The 1992 Copyright Amendments Act
The Copyright Amendments Act of 1992 was a major overhaul of copyright laws in the United States. It was the first major update to copyright law since the 1976 Copyright Act. The principal goal of the 1992 Amendments was to bring US copyright laws in line with the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, an international copyright treaty that the US had signed in 1988. The main changes brought about by the Amendments included:
- Copyright protection was automatically applied to all works, even those not registered with the Copyright Office.
- Copyright protection was extended to cover works created after 1977 for the life of the author plus 70 years.
- Copyright protection was extended to cover works created before 1978 for 95 years.
- The fair use doctrine was codified and clarified.
- The concept of moral rights was introduced into US law.
The 1992 Amendments also created a new form of copyright protection called the “Digital Millennium Copyright Act” (DMCA). This act extends copyright protection to digital works, such as software and multimedia works, and provides for legal remedies for copyright infringement in the digital realm. Overall, the 1992 Copyright Amendments Act has had a profound impact on copyright law in the US. It brought US copyright laws in line with international standards and provided much needed protection for digital works. Examples:
- A photographer who creates a photograph in 2021 will be protected by copyright until the life of the author plus 70 years.
- A software developer who creates a software program in 2021 will be protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
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