Clement Lincoln Bouvé (May 27, 1878 - January 14, 1944), lawyer and third Register of Copyrights in the United States, was born in Hingham, Massachusetts. He attended private schools in Germany and Switzerland for his primary education as well as the Roxbury Massachusetts Latin School. Bouvé received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and later attended Harvard Law School.

He led a distinguished legal career, serving as Assistant United States District Attorney for Manila, a member of the Panamanian Commission to adjust claims arising from the Canal Zone purchase, and as an agent of the United States before the General and Special Claims Commission during boundary discussions with Mexico. Bouvé also earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army after serving in the Field Artillery in France during World War I and in the Army of Occupation in Germany.

In 1900, Bouvé joined the staff of the Cuban Summer School at Harvard as an Instructor of English.

In 1912, he authored a 915-book titled “A Treatise on the Laws Governing the Exclusion and Expulsion of Aliens in the United States” after practicing international and federal law in Washington, D.C. for a number of years.

On August 1, 1936, Bouvé became the first lawyer to be appointed Register of Copyrights in the United States. His tenure as Register was notable for the improvements he led in the structural organization of the Office as well as for his energy and dedication to the project of obtaining strict compliance with copyright statutes. His administration created a legal staff, established an Examining Section as a first pass for all copyright applications, and formed a Revisionary Board to review any application appeals post rejection.

The Copyright Catalog developed under his administration was the first to combine into one alphabet all entries representing all authors, claimants, and titles for all types of registered copyrighted works.

Clement Lincoln Bouvé married Mary McLean. Together, they had four children.

Bouvé retired from his post on December 31, 1943 due to ill health. He died two weeks later on January 14, 1944 in Arlington, Virginia. He was buried in Arlington Cemetery.