Your statement is an early form of copyright statement. From the
Copyright Office home page:


     The Constitution gives Congress the power to enact laws
establishing a system of copyright in the
     United States. Congress enacted the first Federal copyright law in
May 1790, and the first work was
     registered within two weeks. Originally, claims were recorded by
Clerks of U.S. District Courts. Not until
     1870 were copyright functions centralized in the Library of
Congress under the direction of the then
     Librarian of Congress Ainsworth Rand Spofford. The Copyright
Office became a separate department of
     the Library of Congress in 1897, and Thorvald Solberg was
appointed the first Register of Copyrights.

Anthony

Anthony R.D. Franks
Cooperative Cataloging Program Specialist
Library of Congress
202-707-2822 (voice)
202-252-2082 (fax)

>>> [log in to unmask] 10/03/03 10:28AM >>>
Although this is not strictly a NACO question, I am hoping that one of
you on the list can provide some insight.  One of my co-workers has
approached me with a music libretto whose verso contains the
statement,
"Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860 ... in the
Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of
Massachusetts."  The question is, does this constitute a copyright
statement?  Can it be given in the 260 field as a copyright date?  We
looked in the LCRI for 1.4F and didn't come up with anything.

Thanks for your help.

Ken
-
***************************************
*  Kenneth Javonovich
*  Catalog Unit
*  Chicago Public Library
*  400 S State St 9S-18
*  Chicago IL 60605-1216
*  Phone: (312) 747-4660
*  Fax:   (312) 747-4667
*  E-mail: [log in to unmask]
****************************************