publication

A publication is the act of making something known to the public at large to inspect or scrutinize. This is done to convey knowledge or give notice .

In the context of copyright law, publication is an important concept and has a very technical meaning. According to 17 U.S.C. §101 , “Publication is the distribution of copies or phonorecords of a work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership (i.e., a rental, lease , or lending). The offering to distribute copies or phonorecords to a group of persons for purposes of further distribution, public performance, or public display constitutes publication. A public performance or display of a work does not of itself constitute publication.”

Generally, publication occurs on the date on which copies of the work are first made available to the public.

[Last reviewed in May of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

Keywords

• copyright law
• intellectual property

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