Frequently Asked Questions: General

Depending on when the work was submitted, there are a few different places you can search.

For Works Registered since 1978

Records for works submitted for copyright registration since 1978 can be found in:

• the Copyright Office’s Public Catalog
• the Copyright Public Records System (CPRS) pilot, which features enhanced search and filter capabilities

For Works Registered before 1978

Records for works submitted for copyright registration prior to 1978 can be found in:

• the card catalog in the Copyright Office’s Public Records Reading Room
• the Internet Archive where the Copyright Office has digitized and made available the 661 volumes of the catalog
• the published Catalog of Copyright Entries at other major libraries
• the Copyright Office’s Virtual Card Catalog

For Works in the Library of Congress’ Collections

If a work that has been registered and deposited with the Copyright Office is acquired by the Library for its research collection, a catalog record will be created for it that will be accessible from the Library's online catalog.

If a deposited work is not acquired for the Library's research collection, a record will not be created for the Library's online catalog, but the registration record will still be accessible from the Copyright Office catalogs.