Founder of Modern Copyright Law Dies

Former Register of Copyrights, Barbara Ringer, passed away on April 9th in Lexington, VA. She was 83 years old. Ringer served as Register of Copyrights from 1973-1980 and as Acting Register from 1993-1994. She is often referred to as the founder of the modern copyright law.  Although I unfortunately never had the opportunity to meet her, I have had the privilege of working with or for many of her disciples and associates. These people – and even those who never had such a close relationship – clearly revered her. They considered her a friend, mentor, leader and an inspiration. The copyright community has suffered a huge loss with Barbara’s passing. A special edition of “Copyright Notices,” (the Copyright Office’s in-house publication) honoring Barbara’s memory can be found on the Copyright Office website.