American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law
The largest intellectual property organization in the United States has played a key role in the development of the American legal system's protection of intellectual property rights.

American Communication Association
Organization provides information on academic freedom, copyright, freedoms of speech, information and religion, privacy rights, and telecommunications law.  Site's Center for Communication Law links to various resources covering these topics.

American Film Marketing Association (AFMA)
Trade association of 130 production/distribution companies providing the independent motion picture and television industry with marketing support services.  Site links to film festivals, markets, trade associations and publications.

American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
Association of  attorneys specializing in IP law.  Site contains amicus curiae briefs, legislative developments and testimony, and general legal sites pertaining to IP.

American Law Sources On-line (ALSO)
ALSO provides compilation of links to all on-line sources of American law that are available without charge. Also links to sources on Canadian and Mexican law.  Site contains additional links to sources of commentary and practice aids.

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
Association of composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers which protects the rights of its members by licensing and paying royalties for the public performance of their copyrighted works.  ASCAP's Guide to Resources in the Music Business offers a comprehensive list of books, periodicals, directories, newsletters, professional associations, and web resources.

Berkman Center for Internet & Society
Harvard Law School's research program on cyberspace offers outstanding articles and links on a large variety of issues affecting the digital environment.  Particularly helpful is the information on the legal issues affecting the rise and use of MP3s.

Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI)
Performing rights organization representing songwriters, composers and music publishers which collects and pays royalties to its members.  BMI links to the major international authors societies and rights organizations, and to domestic legislative developments pertaining to copyright owners.

Business Software Alliance (BSA)
BSA represents the world's leading software developers before governments in the international marketplace. BSA's primary activities include educating computer users on software copyrights and fighting software piracy.  Site links to BSA's international offices and provides comprehensive information on encryption and legislative developments of concern to software copyright owners.

Catalaw
Catalogs worldwide law on the Internet.  Arranges indexes of law and government into "meta-index" enabling quick location of country and topic specific information.  Site  links to valuable resources in the fields of technology law, multimedia, and entertainment law with country specific subsections.

The Copyright Website
Site providing relevant copyright information concerning development in audio, visual and digital arts on the Internet.

Copyright and Fair Use: Stanford University Libraries
Provides links to wide array of primary materials and to current legislation and cases concerning copyright and fair use.

Copyright Society of the United States
The Copyright Society gathers and disseminates information concerning the protection and use of IP rights for the bar, industry and law schools.  Site links to copyright information resources all over the world.

Legal Information Institute (LII)
Outstanding resource by Cornell University offering online access to federal materials and international treaties as well as links to international organizations.  Information broken down into topical index.

Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA)
Trade association focused exclusively on serving the business and public affairs needs of companies publishing video games, computer games and games for the Internet.  IDSA operates a global anti-piracy program. Site's government affairs section details, among other things, its views on OSP/ISP liability for copyright infringement.

International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA)
Private sector coalition of seven trade associations (AAP, AFMA, BSA, IDSA, MPAA, NMPA, & RIAA) representing the related U.S. copyright-based industries in bilateral and multilateral efforts to improve international protection of copyrighted materials.  IIPA works with the U.S. Trade  Representative in preparing annual "Special 301" reviews detailing the acts, policies or practices of any foreign country deemed to deny effective protection of IP rights or fair market access to U.S. entities relying on IP protection.  Site has copies of country reports.

Kohn On Music Licensing
Site, run by the authors of the book of the same title, offers information on issues concerning copyright law and music licensing for use and distribution on the Internet.  Site informs about the Diamond Rio controversy, links to Bob Kohn's seminal article "Primer on the Law of Webcasting and Digital Music Delivery," and links to copyright, licensing and music industry resources.  Bob Kohn is the founder of Emusic.com, a super-eclectic Internet music site featuring virtually every genre.

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
MPAA advocates on behalf of the American motion picture, home video and television industries.  Site contains legislative updates on issues affecting the Motion Picture Industry.

Musicians' Intellectual Law & Resources Links
Maintained by a Portland, Oregon attorney, site does an excellent job of providing basic information and links to more comprehensive sources concerning copyrights in musical compositions, sound recordings, album artwork, band logos, and other areas of concern to musicians.

National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS)
The Recording Academy  represents the music community on issues such as intellectual property rights, home taping, record piracy, archiving and preservation and censorship concerns.  Known for the GRAMMY awards, the site offers hundreds of links to technology and recording industry sources of information.

National Music Publishers Association (NMPA)
NMPA works to interpret copyright law, educate the public about licensing, and safeguard the interests of its members. NMPA established the Harry Fox Agency, Inc. (HFA) in 1927 to provide an information source, clearinghouse and monitoring service for licensing musical copyrights.  The site links to information on music publishing, music publishers, international music rights societies, music industry resources, and general copyright resources.

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
RIAA is the primary trade group working to protect the IP rights of members of the recording industry. Comprised of the major recording companies, RIAA is constantly involved in litigation regarding new modes of digital delivery which may constitute infringing activities.  RIAA's site frequently updates RIAA's perspective on current legislation and litigation.

SESAC
SESAC is a technological leader among performing rights societies by utilizing Broadcast Data Systems and MusiCode watermark technology for performance tracking and royalty distribution.  Site contains legislative updates on issues affecting performing rights societies, and provides contact info for every member of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.  Trivia:  the name once signified by the acronym was abandoned some 70 years ago when the philosophy of the company changed.   Hint: This organization began by serving primarily European artists.

Software & Information Industry Association(SIIA)
SIAA, a merger of the Software Publishers Association (SPA) and the Information Industry Association (IIA), is now the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides its  members services for government relations, business development, corporate education and IP protection.  Site's Online Public Policy Library has articles on high tech policy issues.

U.S. Business Advisor
Maintained by Small Business Administration, site designed to be one-stop electronic link to all the information and services government provides for the business community. Excellent domestic and foreign legal and trade links.

U.S. Copyright Office
Page provides wealth of information, including Adobe format files of domestic laws and international treaties. Maintained by and linked to Library of Congress.

U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
FTC enforces a variety of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws.  Site offers wealth of information concerning FTC antitrust investigations, opinions, and actions.  Site links to additional related resources.

U.S. International Trade Administration
Trade Specialists at Department of Commerce who help U.S. businesses select foreign markets and work to ensure fair access in those markets.  Valuable links to international trade issues.

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
Home site for U.S. PTO, a non-commercial federal entity and one of 14 bureaus in the Department of Commerce (DOC), which examines and issues patents and examines and registers trademarks.  An invaluable source for information in these areas.  Particularly helpful are the links to over 35 foreign intellectual property offices.

U.S. Trade Representative Office
USTR is responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and leading or directing negotiations with other countries.  Among its most important activities is the development and coordination of trade-related intellectual property protection matters. Site offers Adobe Acrobat format files on a number of international trade agreements and press releases concerning issues within the WTO.

U.S. White House
Home site for the White House offers searchable archives of all White House documents, press briefings, radio addresses, Executive Orders, etc.  For example, the site offers a link to a comprehensive source of material on the December 1996 Framework for International Commerce on the Internet.