+ Since searches are ordinarily limited to registrations that have
  already been cataloged, a search report may not cover recent
  registrations for which catalog records are not yet available.

+ The information in the search request may not have been complete or
  specific enough to identify the work.

+ The work may have been registered under a different title or as part of
  a larger work.

Protection in Foreign Countries

Even if you conclude that a work is in the public domain in the United States, this does not necessarily mean that you are free to use it in other countries.  Every nation has its own laws governing the length and scope of copyright protection, and these are applicable to uses of the work within that nation’s borders.  Thus, the expiration or loss of copyright protection in the United States may still leave the work fully protected against unauthorized use in other countries.

OTHER CIRCULARS

For further information, request Circular 6, “Obtaining Access to and Copies of Copyright Office Records and Deposits”; Circular 15, “Renewal of Copyright”; Circular 15a, “Duration of Copyright”; and Circular 15t, “Extension of Copyright Terms,” from: 

Library of Congress
Copyright Office
Publications Section, LM-455
101 Independence Avenue, S.E. 
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000

You may call the Forms and Publications Hotline (202) 707-9100 at any time, day or night, to leave a recorded request for forms or circulars.  Requests are filled and mailed promptly.

---------------------------------------------------
IMPACT OF COPYRIGHT ACT ON COPYRIGHT INVESTIGATIONS
---------------------------------------------------

On October 19, 1976, the President signed into law a complete revision of the copyright law of the United States (title 17 of the United States Code).  Most provisions of this statute came into force on January 1, 1978, superseding the copyright act of 1909.  These provisions made significant changes in the copyright law.  Further important changes resulted from the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988, which took effect March 1, 1989; the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-307) enacted June 26, 1992, which amended the renewal provisions of the copyright law; and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-298) enacted October 27, 1998, which extended the term of copyrights for an additional 20 years.

If you need more information about the provisions of either the 1909 or the 1976 law, write or call the Copyright Office.  For information about the Berne Convention Implementation Act, request Circular 93, “Highlights of U.S.  Adherence to the Berne Convention.”  For information about renewals, request Circular 15, “Renewal of Copyright.”  For information about the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, request SL-15, “New Terms for Copyright Protection.”  Copies of the law are now $14.00 each.  Request “Copyright Law, Circular 92,” (stock number is changed to 030-002-00195-1) from: