US copyright enters the social media age

10-07-2020

Kelsey Farish

US copyright enters the social media age

Lenka Horavova / Shutterstock.com

New US Copyright Office rules will make it easier for social media creators and bloggers to protect their work. But is the US still behind the times? Kelsey Farish of DAC Beachcroft reports.

From August, the US Copyright Office (USCO) will allow group registrations of short online literary works, which will mean enhanced copyright protections are available for short social media posts, blog entries, and other online articles. 

Under the scheme, known as GRTX, applicants may register up to 50 online literary works—which can be as short as 50 words—with a single application and fee. To explore why USCO is taking this particularly interesting policy step, this article briefly considers the formalities of the copyright regime in the US, together with the ongoing debate concerning how best to modernise legislation appropriately for the digital age.

The registration regime


Copyright, US Copyright Office, social media, literary works, online, blogs, GRTX, registration, Berne Convention, digital

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