October 21, 1997

Contact:
Yvonne French (202) 707-9191

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U.S. Copyright Office Creates New Listserv

The U.S. Copyright Office of the Library of Congress announces the creation of the U.S. Copyright Office NewsNet, a free electronic mailing list originating from the Copyright Office that sends periodic e-mail messages to people in the field of copyright. This service became available on Oct. 15. Using the Internet, NewsNet alerts subscribers to hearings, deadlines for comments, new and proposed regulations, new publications and other copyright-related subjects of interest.

Unlike many Internet lists, the U.S. Copyright Office NewsNet is not an interactive discussion group or "chat room²; it is a free information service. A table of contents at the beginning of each issue lists the latest U.S. Copyright Office news. Each edition of the list is archived automatically and is available to subscribers. Additionally, where possible, links to the Copyright Office home page provide access to Federal Register notices, reports, circulars, and other information. Subscribing is easy. Using an Internet e-mail service, interested persons should send a message to: LISTSERV@RS8.loc.gov. The body of the message should say: SUBSCRIBE USCOPYRIGHT. Subscribers will receive a standard welcoming message indicating their subscriptions to U.S. Copyright Office NewsNet have been accepted.

The copyright system has been a part of the Library of Congress since 1870. In addition to administering the copyright law, the U.S. Copyright Office creates and maintains the public record of copyright registrations and recorded documents, provides technical assistance and policy advice on copyright issues to Congress and executive branch agencies, offers information to the general public and obtains copies of works for the collections of the Library of Congress. For additional information, visit the Copyright Office home page at http://www.loc.gov/copyright.

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PR 97-179
10/21/97
ISSN 0731-3527