Copyright registrations for 1961

Cpyright registrations from 1961 are available from this page. Registrations were classified by category, with renewals included in the same volume as original registrations in most cases.

The following types of records are available here:

A guide to abbreviations used in the records is now available, as are some summary statistics.

1961 original copyrights were due to be renewed in 1988 and 1989 (see the Copyright Office database for registrations for these years.) Original copyrights for 1961 renewals date from 1933 and 1934. 1933 copyrights could also be renewed in 1960, and 1934 copyrights could also be renewed in 1962. To find out more about researching copyright renewals, see this page.

To see if a book can go online, you may have to check not only the "Books" category, but also the "periodicals" category, if parts of the book first appeared in a periodical, and the "artwork" category if you want to scan any of the illustrations. If the book is a play, or a set of lectures or addresses, check the "Drama and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery" category too.

Books and Contributions to periodicals: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Part 1 (Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Periodicals: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Part 2 (Periodicals) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Drama: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Parts 3-4 (Drama and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Music: Original registrations and renewals

Maps: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Part 6 (Maps and Atlases) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Artwork: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for parts 7-11A (Works of Art; Reproductions of Works of Art; Scientific and Technical Drawings; Photographic Works; Prints and Pictorial Illustrations) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Commercial prints and labels: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for part 11B (Commercial Prints and Labels) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Motion pictures and filmstrips: Original registrations and renewals

The volumes for Parts 12 and 13 (Motion Pictures and Filmstrips) were published semiannually, and included both original and renewal registrations.

Summary statistics

Copyright Registrations for Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals, January-June 1961
Books, pamphlets, and serials manufactured in the United States 31,451
Books manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 2,041
Books in the English language first published abroad and registered ad interim 479
Total 33,971
Contributions to newspapers and periodicals 1,717
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 2,638
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals [not given in Part 1]
Copyright Registrations for Books, Pamphlets, Serials, and Contributions to Periodicals, July-December 1961
Books, pamphlets, and serials manufactured in the United States 29,752
Books manufactured abroad (except those registered for ad interim copyright) 1,929
Books in the English language first published abroad and registered ad interim 320
Total 32,001
Contributions to newspapers and periodicals 1,490
Renewals: Books, pamphlets, and serials 2,701
Renewals: Contributions to periodicals [not given in Part 1]
Copyright Registrations of Periodicals, January-June 1961
Periodicals 35,009
Renewals 1,111
Copyright Registrations of Periodicals, July-December 1961
Periodicals 33,062
Renewals 1,666
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, January-June 1961
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 691
Class D: Published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 271
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 1,142
Dramas registered in Class A 46
Total 2,150
Renewals, Classes C and D 438
Copyright Registrations of Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery, July-December 1961
Class C: Lectures and other works prepared for oral delivery 438
Class D: Published dramatic and dramatico-musical works 341
Class D: Unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works 1,022
Dramas registered in Class A 48
Total 1,849
Renewals, Classes C and D 458
Copyright Registrations of Music, January-June 1961
Musical compositions published in the United States 5,919
Musical compositions published outside the United States 4,294
Unpublished music 24,613
Dramatico-musical compositions registered in class D 95
Music registered in class A 287
Total 35,208
Renewals 4.605
Copyright Registrations of Music, July-December 1961
Musical compositions published in the United States 5,538
Musical compositions published outside the United States 3,824
Unpublished music 23,578
Dramatico-musical compositions registered in class D 135
Music registered in class A 351
Total 33,426
Renewals 4,440
Copyright Registrations for Maps, January-June 1961
Class F: Maps published in the United States 1,196
Class F: Maps published outside the United States 0
Maps and atlases registered in Class A 57
Total 1,253
Renewals 13
Copyright Registrations for Maps, July-December 1961
Class F: Maps published in the United States 1,021
Class F: Maps published outside the United States 3
Maps and atlases registered in Class A 56
Total 1,080
Renewals 8
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, January-June 1961
Class G: Published works of art and designs for works of art 2,246
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 752
Class H: Reproductions of works of art 1,722
Class I: Published drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 216
Class I: Unpublished drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 158
Class J: Published photographs 237
Class J: Unpublished photographs 285
Class K: Prints and pictorial illustrations 1,523
Total 7,139
Renewals, Class G 20
Renewals, Class I 5
Renewals, Class J 3
Renewals, Class K 88
Total renewals 116
Copyright Registrations for Artwork, July-December 1961
Class G: Published works of art and designs for works of art 2,426
Class G: Unpublished works of art and designs for works of art 828
Class H: Reproductions of works of art 1,956
Class I: Published drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 223
Class I: Unpublished drawings or plastic works of a scientific or technical character 233
Class J: Published photographs 191
Class J: Unpublished photographs 58
Class K: Prints and pictorial illustrations 1,583
Total 7,498
Renewals, Class G 2
Renewals, Class I 2
Renewals, Class J 1
Renewals, Class K 72
Total renewals 77
Copyright Registrations for Commercial Prints and Labels, January-June 1961
Commercial prints and labels 3,849
Renewals 37
Copyright Registrations for Commercial Prints and Labels, July-December 1961
Commercial prints and labels 3,669
Renewals 41
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, January-June 1961
Class L: Published motion picture photoplays 1,809
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 10
Class M: Published motion pictures other than photoplays 661
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 83
Filmstrips registered in Class A 54
Filmstrips registered in Class J 426
Total 3,043
Renewals: Classes L and M 592
Copyright Registrations for Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, July-December 1961
Class L: Published motion picture photoplays 1,369
Class L: Unpublished motion picture photoplays 8
Class M: Published motion pictures other than photoplays 367
Class M: Unpublished motion pictures other than photoplays 49
Filmstrips registered in Class A 8
Filmstrips registered in Class J 144
Total 1,945
Renewals: Classes L and M 428

The above figures show original and renewal registrations for the categories shown above for the time periods shown, but do not necessarily represent the exact number of entries in these issues of the Catalog.

Catalog pages for this year were scanned by the Copyright Office, by Google, by the Universal Library Project, by Penn's Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image (with volumes loaned from Stanford), by John Mark Ockerbloom (from microfilm loaned from the Free Library of Philadelphia), by Mystic-Nights.com, and by Greg Weeks. If you would like to contribute better copies, email onlinebooks@pobox.upenn.edu. (Please don't send any images by email unless I ask for them.)