First published in 1917, this is an in-depth examination of American copyright law as it existed at the time. It includes discussions of the history and philosophy of copyright, the workings of the U.S. Copyright Office, and the rights and obligations of copyright owners and users. The appendices contain significant legal cases and the copyright laws of several other countries. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.