required either publication with the copyright notice or registration in the Copyright Office. Before   1978,   statutory   copyright   was   generally secured   by   the   act   of   publication   with   notice   of copyright, assuming compliance with all other relevant statutory  conditions.  Works  in  the  public  domain  on January 1,1978, (for example, works published without satisfying  all  conditions  for  securing  statutory  copyright under the Copyright Act of 1909) remain in the public domain under the current act. Statutory  copyright  also  could  be  secured  before 1978  by  the  act  of  registration  in  the  case  of  certain unpublished  works  and  works  eligible  for  ad  interim copyright.  The  current  act  automatically  extends  to full-term  copyright  for  all  works  in  which  ad  interim copyright  was  existing  or  could  be  secured  on December 31, 1977. Under the new law copyright is secured automati- cally when the work is created, and a work is “created” when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time.  Generally,  “copies”  are  material  objects  from which a work can be read or visually perceived either directly or with scripts, sheet music, film, videotape or microfilm.   As   mentioned   earlier,   phonorecords   are material  objects  embodying  fixations  of  sounds.  ‘his also  applies  to  a  work  such  as  a  song,  fixed  on  sheet music (“copies”), CDs (“phonorecords”) or both. If a work is prepared over a period of time, the part of the work existing in fixed form on a particular date constitutes the created work as of that date. PUBLICATION Publication  is  no  longer  the  key  to  obtaining statutory copyright as it was under the Copyright Act of 1909.  However,  publication  remains  important  to copyright owners. The Copyright Act defines publication as follows: “Publication is the distribution of copies or phonorecords  of  a  work  to  the  public  by sale  or  other  transfer  of  ownership  or  by rental,  lease  or  lending.  The  offering  to distribute  copies  or  phonorecords  to  a group  of  persons  for  purposes  of  further distribution, public performance or public display,  constitutes  publication.  A  public performance or display of a work does not of itself constitute publication.” Further coverage of the definition of “publication” is  contained  in  the  legislative  history  of  the  act.  The legislative reports define “to the public” as distribution to  persons  under  no  explicit  or  implicit  restrictions  with respect to disclosure of the contents. The reports state that   the   definition   makes   it   clear   that   the   sale   of phonorecords constitutes publication of the underlying work;  for  example,  the  musical,  dramatic  or  literary work embodied in a phonorecord. The reports also state that it is clear that any form or dissemination in which the material object does not change  hands  —  for  example,  performances  or  displays on television — is not a publication no matter how many people are exposed to the work. However, when copies or phonorecords are offered for sale or lease to a group of wholesalers, broadcasters or motion-picture theaters, publication  does  take  place  if  the  purpose  is  further distribution, public performance or public display. Publication is an important concept in the copyright law for several reasons: When a work is published, it may bear a notice of copyright to identify the year of publication and  the  name  of  the  copyright  owner  and  to inform the public that the work is protected by copyright.  Works  published  before  March  1, 1989,   must  bear   the   notice   or   risk   loss   of copyright  protection Works that are published in the United States are subject to mandatory deposit with the Library of Congress. Publication of a work can affect the limitations on  the  exclusive  rights  of  the  copyright  owner that are set forth in sections 107 through 120 of the law. The  year  of  publication  may  determine  the duration of copyright protection for anonymous and  pseudonymous  works  (when  the  author’s identity  is  not  revealed  in  the  records  of  the Copyright Office) and for works made for hire. Deposit   requirements   for   registration   of published   works   differ   from   those   for registration of unpublished works. NOTICE  OF  COPYRIGHT LEARNING   OBJECTIVE:   Recognize   how   a notice   of   copyright   is   displayed   on   a copyrighted work. 10-12