The James Madison Memorial Building is one of three United States Capitol Complex buildings that house the Library of Congress. The building was constructed from 1971 to 1976, and serves as the official memorial to United States Founding Father and president James Madison. It is located between First and Second Streets SE on Independence Avenue, across from the main library Thomas Jefferson Building, in Washington, D.C. In addition to various book and multimedia collections, it houses the United States Copyright Office, which is under the administration of the Librarian of Congress.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 James Madison Memorial Building in the context of United States Copyright Office
The United States Copyright Office (USCO), a part of the Library of Congress, is a United States government body that registers copyright claims, records information about copyright ownership, provides information to the public, and assists Congress and other parts of the government on a wide range of copyright issues. It maintains online records of copyright registration and recorded documents within the copyright catalog, which is used by copyright title researchers who are attempting to clear a chain of title for copyrighted works.
The Register of Copyrights heads the Copyright Office. Shira Perlmutter was the 14th and most recent Register, serving from October 26, 2020 until May 10, 2025.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: James Madison Memorial Building
- 👉 James Madison Memorial Building in the context of United States Copyright Office
- James Madison Memorial Building in the context of Thomas Jefferson Building
- James Madison Memorial Building in the context of Register of Copyrights
- James Madison Memorial Building in the context of Mary Pickford Theater
James Madison Memorial Building in the context of Thomas Jefferson Building
The Thomas Jefferson Building, also known as the Main Library, is the oldest of the Library of Congress buildings in Washington, D.C. Built between 1890 and 1897, it was initially known as the Library of Congress Building. In 1980, the building was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), a Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third U.S. president. In 1815, the purchase of Jefferson's book collection formed a core foundation for the library's collection.
The building is located on First Street, S.E. between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C., across from the United States Capitol on Capitol Hill. It is adjacent to the library's additional buildings in the Library of Congress complex, the John Adams Building (built in the 1930s) across Second Street, and the James Madison Memorial Building (built in the 1970s) across Independence Avenue to the south.
James Madison Memorial Building in the context of Register of Copyrights
The Register of Copyrights is the director of the United States Copyright Office within the Library of Congress, as provided by 17 U.S.C. § 701. The Office has been headed by a Register since 1897. The Register is appointed by, and responsible to, the Librarian of Congress, with the Register's office located in the Library's James Madison Memorial Building.
Although the title suggests a clerical role, Registers of Copyrights have been responsible for creating the procedures and practices of the Copyright Office and establishing standards for registration of copyright. They have increasingly been responsible for setting or influencing United States copyright policy. Today the Register is responsible for administering rulemaking procedures and producing authoritative interpretations of some aspects of U.S. copyright law, as well as advising the Librarian of Congress on the triennial proceeding on exceptions to the anticircumvention rules of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The Register also routinely testifies before Congress on copyright policy matters.
James Madison Memorial Building in the context of Mary Pickford Theater
The Mary Pickford Theater, named in honor of silent film star Mary Pickford, is the "motion picture and television reading room" of the United States' Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. It is on the third floor of the Library of Congress Madison building in downtown Washington. The theater screens classic and contemporary movies and television shows, often organized by theme. All screenings are free, though reservations must be made, as the theater accommodates only 64 people.
In 2020, showings were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.