COPYRIGHT SOCIETY OF THE U.S.A.

The Copyright Society of the U.S.A. was founded in 1953 to promote the protection and study of intellectual property rights in areas such as art, literature, motion pictures, and music. Its primary function is gathering, disseminating, and interchanging information concerning protection and use of copyrighted materials. The organization undertakes and engages in research in the field of copyright law in cooperation with universities, law schools, libraries, governmental agencies, lawyers, and industry representatives in the United States and foreign countries. It also seeks to promote better understanding of copyright and the vital importance of legal and economic protection of intellectual property in general, and copyright in particular, among the general public, in industry, and in the academic world. It also provides information to the public through its web site, http://www.csusa.org.

To accomplish its goals, the society has undertaken a wide-ranging program including symposia on copyright subjects; workshops for people in such fields as music, motion pictures, and publishing, stressing the practical aspects and mechanics of copyright administration; and publication of materials relating to copyright that otherwise would not be available. Its members are lawyers, laypersons, firms, libraries, universities, and publishers. The society publishes a journal and holds annual meetings. In 2001, it launched its Copyright Kids web site (www.copyrightkids.org), a comprehensive resource for school-age children that explains copyright facts and regulations and answers questions about the importance of copyright protection.