Richard Crosby De Wolf
Encyclopedia
Richard Crosby De Wolf was acting Register of Copyrights
from 1944–1945 and one of the first United States copyright law
scholars to suggest a completely disjunctive reading of the Copyright Clause
.
De Wolf was born in Des Moines, Iowa
in 1875. He attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology
for two years before joining the U.S. Marines in 1899 and fighting in the Spanish-American War
. He first started working for the United States Copyright Office
in 1907. In 1913 he received his L.L.B. from George Washington University Law School, eventually leaving the Copyright Office in 1918 to practice law privately.
De Wolf worked for the Copyright Office on and off for the next several decades until being appointed acting Register of Copyrights on January 1, 1945 to replace Clement Lincoln Bouvé
. He served in that capacity until February 1, 1945, when Sam Bass Warner
was appointed the fourth Register of Copyrights. De Wolf died on March 8, 1947 and is buried in St. Augustine, Florida
.
Richard Crosby De Wolf is noted for being one of the earliest teachers of copyright law as a separate subject in the United States.
De Wolf is also noted as one of the earliest scholars to suggest a completely disjunctive reading of the Copyright Clause
. The Clause, which gives Congress
the power to grant both copyrights and patent
s, states
endorsed this view in 1966 in Graham v. John Deere Co.
, citing "An Outline of Copyright Law."
Register of Copyrights
The Register of Copyrights is the director of the United States Copyright Office within the Library of Congress, as provided by . The Office has been headed by a Register since 1897...
from 1944–1945 and one of the first United States copyright law
United States copyright law
The copyright law of the United States governs the legally enforceable rights of creative and artistic works under the laws of the United States.Copyright law in the United States is part of federal law, and is authorized by the U.S. Constitution...
scholars to suggest a completely disjunctive reading of the Copyright Clause
Copyright Clause
Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, known as the Copyright Clause, empowers the United States Congress:- Other Terms :This clause is also referred to as:* Copyright and Patent Clause* Patent and Copyright Clause...
.
De Wolf was born in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
in 1875. He attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
for two years before joining the U.S. Marines in 1899 and fighting in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. He first started working for the United States Copyright Office
United States Copyright Office
The United States Copyright Office, a part of the Library of Congress, is the official U.S. government body that maintains records of copyright registration in the United States. It is used by copyright title searchers who are attempting to clear a chain of title for copyrighted works.The head of...
in 1907. In 1913 he received his L.L.B. from George Washington University Law School, eventually leaving the Copyright Office in 1918 to practice law privately.
De Wolf worked for the Copyright Office on and off for the next several decades until being appointed acting Register of Copyrights on January 1, 1945 to replace Clement Lincoln Bouvé
Clement Lincoln Bouvé
Clement Lincoln Bouvé was the third Register of Copyrights in the United States Copyright Office. He was the first lawyer to serve as Register, and his administration of the Office was marked by attention to the formalities of United States copyright law, including the creation of a legal staff,...
. He served in that capacity until February 1, 1945, when Sam Bass Warner
Sam Bass Warner
Sam Bass Warner was the fourth Register of Copyrights in the United States Copyright Office.Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1889, Warner attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School...
was appointed the fourth Register of Copyrights. De Wolf died on March 8, 1947 and is buried in St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
.
Richard Crosby De Wolf is noted for being one of the earliest teachers of copyright law as a separate subject in the United States.
De Wolf is also noted as one of the earliest scholars to suggest a completely disjunctive reading of the Copyright Clause
Copyright Clause
Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, known as the Copyright Clause, empowers the United States Congress:- Other Terms :This clause is also referred to as:* Copyright and Patent Clause* Patent and Copyright Clause...
. The Clause, which gives Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
the power to grant both copyrights and patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s, states
"The Congress shall have Power . . . To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."De Wolf wrote in his book "An Outline of Copyright Law" that one could resolve this statement disjunctively, illustrating the separate grants of authority for copyrights and patents, so that it states "(1) The progress of science is to be promoted by securing to authors the right to their writings; and (2) the progress of useful arts is to be promoted by securing to inventors the right to their discoveries." The Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
endorsed this view in 1966 in Graham v. John Deere Co.
Graham v. John Deere Co.
Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1 , was a case in which the United States Supreme Court clarified the nonobviousness requirement in United States patent law, set forth in .-Facts and procedural history:...
, citing "An Outline of Copyright Law."
External links
- An Outline of Copyright Law by Richard Crosby De Wolf at Google Books.