The LOC.GOV Wise Guide : A Confederacy of Copyrighters

When the 11 Southern states seceded from the United States in 1861 to form the confederacy, they took copyright law with them. Actually, the Rebs lifted the statute that was already part of U.S. law at the time – they just scratched out a few words here and there and wrote in their amendments.

Copy of the hand-written record entry made by the Clerk of the District Court in the official copyright register for claims to copyright maintained in the Southern District Court of Georgia. 1863.

Civil War souvenirs, including Rebel battle flag, swords of Gen. Philip Sheridan and John Brown, and photos of Ulysses S. Grant and Gen. George Custer

A few of these copyright registrations live in the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room. At the top of the form, the word "United" has been visibly scratched out and replaced, in very genteel script, with the word "Confederate." So, instead of reading "United States of America," the document reads "Confederate States of America." This edit was clearly a temporary fix for an ultimately temporary citizenry.

In 1870, copyright functions for the nation were centralized in the Library of Congress under the direction of then Librarian of Congress Ainsworth Rand Spofford. Prior to the enactment of the 1870 law, copyrights were administered by the Clerks of the U.S. District Courts. The Copyright Office became a separate department of the Library of Congress in 1897, and Thorvald Solberg was appointed the first Register of Copyrights. For information on the Copyright Office and registering creative works, go to the Copyright Home Page.

A. Copy of the hand-written record entry made by the Clerk of the District Court in the official copyright register for claims to copyright maintained in the Southern District Court of Georgia. 1863. Photographer Charles Gibbons. 2007. Reproduction Information: Not available for reproduction.

B. Civil War souvenirs, including Rebel battle flag, swords of Gen. Philip Sheridan and John Brown, and photos of Ulysses S. Grant and Gen. George Custer. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Information: Reproduction No.: LC-USZ62-63682 (b&w film copy neg.). Rights status not evaluated. For general information see "Copyright and Other Restrictions ..."; Call No.: LOT 13714, no. 97 (H) [P&P]