Playboy
Copyright information
Renewed issues
This includes all active issue renewals prior to 1964, when automatic renewals began. It might not show all renewals from 1964 onward.
- December 1953 (v. 1 no. 1)
- January 1954 (v. 1 no. 2)
- March 1954 (v. 1 no. 4)
- April 1954 (v. 1 no. 5)
- May 1954 (v. 1 no. 6)
- June 1954 (v. 1 no. 7)
- July 1954 (v. 1 no. 8)
- August 1954 (v. 1 no. 9)
- September 1954 (v. 1 no. 10)
- October 1954 (v. 1 no. 11)
- November 1954 (v. 1 no. 12)
- December 1954 (v. 2 no. 1)
- January 1955 (v. 2 no. 2)
- February 1955 (v. 2 no. 3)
- April 1955 (v. 2 no. 4)
- May 1955 (v. 2 no. 5)
- June 1955 (v. 2 no. 6)
- July 1955 (v. 2 no. 7)
- August 1955 (v. 2 no. 8)
- September 1955 (v. 2 no. 9)
- October 1955 (v. 2 no. 10)
- November 1955 (v. 2 no. 11)
- December 1955 (v. 2 no. 12)
- January 1956 (v. 3 no. 1)
- February 1956 (v. 3 no. 2)
- March 1956 (v. 3 no. 3)
- April 1956 (v. 3 no. 4)
- May 1956 (v. 3 no. 5)
- June 1956 (v. 3 no. 6)
- July 1956 (v. 3 no. 7)
- August 1956 (v. 3 no. 8)
- September 1956 (v. 3 no. 9)
- October 1956 (v. 3 no. 10)
- November 1956 (v. 3 no. 11)
- December 1956 (v. 3 no. 12)
- January 1957 (v. 4 no. 1)
- February 1957 (v. 4 no. 2)
- March 1957 (v. 4 no. 3)
- April 1957 (v. 4 no. 4); Online renewal record gives issue number as 3, but logically it would be 4.
- May 1957 (v. 4 no. 5)
- June 1957 (v. 4 no. 6)
- July 1957 (v. 4 no. 7)
- August 1957 (v. 4 no. 8)
- September 1957 (v. 4 no. 9)
- October 1957 (v. 4 no. 10)
- November 1957 (v. 4 no. 11)
- December 1957 (v. 4 no. 12)
- January 1958 (v. 5 no. 1)
- February 1958 (v. 5 no. 2)
- March 1958 (v. 5 no. 3)
- April 1958 (v. 5 no. 4)
- May 1958 (v. 5 no. 5)
- June 1958 (v. 5 no. 6)
- July 1958 (v. 5 no. 7)
- August 1958 (v. 5 no. 8)
- September 1958 (v. 5 no. 9)
- October 1958 (v. 5 no. 10)
- November 1958 (v. 5 no. 11)
- December 1958 (v. 5 no. 12)
- January 1959 (v. 6 no. 1)
- February 1959 (v. 6 no. 2)
- March 1959 (v. 6 no. 3)
- April 1959 (v. 6 no. 4)
- May 1959 (v. 6 no. 5)
- June 1959 (v. 6 no. 6)
- July 1959 (v. 6 no. 7)
- August 1959 (v. 6 no. 8)
- September 1959 (v. 6 no. 9)
- October 1959 (v. 6 no. 10)
- November 1959 (v. 6 no. 11)
- December 1959 (v. 6 no. 12)
- January 1960 (v. 7 no. 1)
- February 1960 (v. 7 no. 2)
- March 1960 (v. 7 no. 3)
- April 1960 (v. 7 no. 4)
- May 1960 (v. 7 no. 5)
- June 1960 (v. 7 no. 6)
- July 1960 (v. 7 no. 7)
- August 1960 (v. 7 no. 8)
- September 1960 (v. 7 no. 9)
- October 1960 (v. 7 no. 10)
- November 1960 (v. 7 no. 11)
- December 1960 (v. 7 no. 12)
- January 1961 (v. 8 no. 1)
- February 1961 (v. 8 no. 2)
- March 1961 (v. 8 no. 3)
- April 1961 (v. 8 no. 4)
- May 1961 (v. 8 no. 5)
- June 1961 (v. 8 no. 6)
- July 1961 (v. 8 no. 7)
- August 1961 (v. 8 no. 8)
- September 1961 (v. 8 no. 9)
- October 1961 (v. 8 no. 10)
- November 1961 (v. 8 no. 11)
- December 1961 (v. 8 no. 12)
- January 1962 (v. 9 no. 1)
- February 1962 (v. 9 no. 2)
- March 1962 (v. 9 no. 3)
- April 1962 (v. 9 no. 4)
- May 1962 (v. 9 no. 5)
- June 1962 (v. 9 no. 6)
- July 1962 (v. 9 no. 7)
- August 1962 (v. 9 no. 8)
- September 1962 (v. 9 no. 9)
- October 1962 (v. 9 no. 10)
- November 1962 (v. 9 no. 11)
- December 1962 (v. 9 no. 12)
- January 1963 (v. 10 no. 1)
- February 1963 (v. 10 no. 2)
- March 1963 (v. 10 no. 3)
- April 1963 (v. 10 no. 4)
- May 1963 (v. 10 no. 5)
- June 1963 (v. 10 no. 6)
- July 1963 (v. 10 no. 7)
- August 1963 (v. 10 no. 8)
- September 1963 (v. 10 no. 9)
- October 1963 (v. 10 no. 10)
- November 1963 (v. 10 no. 11)
- December 1963 (v. 10 no. 12)
- January 1964 (v. 11 no. 1), © December 12, 1963
Renewed contributions
This listing shows selected contribution renewals, and should not be considered complete.
- January 1954 (v. 1 no. 2): "Bird of Prey", by John Collier [Permissions] (While there was no renewal filed specifically for this contribution, this story is reprinted from the 1941 short story collection 'Presenting Moonshine', and that book has a copyright renewal active through 2036.)
- February 1954 (v. 1 no. 3): "New Cabin", by Erskine Caldwell [Permissions] (While there was no renewal filed specifically for this contribution, this story is reprinted from the July 1936 issue of 'College Humor', and that publication of the story has a copyright renewal active through 2031.)
- March 1954 (v. 1 no. 4): "Fahrenheit 451" (part 1 of 3), by Ray Bradbury [Permissions] (While there was no renewal filed specifically for this contribution, it is reprinted from the 1953 book of the same title, and that book has a copyright renewal active through 2048.)
- March 1954 (v. 1 no. 4): "Medicine Man", by Erskine Caldwell [Permissions] (While there was no renewal filed specifically for this contribution, this story is reprinted from the 1933 short story collection 'We Are the Living', and that book has a copyright renewal active through 2028.)
- April 1954 (v. 1 no. 5): "Fahrenheit 451" (part 2 of 3), by Ray Bradbury [Permissions] (While there was no renewal filed specifically for this contribution, it is reprinted from the 1953 book of the same title, and that book has a copyright renewal active through 2048.)
- May 1954 (v. 1 no. 6): "Fahrenheit 451" (part 3 of 3), by Ray Bradbury [Permissions] (While there was no renewal filed specifically for this contribution, it is reprinted from the 1953 book of the same title, and that book has a copyright renewal active through 2048.)
- June 1954 (v. 1 no. 7): "A Woman of Fifty", by W. Somerset Maugham [Permissions] (While there was no renewal filed specifically for this contribution, this story is reprinted from the May 1946 issue of 'Good Housekeeping', and that publication of the story has a copyright renewal active through 2041.)
- August 1954 (v. 1 no. 9): "The Flying Machine", by Ray Bradbury [Permissions] (While there was no renewal filed specifically for this contribution, this story is reprinted from the 1953 short story collection 'The Golden Apples of the Sun', and that book has a copyright renewal active through 2048.)
- September 1954 (v. 1 no. 10): "Roll Out the Rolov!", by Christopher Anvil (using the name Harry C. Crosby) [Permissions] (While there was no renewal filed specifically for this contribution, this story is reprinted from the November 1953 issue of 'Imagination', and that publication of the story has a copyright renewal active through 2048.)
- October 1954 (v. 1 no. 11): "Hollywood and the Gladiators", by Ray Russell [Permissions] (This is the earliest active contribution copyright we have found whose renewal record specifically mentions Playboy.)
- February 1955 (v. 2 no. 3): "The Most Horrible Story in the World", by John Jakes
- February 1955 (v. 2 no. 3): "Playboy's Valentines", by Ray Russell [Permissions]
- April 1955 (v. 2 no. 4): "Red Beans & Ricely Yours", by Charles Beaumont [Permissions]
- April 1955 (v. 2 no. 4): "The Hunger", by Charles Beaumont [Permissions]
- May 1955 (v. 2 no. 5): "The Murder of Conan Doyle", by Ray Russell [Permissions]
- July 1955 (v. 2 no. 7): "There's Gold in Them High, Proud Hills", by Ray Russell [Permissions]
- August 1955 (v. 2 no. 8): "The Crooked Man", by Charles Beaumont [Permissions]
- September 1955 (v. 2 no. 9): "Spy Story", by Robert Sheckley [Permissions]
- November 1955 (v. 2 no. 11): "Burnt Toast", by Mack Reynolds [Permissions]
- December 1955 (v. 2 no. 12): "A Classic Affair", by Charles Beaumont [Permissions]
- December 1955 (v. 2 no. 12): "A Lady's Honor; Playboy's Christmas Cards, I", by Ray Russell [Permissions]
- January 1956 (v. 3 no. 1): "Advice About Women", by Erskine Caldwell [Permissions]
- January 1956 (v. 3 no. 1): "Last Will and Testament", by Ray Russell [Permissions]
- January 1956 (v. 3 no. 1): "I Like Blondes", by Robert Bloch [Permissions]
- February 1956 (v. 3 no. 2): "Playwright on a Hot Tin Roof", by Ray Russell [Permissions]
- May 1956 (v. 3 no. 5): "The Shooting of Judge Price", by Erskine Caldwell [Permissions]
- July 1956 (v. 3 no. 7): "The Truckdriver", by Alberto Moravia [Permissions]
- September 1956 (v. 3 no. 9): "Love, Inc.", by Robert Sheckley [Permissions]
- September 1956 (v. 3 no. 9): "Hemingway" (installment), by Jed Kiley
- October 1956 (v. 3 no. 10): "Put Them All Together They Spell Monster", by Ray Russell [Permissions]
- October 1956 (v. 3 no. 10): "Hemingway" (installment), by Jed Kiley
- November 1956 (v. 3 no. 11): "Hemingway" (installment), by Jed Kiley
- December 1956 (v. 3 no. 12): "Playboys' Christmas Cards, II", by Ray Russell [Permissions]
- December 1956 (v. 3 no. 12): "Hemingway" (installment), by Jed Kiley
- January 1957 (v. 4 no. 1): "The Hustler: A Short Story", by Walter S. Tevis [Permissions] (Author name as given in FictionMags. Online renewal record spells last name as 'Trevis'.)
- January 1957 (v. 4 no. 1): "In a Season of Calm Weather", by Ray Bradbury [Permissions]
- January 1957 (v. 4 no. 1): "The Mask and the Maiden", by John Collier [Permissions]
Additional note
Some early issues reprinted stories from other publications. We have not systematically checked the copyrights of such reprints, though we did notice the renewed copyright of some of them, including the one we currently list as the first renewed contribution.
Page information
| Page responsibility: | John Mark Ockerbloom (ockerblo (at) pobox (dot) upenn (dot) edu) |
| Last updated: | November 9, 2025 |
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Copyright registration and renewal records -- First periodical renewals -- Deep backfile knowledge base
Edited by John Mark Ockerbloom (onlinebooks@pobox.upenn.edu)
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