Re: Copyright Office Database Access

4 replies
136 lines, 4456 bytes

On 10/15/96, Gene Somers <gsomers[_at_]atc.boeing.com> wrote:
>
> Sorry to use this listserv for such a mundane request. It has been a
> long time since I've used the Copyright Office's database to find the
> registered holder of a copyright. It used to be that one could enter
> it by re-entering the word 'marvel' as the password. I can get to
> their homepage on the WWW, but when I choose the registration files,
> I get an error message telling me I cannot connect to Telnet from the
> Web. I would appreciate it if someone could provide the e-mail address,
> user name to use, and password. Please send to gsomers[_at_]atc.boeing.com.

[1]
From: "Spectrum Press" <specpress[_at_]earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 11:48:16 -0600
Subject: Re: Copyright Office Database Access

To connect via Telnet from a Web browser, you need to have a Telnet program associated with the browser in your computer. Such Telnet programs are freely available. You stick one on your hard drive, then tell your browser where it's located (by configuring it). You cannot access the search engine of the USCO via Email.

Dan Agin
Spectrum Press
specpress[_at_]earthlink.net

[2]
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 96 12:57:34 EDT
From: Paul Dzus <pdzus[_at_]MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Copyright Office Database Access

To access the Library of Congress Information Service (with catalog holdings and copyright info), you need to Telnet to the following address:

        locis.loc.gov

There is no login or password required! [I think 'Marvel' is their Gopher server.]

You can access it from ''http://lcweb.loc.gov/homepage/online.html if you have the software to Telnet.

Good luck!

Paul K. Dzus
Subsidiary Rights Manager
The MIT Press Journals
55 Hayward Street, E39-350
Cambridge, MA 02142-1399 USA

Telephone	(617) 253-2864
FAX		(617) 258-5028
e-mail:		pdzus[_at_]mit.edu or journals-rights[_at_]mit.edu

[3]
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 16:24:06 -0400 (EDT) From: "Carol A. Kilroy" <ckil[_at_]loc.gov>
Subject: Re: Copyright Office Database Access

     Public access to LC-Marvel was discontinued some time ago for security reasons. (You used to telnet to marvel & THEN use marvel as the Login)

     As you probably know, you can access many circulars and forms & other recent Copyright news throught the WWW site. There is a link to the online files (LOCIS), too. However, if your service provider doesn't have telnet capability (AOL, Compuserve and some of the other big services don't) you can't get into LOCIS. I discovered this drawback while in the middle of an Office presentation given in NYC on searching our files. Just luckily, I had the phone number so I could dial in through my own account here.

     The current C.O. circular SL-10, "What's New Online at the Copyright Office" gives three methods of accessing the online records:

     WWW site:

          http://www.loc.gov/copyright

     Gopher address (again your provider must have gopher capability):

          marvel.loc.gov port 70

     Telnet directly to LOCIS:

          locis.loc.gov

     I hope this helps. The circular is available by calling the Public Information Office.

Carol Kilroy
Copyright Cataloging Division/Technical Support Section ckil[_at_]loc.gov

[4]
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 1996 08:44:01 -0400
From: George Galt <ggalt[_at_]us.net>
Subject: Re: Copyright Office Database Access

Gene:

The problem that you are encountering is that the Copyright Office's database is not a WAIS server. There is no graphical interface to the database, you must use a "telnet" client (i.e., a terminal, character based client) to access the database.

The easiest thing to do is to log on to the Internet through a dial-up line using a standard communications package like Procomm or Hyperterminal (or even the Windows terminal program). Once you have logged in through a dial-up connection simply type in the command: telnet locis.loc.gov and you will be presented with a character based menu that allows you to search the Copyright Office records (as well as other Library of Congress databases).

Alternatively, if you access the Internet over your network (i.e., you have access to TCP/IP over your network) you can simply launch a telnet client (Trumpet makes one that is widely available over the Internet). Enter the address above (i.e., locis.loc.gov) and you will be at the above mentioned menu.

Good Luck

George Galt
ggalt[_at_]us.net
galtg[_at_]dbr.com
(202) 842-8889 Received on Thu Oct 17 1996 - 20:45:07 GMT