Copyright Information Section, at tel. (202) 707-0600 or pmva@loc.gov.