Preface and Bibliographic Note

• Author: Robert A. Gorman
• Profession: University of Virginia School of Law

The purpose of this monograph is to serve as an introduction to, and starting point for research about, the law of copyright. It cannot feasiblbe minutely detailed in its text or heavily annotated in its footnotes.

Fortunately, there are a number of longer works of high quality that cabe recomrnended to serve those latter purposes. For nearly thirty yearsthe masterful multi-volume treatise, constantly cited by the courts, habeen that of the late Professor Melville Nimmer: M. & D. NimmerNimmer on Copyright. It has now been joined by an equally outstandinmulti-volume treatise by Professor Paul Goldstein, titled simplCopyright. Both works are regularly updated.

Single-volume treatises that can be recommended, and that arsomewhat more detailed than this monograph, are M. LeafferUnderstanding Copyright Law (1989), and W. Patry, Latman's The CopyrighLaw (6th ed. 1986). For a particularly thorough discussion of thimportant subject of fair use, see W. Patry, The Fair Use Privilege iCopyright Law (1985).

There are two research services that provide current updates ocopyright developments and decisions. These are published by Commerce Clearing House and by the Bureau of National Affairs (BNPatent, Trademark & Copyright Journal). The United States Patent Quarterlalso publishes advance sheets containing decisions in the fields opatents, trademarks, and copyright. The relatively few federal districcourt copyright...