Page:Compendium of US Copyright Office Practices (1973).pdf/446

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
S-91

appear in connection with the name of the copyright claimant or the name of the author shown on the application, or, preferably, both. For example, assuming that the name in the notice contains the pseudonym "WILLS DREIGH," the claimant should be identified on the application as follows: "WELLS, DREIGH, pseudonym of Eli Winthrop." The name of the author on the application should be accompanied by his pseudonym within parentheses: "Eli Winthrop (WILLS DREIGH)." Whenever there is a difference be­tween the name in the notice on the copies and the name of the copyright claimant given on the application, the discrepancy may be resolved by adding an annotation to both the application and certificate, provided, of course, the relationship between the two names is explicitly disclosed elsewhere on the application.

NOTE: It is clear that nothing in the law prevents the author from writing under a pseudonym or remaining anonymous. No problem arises unless the pseudonym or fictitious name appears in the copyright notice. When an author wishes to conceal his identity, he may wish to arrange with his publisher so that at the time of first publication his publisher (or another) will be "the person or organization legally entitled to the copyright."