Give a brief description of the evolution of U.S. Copyright laws using approximate dates

Answer 1

1790 saw the first copyright law protecting maps, charts, and books for a 14-year term. In 1831, the Copyright Act amended to expand protection to musical compositions. In 1909, a compulsory licensing scheme and a royalty rate were created for "phonorecords.". In 1912 came the Copyright Act, amended to expand protection to motion pictures. In 1914 the ASCAP (American Society for Composers and Publishers) was formed. In 1971, the Copyright Act was amended to extend limited protection to recordings. In 1976, major revisions were made to U.S. copyright law, making protection extend to all creations "fixed in tangible medium of expression"—including radio and television. In 1984, the Supreme Court ruled in the Sony v. Betamax case that the use of VCRs by home viewers to "time-shift" television shows is a "fair use.". In 1994, the United States signed international treaty, Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS); also, Congress created penalties for bootlegging audio recordings of live performances and music videos. In 1995, the Digital Rights in Sound Recordings Act gave exclusive rights to holders of sound recordings to public play of digital versions. In 1998, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) banned technologies that facilitate infringement; also, the Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) (also known as the Sonny Bono Act) extended the period protecting all copyrights from 20 years to the author's life plus 70 years, longer if holder is a corporation. In 2002, the Sonny Bono Act extended copyright term to last 70 years beyond the author's life, or 100 years in the case of copyrights on "works made for hire" and owned by companies.