Barbara Ringer

The lead drafter of the 1976 US Copyright Act and first woman to be appointed Register of Copyrights.

One of the most influential figures in the history of copyright law over a long career that began in the late 1940s and ended in the 1990s. She played a key role in the drafting international copyright treaties and served as director of UNESCO’s Copyright Division. Ringer was given the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service in 1977. By the time of her death in 2009, she is said to have amassed a collection of 20,000 movies, which were willed to Library of Congress.