Sec. 4955. Copyrights shall be assignable in law, by an instrument of writing, and such assignment shall be recorded in the office of the Librarian of Congress within sixty days after its execution; in default of which it shall be void as against any subsequent purchaser or mortgage for a valuable consideration, without notice.

Before copyright, the rights of an author may be assigned by parol.21 in this or any foreign country, deliver at the office of the Librarian of Congress, or deposit in the mail within the United States, addressed to the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, District of Columbia, a printed copy of the title of the book, map, chart, dramatic or musical composition, engraving, cut, print, photograph, or chromo, or a description of the painting, drawing, statute, statuary, or a model or design for a work of the fine arts for which he desires a copyright, nor unless he shall also, not later than the day of the publication thereof in this or any foreign country, deliver at the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, District of Columbia, or deposit in the mail within the United States, addressed to the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, District of Columbia, two copies of such copyright book, map, chart, dramatic or musical composition, engraving, chromo, cut, print, or photograph, or in case of a painting, drawing statue, statuary, model, or design for a work of the fine arts, a photograph of same: Provided, That in the case of a book, photograph, chromo, or lithograph, the two copies of the same required to be delivered or deposited as above shall be printed from type set within the limits of the United States, or from plates made therefrom, or from negatives, or drawings on stone made within the limits of the United States, or from transfers made therefrom.

Deposit of Title and Published Copies - Importations. Sec. 4956. No person shall be entitled to a copyright unless he shall, on or before the day of publication

21 Callaghan vs. Myers, 128 U. S., 167.

During the existence of such copyright the importation into the United States of any book, chromo, lithograph, or photograph, so copyrighted, or any edition or editions thereof, or any plates of the same not made from type set, negatives, or drawings on stone made within the limits of the United States, shall be, and it is hereby, prohibited, except in the cases specified in paragraphs five hundred and twelve to five hundred and sixteen, inclusive, in section two of the act entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize the duties on imports, and for other purposes," approved October first, eighteen hundred and ninety; and except in the case of persons purchasing for use and not for sale, who import subject to the duty thereon, not more than two copies of such book at any one time; and except in the case of newspapers and magazines, not containing in whole or in part matter copyrighted under the provisions of this act, unauthorized by the author, which are hereby exempted from prohibition of importation; Provided, nevertheless, That in the case of books in foreign languages, on which only translations in English are copyrighted the prohibition of importation shall apply only to the translation of the same, and the importation of the books in the original language shall be permitted.

To secure a copyright of a book or a dramatic composition, the work must be published within a reasonable time after the filing of the title page.22

The requirements of the statutes as to filing, must be strictly complied with.23