Celebrating 1978 ALISON HALL

Home , Andy Gibb, Blondes Have More Fun, Herman Wouk

This year, we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the current copyright law taking effect. The Copyright Act of 1976 was signed into law on October 19, 1976, and went into effect on January 1, 1978. Register of Copyrights Barbara Ringer spent many years—before and after becoming Register—writing the Act and pushing the legislation through Congress.

The year the law took effect was a big Grease also was registered as a motion year for creativity. Many albums, songs, picture in 1978. Other top box office hits movies, television shows, and books that registered that year include Dawn of the were registered with the Office that year Dead, Midnight Express, National Lampoon’s are still popular today. Here is a look back Animal House, Superman, and Invasion of Barbara Ringer, at some of the first works protected by the the Body Snatchers. The Library of Congress center, and Librarian new law. has added these last three titles to the of Congress Daniel Popular music in 1978 was a mix of rock, National Film Registry. Boorstin, right, disco, and easy listening. “Shadow Dancing” Many popular television shows celebrated the signing of the Copyright Act of by Andy Gibb topped Billboard’s Top Hot submitted their first registrations in 1978, 1976 with a huge gala 100 songs of the year. Gibb wrote the including Dallas, Taxi, Battlestar Galactica, for all Copyright staff song with his brothers Barry, Maurice, and The White Shadow, WKRP in Cincinnati, and in the Great Hall. Robin Gibb, and the sound recording was Mork & Mindy. Several classic shows sent registered with the Office on June 21, 1978. in their last new episode registrations that Other top songs registered with the Office year too, including The Six Million Dollar The way these works are delivered that year include “Three Times a Lady,” Man, The Bionic Woman, The Bob Newhart has changed in the past forty years—we written by Lionel Richie and recorded by the Show, Maude, Chico and the Man, and can instantly access most of them on our Commodores; “Copacabana,” lyrics by Bruce Rhoda. In later years, copyright owners of computers or mobile devices—but these Sussman and Jack Feldman, music and some of these shows registered re-releases classic works are still protected under recording by Barry Manilow; “Life’s Been on video or DVD. copyright law. Forty years from now, we Good,” written and recorded by Joe Walsh; 1978 was a great year for books too. don’t know how customers will be listening and “Baker Street,” written and recorded by Best sellers registered with the Office that to Ed Sheeran’s number one hit “Perfect,” Gerry Rafferty. Popular albums registered year include James Michener’s Chesapeake, watching popular movies and television in 1978 include 52nd Street by Billy Joel, Judith Kranz’s Scruples, Robert Lundlum’s shows like Black Panther or The Walking Some Girls by the Rolling Stones, Don’t Look The Holcroft Covenant, and Herman Wouk’s Dead, or reading Kristin Hannah’s current Back by Boston, Blondes Have More Fun by War and Remembrance. Lundlum’s story NY Times number one best-seller The Great Rod Stewart, and the soundtrack from the was later made into a movie, and Wouk’s Alone, but we do know these works are movie Grease. was made into a television miniseries. protected by their copyright registrations. 1