He was the first lawyer to serve as Register, and his administration of the Office was marked by attention to the formalities of United States copyright law, including the creation of a legal staff, the establishment of an Examining Section, and the formation of a Revisory Board.

Prior to becoming Register, he worked as Assistant United States District Attorney for Manila, the Panamanian Commission, and as an agent of the United States before the General and Special Claims Commission during boundary discussions with Mexico.

In 1912, Bouvé authored "A Treatise on the Laws Governing the Exclusion and Expulsion of Aliens in the United States," considered to be one of the first authoritative legal works on the subject.

He died weeks later, on January 14, 1944, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

[4] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Copyright Office.