Copyright Renewal Search Tool

This little tool is to help research the copyright status of works published before 1964. There are 4 places to look for a renewal record.

Copyright Office

Start your search at the office of copyright: Copyright Office Search (link opens in new window)

https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First

Stanford University's searchable database

Stanford - copyright renewals (link opens in new window) This is for books only, not magazines. If a "book" was published in a magazine, then you won't find it here.

https://exhibits.stanford.edu/copyrightrenewals

Magazine Renewal Records

Magazine Renewals - look through a digitized set of all pertanent renewal records for issues of magazines. Thanks to gutenburg volunteers for correcting original scans, and thanks to John at Wildside Press for putting all these in a single file. Someday this search will be a little prettier, but at least it works. Just use the little "Find" box (click on the magnifying glass) to search through the page for instances of the magazine's name.

Author Renewal Records

Author Renewals - search a digitized set of renewals of individual stories filed by the authors. Thanks to gutenburg volunteers for correcting original scans, and thanks to John at Wildside Press for putting all these in a single file.

Magazine Renewal Search

These are renewals of magazine issues, renewed by the owners of a magazine. If there are a lot of results, you can use the magnifying glass in the lower right corner to search the visible page for a specific term, and then click through the results. names, titles, and publication dates are useful search terms.

Remember to check the Library of Congress web site for magazine issues published after 1950!

10 Story Detective - no renewals here.
10 Story Fantasy - no renewals here.
AIR WONDER STORIES - no renewals here.
Amazing stories - no renewals listed here.
Astounding - first renewal v.12, no. 2, Oct 1933.
Collier's - June 6, 1931 - April 9, 1932 (NO OTHER MAG RENEWALS)
detective fiction weekly starts 1 August 1928  - stops at 1941
Detective Story Magazine - renewals start 12-15-1925
Double Action Western - no renewals listed here.
Fantastic Adventures - no renewals listed here.
Fantastic universe - no renewals here.
flying saucers from other worlds - no renewals
Future science fiction - no renewals here.
Gold Seal Detective - no renewals here.
IF / Worlds of IF - no renewals here.
Imagination - no renewals here.
Infinity Science Fiction - no renewals here.
Jungle Stories - No renewals here.
Marvel Science Stories - only 1 issue renewed (Nov 1950)
OTHER WORLDS - only 1 issue renewed (v. 1, no. 3, Mar50)
Out of This World Adventures - no renewals here.
Planet stories - no renewals here.
POPULAR DETECTIVE -  starts December 1935
Real Western Stories - no renewals here.
Saturday Evening Post. © (PCW) - 30 Dec 1950 LAST ONE!
Saturn science fiction - no renewals here.
science fiction adventures - no renewals here.
Science fiction quarterly - no renewals here.
SHORT STORIES - starts Aug 10 1925
Super-Science Fiction - no renewals here.
Ten detective Aces - no renewals here.
Top Notch - renewed
Venture - no renewals here.
Vortex - no renewals here.
WONDER STORIES - no renewals  here. (See Thrilling Wonder for renewals)

Author Renewal Search

These are renewals of individual stories, as filed for renewal by the individual authors. If there are a lot of results, you can use the magnifying glass in the lower right corner to search the visible page for a specific term, and then click through the results. names, titles, and publication dates are useful search terms.