William Lincoln Brown
Encyclopedia
William Lincoln Brown was the second Register of Copyrights
(1934-1936) in the United States Copyright Office
. He presided over the office during a time when Congress
was active in proposing copyright
legislation
in the wake of the 1909 Copyright Act and leading up to the Copyright Act of 1976
.
Born in Brewster, Massachusetts
, in 1862, William Lincoln Brown became chief of the
Bookkeeping Division of the Copyright Office in 1907, rising to chief clerk shortly afterward. He left the Office in 1917 to become officer of the American Library Association's War Service Committee but returned three years later. Brown performed as acting Register of Copyrights upon Thorvald Solberg
's retirement in 1930 until being officially named to the position.
A retirement notice in the 1937 annual report of the Register of Copyrights described Brown as "a quiet and competent administrator, a man of high personal ideals, and a strong sense of duty and justice."
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...
(1934-1936) in 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...
. He presided over the office during a time when 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....
was active in proposing copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
in the wake of the 1909 Copyright Act and leading up to the Copyright Act of 1976
Copyright Act of 1976
The Copyright Act of 1976 is a United States copyright law and remains the primary basis of copyright law in the United States, as amended by several later enacted copyright provisions...
.
Born in Brewster, Massachusetts
Brewster, Massachusetts
Brewster is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod. The population of Brewster was 9,820 at the 2010 census.Brewster is twinned with the town of Budleigh Salterton in the United Kingdom....
, in 1862, William Lincoln Brown became chief of the
Bookkeeping Division of the Copyright Office in 1907, rising to chief clerk shortly afterward. He left the Office in 1917 to become officer of the American Library Association's War Service Committee but returned three years later. Brown performed as acting Register of Copyrights upon Thorvald Solberg
Thorvald Solberg
Thorvald Solberg was the first Register of Copyrights in the United States Copyright Office. He was a noted authority on copyright and played an instrumental role in shaping the Copyright Act of 1909.-Early life:...
's retirement in 1930 until being officially named to the position.
A retirement notice in the 1937 annual report of the Register of Copyrights described Brown as "a quiet and competent administrator, a man of high personal ideals, and a strong sense of duty and justice."