U.S. Copyright Act (Title 17)
The Copyright Act is Title 17 of the United States Code. It is the federal statute that says what copyright protects, what rights it gives the owner, how long they last, and what happens when someone crosses them. The index below paraphrases the provisions most creators and filers actually meet so you can find the right one before reading the statute text.
How Title 17 is organised
The Act is grouped by stage in the life of a work rather than by topic. Chapter 1 sets out what is protected and the exclusive rights, including the fair use limitation. Chapter 2 covers who owns the copyright. Chapter 3 sets the term. Chapter 4 governs registration and notice. Chapter 5 handles infringement and remedies, and Chapter 12 adds the DMCA's anti-circumvention rules.
Section 102 makes the dividing line explicit: copyright protects the expression of an idea — a particular song, photograph, or article — but never the idea, procedure, system, or method of operation behind it. This single sentence decides more disputes than any other.
The provisions filers meet most
| Section | Chapter | Title | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 U.S.C. § 101 | Ch. 1 | Definitions | Defines the terms used throughout the Act: the eight categories of works of authorship, 'fixed in a tangible medium', 'derivative work', 'compilation', 'joint work', 'work made for hire', and 'useful article'. Most arguments about what can be protected start here. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 102 | Ch. 1 | Subject matter of copyright | Lists the eight categories of protectable works (literary, musical, dramatic, pantomime and dance, pictorial/graphic/sculptural, motion pictures, sound recordings, architectural) and states in the second sentence what copyright never protects: ideas, procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation, concepts, principles, or discoveries. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 103 | Ch. 1 | Compilations and derivative works | Confirms that compilations (such as databases) and derivative works (such as translations and remakes) are protected, but only in the author's own original contribution — not in the underlying material. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 104 | Ch. 1 | National origin of copyright | Sets out whose works are eligible for U.S. protection: U.S. works, works from countries that are Berne Convention members or otherwise covered by treaty, and works first published in the United States. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 105 | Ch. 1 | Copyright in U.S. Government works | Works prepared by an officer or employee of the federal government within the scope of employment are not protected by copyright in the United States. State and local government works can still be protected. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 106 | Ch. 1 | Exclusive rights | Grants the owner the five headline rights — reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute, perform publicly, and display publicly — plus a sixth, digital audio transmission, limited to sound recordings. Everything else in the Act is a limit on these rights. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 106A | Ch. 1 | Attribution and integrity (VARA) | The Visual Artists Rights Act gives certain visual artists the non-waivable right to claim authorship and to object to distortion or mutilation of their work. It applies to a narrow class of works and can outlast the economic copyright. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 107 | Ch. 1 | Fair use | The most important limitation on the exclusive rights. Four factors decide whether a use is fair: purpose and character (including whether it is commercial or transformative), nature of the work, amount used, and effect on the market. There is no fixed percentage or word count that is automatically safe. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 108 | Ch. 1 | Library and archive reproduction | Lets libraries and archives make limited reproductions for preservation, scholarship, and replacement, subject to conditions such as the three-year rule and the notice requirement. It does not override fair use. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 109 | Ch. 1 | Effect of transfer of a copy (first sale) | Once a lawful copy is sold, the owner may resell or dispose of that particular copy without the copyright owner's permission. The first sale doctrine does not let the owner reproduce the work or, for most works, rent it. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 110 | Ch. 1 | Exempt performances and displays | Lists performances and displays that do not need permission, including face-to-face teaching, religious services, certain nonprofit charitable performances, and a few narrow broadcast situations. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 114 | Ch. 1 | Scope of copyright in sound recordings | Clarifies that a sound recording protects the particular recorded performance, not the underlying musical composition, and that later recordings can be made so long as they do not mechanically reproduce the earlier one. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 115 | Ch. 1 | Compulsory license for phonorecords | Lets anyone make and distribute a cover recording of a nondramatic musical work by paying a statutory royalty, provided they follow the notice and accounting formalities. This is the legal basis for most cover songs. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 117 | Ch. 1 | Computer programs | Permits the owner of a copy of software to make one backup copy and to make or adapt copies as necessary to use the program on a machine. It is the main statutory permission behind ordinary software use. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 201 | Ch. 2 | Ownership vests in the author | States the default rule that copyright initially belongs to the author who created the work, and explains when joint authors hold it together. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 202 | Ch. 2 | Copyright separate from the physical object | Owning a painting or a manuscript does not give you its copyright. The two can be owned by different people, which is why galleries sell the canvas but the artist keeps (or licenses) the rights. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 203 | Ch. 2 | Termination of transfers | Lets authors (or their heirs) cancel grants they made after 1977, typically in a five-year window beginning 35 years after the grant. It cannot be waived in advance and is why older song catalogues change hands. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 301 | Ch. 3 | Preemption of state law | Federal copyright law supersedes most state-law claims that would give equivalent protection to fixed works. State law still covers contract, trade secret, and a few express exceptions. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 302 | Ch. 3 | Duration | For works created after 1977, copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years; for works made for hire and anonymous or pseudonymous works, 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever ends first. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 304 | Ch. 3 | Termination for pre-1978 grants | A parallel termination right for grants covering works fixed before 1978, with a window based on 56 years from the original copyright date rather than 35 years from the grant. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 408 | Ch. 4 | Registration in general | Authorises the Copyright Office to register claims and sets the deposit, application, and fee requirements. Registration is not required to own copyright, but it unlocks key remedies. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 411 | Ch. 4 | Registration prerequisite to suit | For works of U.S. origin, you must register (or have the Office refuse) before you can file an infringement lawsuit. The Supreme Court confirmed in 2019 that registration must be made, not merely applied for. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 412 | Ch. 4 | Remedies limited without registration | If you register within three months of publication or before infringement begins, you can recover statutory damages and attorney's fees. Wait longer and those remedies are unavailable for that infringement. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 501 | Ch. 5 | Infringement | Defines infringement (direct, contributory, and vicarious) and who may bring a claim. Infringement is using one of the § 106 exclusive rights without permission and without a defence such as fair use. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 504 | Ch. 5 | Remedies: damages and profits | Lets a court award actual damages plus the infringer's profits, or statutory damages. Statutory damages run from $750 to $30,000 per work, and up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement; an innocent-infringement finding can reduce the floor to $200. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 505 | Ch. 5 | Costs and attorney's fees | Gives the court discretion to award full costs and reasonable attorney's fees to the prevailing party — often the difference between a worthwhile case and a bare win. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 506 | Ch. 5 | Criminal offenses | Criminalises wilful infringement for commercial advantage, as well as fraud on the Copyright Office and certain acts tied to the DMCA's technical measures. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 507 | Ch. 5 | Limitation of actions | Sets the three-year statute of limitations: a civil action must be commenced within three years after the claim accrues. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 512 | Ch. 5 | Online safe harbors (DMCA) | Limits the liability of service providers that follow notice-and-takedown and counter-notice procedures. The substantive safe-harbor rules sit here; the anti-circumvention rules sit in Chapter 12. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1201 | Ch. 12 | Anti-circumvention | The heart of the DMCA: it is unlawful to circumvent a technological protection measure, or to traffic in tools that do, with narrow exemptions reviewed every three years by the Librarian of Congress. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1202 | Ch. 12 | Copyright management information | Bars the knowing removal or alteration of CMI — the copyright notices, author, and terms embedded in a work — and the distribution of works with CMI removed. |
| 17 U.S.C. § 104A | — | 17 U.S. Code § 104A - Copyright in restored works | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 113 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 113 - Scope of exclusive rights in pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 111 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 111 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Secondary transmissions of broadcast programming by cable | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 116 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 116 - Negotiated licenses for public performances by means of coin-operated phonorecord players | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 118 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 118 - Scope of exclusive rights: Use of certain works in connection with noncommercial broadcasting | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 112 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 112 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Ephemeral recordings | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 121 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 121 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction for blind or other people with disabilities | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 205 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 205 - Recordation of transfers and other documents | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 204 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 204 - Execution of transfers of copyright ownership | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 402 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 402 - Notice of copyright: Phonorecords of sound recordings | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 401 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 401 - Notice of copyright: Visually perceptible copies | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 122 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 122 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Secondary transmissions of local television programming by satellite | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 406 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 406 - Notice of copyright: Error in name or date on certain copies and phonorecords | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 119 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 119 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Secondary transmissions of distant television programming by satellite | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 405 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 405 - Notice of copyright: Omission of notice on certain copies and phonorecords | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 409 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 409 - Application for copyright registration | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 407 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 407 - Deposit of copies or phonorecords for Library of Congress | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 503 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 503 - Remedies for infringement: Impounding and disposition of infringing articles | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 513 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 513 - Determination of reasonable license fees for individual proprietors | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 701 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 701 - The Copyright Office: General responsibilities and organization | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 510 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 510 - Remedies for alteration of programming by cable systems | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 801 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 801 - Copyright Royalty Judges; appointment and functions | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1101 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1101 - Unauthorized fixation and trafficking in sound recordings and music videos | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1203 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1203 - Civil remedies | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 901 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 901 - Definitions | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1301 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1301 - Designs protected | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1204 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1204 - Criminal offenses and penalties | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1302 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1302 - Designs not subject to protection | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1308 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1308 - Exclusive rights | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1310 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1310 - Application for registration | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1306 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1306 - Design notice | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1309 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1309 - Infringement | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1001 | — | 17 U.S. Code § 1001 - Definitions | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 305 | — | Duration of copyright: Terminal date | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 403 | — | Notice of copyright: Publications incorporating United States Government works | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1205 | — | Savings clause | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1303 | — | Revisions, adaptations, and rearrangements | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1304 | — | Commencement of protection | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 120 | — | Scope of exclusive rights in architectural works | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 303 | — | Duration of copyright: Works created but not published or copyrighted before January 1, 1978 | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 404 | — | Notice of copyright: Contributions to collective works | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 410 | — | Registration of claim and issuance of certificate | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 502 | — | Remedies for infringement: Injunctions | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 508 | — | Notification of filing and determination of actions | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 511 | — | Liability of States, instrumentalities of States, and State officials for infringement of copyright | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1307 | — | Effect of omission of notice | |
| 17 U.S.C. § 1305 | — | Term of protection |
This index paraphrases what each provision does so you can find the right one before reading the text. Citations use the U.S. Code numbering (for example 17 U.S.C. § 107 is the fair use provision). Where a section is organised into subsections, only the headline right or rule is summarised. Read the statute text via the linked source for the operative language, and remember that the Compendium and the Office rules, not the Act itself, govern how a registration is examined.
Full text of the Copyright Act (Title 17)
Verbatim text as enacted — for precision, cite the U.S. Code or eCFR source linked above each entry. Expand any section to read the operative language.
17 U.S.C. § 101 Definitions
(1) The following shall take effect upon the entry into force of the WIPO Copyright Treaty with respect to the United States [ Mar. 6, 2002 ]: “(A) Paragraph (5) of the definition of ‘ international agreement ’ contained in section 101 of title 17 , United States Code, as amended by section 102(a)(4) of this Act.
“(2) The following shall take effect upon the entry into force of the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty with respect to the United States [ May 20, 2002 ]: “(A) Paragraph (6) of the definition of ‘ international agreement ’ contained in section 101 of title 17 , United States Code, as amended by section 102(a)(4) of this Act.
“(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), this section [amending this section and sections 304 , 408 , 409 , and 708 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 304 of this title ] and the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [ June 26, 1992 ].
“(2) The amendments made by this section shall apply only to those copyrights secured between January 1, 1964 , and December 31, 1977 . Copyrights secured before January 1, 1964 , shall be governed by the provisions of section 304(a) of title 17 , United States Code, as in effect on the day before the effective date of this section [ June 26, 1992 ], except each reference to forty-seven years in such provisions shall be deemed to be 67 years.
“(3) This section and the amendments made by this section shall not affect any court proceedings pending on the effective date of this section.”
“(1) any architectural work created on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Dec. 1, 1990 ]; and
“(2) any architectural work that, on the date of the enactment of this Act, is unconstructed and embodied in unpublished plans or drawings, except that protection for such architectural work under title 17, United States Code, by virtue of the amendments made by this title, shall terminate on December 31, 2002 , unless the work is constructed by that date.”
“(1) The Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, signed at Berne, Switzerland, on September 9, 1886 , and all acts, protocols, and revisions thereto (hereafter in this Act [see Short Title of 1988 Amendment note above] referred to as the ‘Berne Convention’ ) are not self-executing under the Constitution and laws of the United States.
“(2) The obligations of the United States under the Berne Convention may be performed only pursuant to appropriate domestic law.
“(3) The amendments made by this Act, together with the law as it exists on the date of the enactment of this Act [ Oct. 31, 1988 ], satisfy the obligations of the United States in adhering to the Berne Convention and no further rights or interests shall be recognized or created for that purpose.”
“(1) shall be given effect under title 17, as amended by this Act [see Short Title of 1988 Amendment note above], and any other relevant provision of Federal or State law, including the common law; and
“(2) shall not be enforceable in any action brought pursuant to the provisions of the Berne Convention itself.
“(1) to claim authorship of the work; or
“(2) to object to any distortion, mutilation, or other modification of, or other derogatory action in relation to, the work, that would prejudice the author’s honor or reputation.”
“(1) the term ‘ WTO Agreement ’ has the meaning given that term in section 2(9) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act [ 19 U.S.C. 3501(9) ]; and
“(2) the term ‘ WTO member country ’ has the meaning given that term in section 2(10) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act .”
17 U.S.C. § 102 Subject matter of copyright
(1) literary works ;
(2) musical works, including any accompanying words;
(3) dramatic works, including any accompanying music;
(4) pantomimes and choreographic works;
(5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;
(6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works ;
(7) sound recordings ; and
(8) architectural works .
17 U.S.C. § 103 Compilations and derivative works
(a) The subject matter of copyright as specified by section 102 includes compilations and derivative works, but protection for a work employing preexisting material in which copyright subsists does not extend to any part of the work in which such material has been used unlawfully.
(b) The copyright in a compilation or derivative work extends only to the material contributed by the author of such work, as distinguished from the preexisting material employed in the work, and does not imply any exclusive right in the preexisting material. The copyright in such work is independent of, and does not affect or enlarge the scope, duration, ownership, or subsistence of, any copyright protection in the preexisting material.
17 U.S.C. § 104 National origin of copyright
(1) on the date of first publication , one or more of the authors is a national or domiciliary of the United States, or is a national, domiciliary, or sovereign authority of a treaty party , or is a stateless person, wherever that person may be domiciled; or
(2) the work is first published in the United States or in a foreign nation that, on the date of first publication , is a treaty party ; or
(3) the work is a sound recording that was first fixed in a treaty party ; or
(4) the work is a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work that is incorporated in a building or other structure, or an architectural work that is embodied in a building and the building or structure is located in the United States or a treaty party; or
(5) the work is first published by the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies, or by the Organization of American States ; or
(6) the work comes within the scope of a Presidential proclamation. Whenever the President finds that a particular foreign nation extends, to works by authors who are nationals or domiciliaries of the United States or to works that are first published in the United States , copyright protection on substantially the same basis as that on which the foreign nation extends protection to works of its own nationals and domiciliaries and works first published in that nation, the President may by proclamation extend protection under this title to works of which one or more of the authors is, on the date of first publication , a national, domiciliary, or sovereign authority of that nation, or which was first published in that nation. The President may revise, suspend, or revoke any such proclamation or impose any conditions or limitations on protection under a proclamation.
For purposes of paragraph (2), a work that is published in the United States or a treaty party within 30 days after publication in a foreign nation that is not a treaty party shall be considered to be first published in the United States or such treaty party , as the case may be.
17 U.S.C. § 105 Copyright in U.S. Government works
(1) Secretary of defense authority.— With respect to a covered author who produces a covered work in the course of employment at a covered institution described in subparagraphs (A) through (L) of subsection (d)(2) and subparagraph (M) of such subsection when the Coast Guard is operating as a service in the Navy, the Secretary of Defense may direct the covered author to provide the Federal Government with an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, nonexclusive license to reproduce, distribute, perform, or display such covered work for purposes of the United States Government.
(2) Secretary of the department in which the coast guard is operating when it is not operating as a service in the navy authority.— With respect to a covered author who produces a covered work in the course of employment at the covered institution described in subsection (d)(2)(M), the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating when it is not operating as a service in the Navy may direct the covered author to provide the Federal Government with an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, nonexclusive license to reproduce, distribute, perform, or display such covered work for purposes of the United States Government.
(3) Director of national intelligence authority.— With respect to a covered author who produces a covered work in the course of employment at the covered institution described in subsection (d)(2)(N), the Director of National Intelligence may direct the covered author to provide the Federal Government with an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, nonexclusive license to reproduce, distribute, perform, or display such covered work for purposes of the United States Government.
(4) Secretary of transportation authority.— With respect to a covered author who produces a covered work in the course of employment at the covered institution described in subsection (d)(2)(O), the Secretary of Transportation may direct the covered author to provide the Federal Government with an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, nonexclusive license to reproduce, distribute, perform, or display such covered work for purposes of the United States Government.
(1) Covered author.— The term “ covered author ” means a civilian member of the faculty of a covered institution .
(2) Covered institution.— The term “ covered institution ” means the following: (A) National Defense University .
(3) Covered work.— The term “ covered work ” means a literary work produced by a covered author in the course of employment at a covered institution for publication by a scholarly press or journal.
17 U.S.C. § 106 Exclusive rights
Subject to sections 107 through 122, the owner of copyright under this title has the exclusive rights to do and to authorize any of the following:
(1) to reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or phonorecords ;
(2) to prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted work;
(3) to distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
(4) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works , to perform the copyrighted work publicly;
(5) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted work publicly; and
(6) in the case of sound recordings , to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.
“(1) In general.— The Department of Justice shall provide timely briefings upon request of any Member of the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives regarding the status of a review in progress of a consent decree between the United States and a performing rights society.
“(2) Confidentiality and deliberative process.— In accordance with applicable rules relating to confidentiality and agency deliberative process , the Department of Justice shall share with such Members of Congress detailed and timely information and pertinent documents related to the consent decree review.
“(1) In general.— Before filing with the appropriate district court of the United States a motion to terminate a consent decree between the United States and a performing rights society , including a motion to terminate a consent decree after the passage of a specified period of time, the Department of Justice shall— “(A) notify Members of Congress and committees of Congress described in subsection (b); and
“(2) Notification.— “(A) In general.— During the notification described in paragraph (1), and not later than a reasonable time before the date on which the Department of Justice files with the appropriate district court of the United States a motion to terminate a consent decree between the United States and a performing rights society, the Department of Justice should submit to the chairmen and ranking members of the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a written notification of the intent of the Department of Justice to file the motion.
17 U.S.C. § 106A Attribution and integrity (VARA)
(1) shall have the right— (A) to claim authorship of that work, and
(2) shall have the right to prevent the use of his or her name as the author of the work of visual art in the event of a distortion, mutilation, or other modification of the work which would be prejudicial to his or her honor or reputation; and
(3) subject to the limitations set forth in section 113(d), shall have the right— (A) to prevent any intentional distortion, mutilation, or other modification of that work which would be prejudicial to his or her honor or reputation, and any intentional distortion, mutilation, or modification of that work is a violation of that right, and
(1) The modification of a work of visual art which is a result of the passage of time or the inherent nature of the materials is not a distortion, mutilation, or other modification described in subsection (a)(3)(A).
(2) The modification of a work of visual art which is the result of conservation, or of the public presentation, including lighting and placement, of the work is not a destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification described in subsection (a)(3) unless the modification is caused by gross negligence.
(3) The rights described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) shall not apply to any reproduction, depiction, portrayal, or other use of a work in, upon, or in any connection with any item described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of the definition of “ work of visual art ” in section 101, and any such reproduction, depiction, portrayal, or other use of a work is not a destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification described in paragraph (3) of subsection (a).
(1) With respect to works of visual art created on or after the effective date set forth in section 610(a) of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 , the rights conferred by subsection (a) shall endure for a term consisting of the life of the author.
(2) With respect to works of visual art created before the effective date set forth in section 610(a) of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 , but title to which has not, as of such effective date, been transferred from the author, the rights conferred by subsection (a) shall be coextensive with, and shall expire at the same time as, the rights conferred by section 106.
(3) In the case of a joint work prepared by two or more authors, the rights conferred by subsection (a) shall endure for a term consisting of the life of the last surviving author.
(4) All terms of the rights conferred by subsection (a) run to the end of the calendar year in which they would otherwise expire.
(1) The rights conferred by subsection (a) may not be transferred, but those rights may be waived if the author expressly agrees to such waiver in a written instrument signed by the author. Such instrument shall specifically identify the work, and uses of that work, to which the waiver applies, and the waiver shall apply only to the work and uses so identified. In the case of a joint work prepared by two or more authors, a waiver of rights under this paragraph made by one such author waives such rights for all such authors.
(2) Ownership of the rights conferred by subsection (a) with respect to a work of visual art is distinct from ownership of any copy of that work, or of a copyright or any exclusive right under a copyright in that work. Transfer of ownership of any copy of a work of visual art , or of a copyright or any exclusive right under a copyright, shall not constitute a waiver of the rights conferred by subsection (a). Except as may otherwise be agreed by the author in a written instrument signed by the author, a waiver of the rights conferred by subsection (a) with respect to a work of visual art shall not constitute a transfer of ownership of any copy of that work, or of ownership of a copyright or of any exclusive right under a copyright in that work.
“(1) works created before the effective date set forth in subsection (a) but title to which has not, as of such effective date, been transferred from the author, and
“(2) works created on or after such effective date, but shall not apply to any destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification (as described in section 106A(a)(3) of such title) of any work which occurred before such effective date.
17 U.S.C. § 107 Fair use
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
17 U.S.C. § 108 Library and archive reproduction
(1) the reproduction or distribution is made without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage;
(2) the collections of the library or archives are (i) open to the public, or (ii) available not only to researchers affiliated with the library or archives or with the institution of which it is a part, but also to other persons doing research in a specialized field; and
(3) the reproduction or distribution of the work includes a notice of copyright that appears on the copy or phonorecord that is reproduced under the provisions of this section, or includes a legend stating that the work may be protected by copyright if no such notice can be found on the copy or phonorecord that is reproduced under the provisions of this section.
(1) the copy or phonorecord reproduced is currently in the collections of the library or archives; and
(2) any such copy or phonorecord that is reproduced in digital format is not otherwise distributed in that format and is not made available to the public in that format outside the premises of the library or archives.
(1) the library or archives has, after a reasonable effort, determined that an unused replacement cannot be obtained at a fair price; and
(2) any such copy or phonorecord that is reproduced in digital format is not made available to the public in that format outside the premises of the library or archives in lawful possession of such copy.
For purposes of this subsection, a format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or device necessary to render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace.
(1) the copy or phonorecord becomes the property of the user, and the library or archives has had no notice that the copy or phonorecord would be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research; and
(2) the library or archives displays prominently, at the place where orders are accepted, and includes on its order form, a warning of copyright in accordance with requirements that the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation.
(1) the copy or phonorecord becomes the property of the user, and the library or archives has had no notice that the copy or phonorecord would be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research; and
(2) the library or archives displays prominently, at the place where orders are accepted, and includes on its order form, a warning of copyright in accordance with requirements that the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation.
(1) shall be construed to impose liability for copyright infringement upon a library or archives or its employees for the unsupervised use of reproducing equipment located on its premises: Provided, That such equipment displays a notice that the making of a copy may be subject to the copyright law;
(2) excuses a person who uses such reproducing equipment or who requests a copy or phonorecord under subsection (d) from liability for copyright infringement for any such act, or for any later use of such copy or phonorecord, if it exceeds fair use as provided by section 107;
(3) shall be construed to limit the reproduction and distribution by lending of a limited number of copies and excerpts by a library or archives of an audiovisual news program, subject to clauses (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a); or
(4) in any way affects the right of fair use as provided by section 107, or any contractual obligations assumed at any time by the library or archives when it obtained a copy or phonorecord of a work in its collections.
(1) is aware or has substantial reason to believe that it is engaging in the related or concerted reproduction or distribution of multiple copies or phonorecords of the same material, whether made on one occasion or over a period of time, and whether intended for aggregate use by one or more individuals or for separate use by the individual members of a group; or
(2) engages in the systematic reproduction or distribution of single or multiple copies or phonorecords of material described in subsection (d): Provided, That nothing in this clause prevents a library or archives from participating in interlibrary arrangements that do not have, as their purpose or effect, that the library or archives receiving such copies or phonorecords for distribution does so in such aggregate quantities as to substitute for a subscription to or purchase of such work.
(1) For purposes of this section, during the last 20 years of any term of copyright of a published work, a library or archives, including a nonprofit educational institution that functions as such, may reproduce, distribute, display, or perform in facsimile or digital form a copy or phonorecord of such work, or portions thereof, for purposes of preservation, scholarship, or research, if such library or archives has first determined, on the basis of a reasonable investigation, that none of the conditions set forth in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (2) apply.
(2) No reproduction, distribution, display , or performance is authorized under this subsection if— (A) the work is subject to normal commercial exploitation;
(3) The exemption provided in this subsection does not apply to any subsequent uses by users other than such library or archives.
17 U.S.C. § 109 Effect of transfer of a copy (first sale)
(1) the date of the publication in the Federal Register of the notice of intent filed with the Copyright Office under section 104A(d)(2)(A), or
(2) the date of the receipt of actual notice served under section 104A(d)(2)(B),
whichever occurs first.
(1) (A) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), unless authorized by the owners of copyright in the sound recording or the owner of copyright in a computer program (including any tape, disk, or other medium embodying such program), and in the case of a sound recording in the musical works embodied therein, neither the owner of a particular phonorecord nor any person in possession of a particular copy of a computer program (including any tape, disk, or other medium embodying such program), may, for the purposes of direct or indirect commercial advantage, dispose of, or authorize the disposal of, the possession of that phonorecord or computer program (including any tape, disk, or other medium embodying such program) by rental, lease, or lending, or by any other act or practice in the nature of rental, lease, or lending. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall apply to the rental, lease, or lending of a phonorecord for nonprofit purposes by a nonprofit library or nonprofit educational institution. The transfer of possession of a lawfully made copy of a computer program by a nonprofit educational institution to another nonprofit educational institution or to faculty, staff, and students does not constitute rental, lease, or lending for direct or indirect commercial purposes under this subsection.
(2) (A) Nothing in this subsection shall apply to the lending of a computer program for nonprofit purposes by a nonprofit library, if each copy of a computer program which is lent by such library has affixed to the packaging containing the program a warning of copyright in accordance with requirements that the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation.
(3) Nothing in this subsection shall affect any provision of the antitrust laws . For purposes of the preceding sentence, “ antitrust laws ” has the meaning given that term in the first section of the Clayton Act and includes section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act to the extent that section relates to unfair methods of competition.
(4) Any person who distributes a phonorecord or a copy of a computer program (including any tape, disk, or other medium embodying such program) in violation of paragraph (1) is an infringer of copyright under section 501 of this title and is subject to the remedies set forth in sections 502, 503, 504, and 505. Such violation shall not be a criminal offense under section 506 or cause such person to be subject to the criminal penalties set forth in section 2319 of title 18 .
“(1) the effects of the amendments made by this title [enacting chapter 12 of this title and amending sections 101 , 104 , 104A , 411 , and 507 of this title] and the development of electronic commerce and associated technology on the operation of sections 109 and 117 of title 17, United States Code; and
“(2) the relationship between existing and emergent technology and the operation of sections 109 and 117 of title 17, United States Code.
17 U.S.C. § 110 Exempt performances and displays
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, the following are not infringements of copyright:
(1) performance or display of a work by instructors or pupils in the course of face-to-face teaching activities of a nonprofit educational institution, in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction, unless, in the case of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, the performance, or the display of individual images, is given by means of a copy that was not lawfully made under this title, and that the person responsible for the performance knew or had reason to believe was not lawfully made;
(2) except with respect to a work produced or marketed primarily for performance or display as part of mediated instructional activities transmitted via digital networks, or a performance or display that is given by means of a copy or phonorecord that is not lawfully made and acquired under this title, and the transmitting government body or accredited nonprofit educational institution knew or had reason to believe was not lawfully made and acquired, the performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work or reasonable and limited portions of any other work, or display of a work in an amount comparable to that which is typically displayed in the course of a live classroom session, by or in the course of a transmission, if— (A) the performance or display is made by, at the direction of, or under the actual supervision of an instructor as an integral part of a class session offered as a regular part of the systematic mediated instructional activities of a governmental body or an accredited nonprofit educational institution;
(3) performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work or of a dramatico-musical work of a religious nature, or display of a work, in the course of services at a place of worship or other religious assembly;
(4) performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work otherwise than in a transmission to the public, without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage and without payment of any fee or other compensation for the performance to any of its performers, promoters, or organizers, if— (A) there is no direct or indirect admission charge; or
(5) (A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), communication of a transmission embodying a performance or display of a work by the public reception of the transmission on a single receiving apparatus of a kind commonly used in private homes, unless— (i) a direct charge is made to see or hear the transmission; or
(6) performance of a nondramatic musical work by a governmental body or a nonprofit agricultural or horticultural organization, in the course of an annual agricultural or horticultural fair or exhibition conducted by such body or organization; the exemption provided by this clause shall extend to any liability for copyright infringement that would otherwise be imposed on such body or organization, under doctrines of vicarious liability or related infringement, for a performance by a concessionnaire, [1] business establishment, or other person at such fair or exhibition, but shall not excuse any such person from liability for the performance;
(7) performance of a nondramatic musical work by a vending establishment open to the public at large without any direct or indirect admission charge, where the sole purpose of the performance is to promote the retail sale of copies or phonorecords of the work, or of the audiovisual or other devices utilized in such performance, and the performance is not transmitted beyond the place where the establishment is located and is within the immediate area where the sale is occurring;
(8) performance of a nondramatic literary work, by or in the course of a transmission specifically designed for and primarily directed to blind or other handicapped persons who are unable to read normal printed material as a result of their handicap, or deaf or other handicapped persons who are unable to hear the aural signals accompanying a transmission of visual signals, if the performance is made without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage and its transmission is made through the facilities of: (i) a governmental body; or (ii) a noncommercial educational broadcast station (as defined in section 397 of title 47 ); or (iii) a radio subcarrier authorization (as defined in 47 CFR 73.293–73 .295 and 73.593–73.595); or (iv) a cable system (as defined in section 111(f));
(9) performance on a single occasion of a dramatic literary work published at least ten years before the date of the performance, by or in the course of a transmission specifically designed for and primarily directed to blind or other handicapped persons who are unable to read normal printed material as a result of their handicap, if the performance is made without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage and its transmission is made through the facilities of a radio subcarrier authorization referred to in clause (8)(iii), Provided, That the provisions of this clause shall not be applicable to more than one performance of the same work by the same performers or under the auspices of the same organization;
(10) notwithstanding paragraph (4), the following is not an infringement of copyright: performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work in the course of a social function which is organized and promoted by a nonprofit veterans’ organization or a nonprofit fraternal organization to which the general public is not invited, but not including the invitees of the organizations, if the proceeds from the performance, after deducting the reasonable costs of producing the performance, are used exclusively for charitable purposes and not for financial gain . For purposes of this section the social functions of any college or university fraternity or sorority shall not be included unless the social function is held solely to raise funds for a specific charitable purpose; and
(11) the making imperceptible, by or at the direction of a member of a private household, of limited portions of audio or video content of a motion picture, during a performance in or transmitted to that household for private home viewing, from an authorized copy of the motion picture, or the creation or provision of a computer program or other technology that enables such making imperceptible and that is designed and marketed to be used, at the direction of a member of a private household, for such making imperceptible, if no fixed copy of the altered version of the motion picture is created by such computer program or other technology.
The exemptions provided under paragraph (5) shall not be taken into account in any administrative, judicial, or other governmental proceeding to set or adjust the royalties payable to copyright owners for the public performance or display of their works. Royalties payable to copyright owners for any public performance or display of their works other than such performances or displays as are exempted under paragraph (5) shall not be diminished in any respect as a result of such exemption.
In paragraph (2), the term “ mediated instructional activities ” with respect to the performance or display of a work by digital transmission under this section refers to activities that use such work as an integral part of the class experience, controlled by or under the actual supervision of the instructor and analogous to the type of performance or display that would take place in a live classroom setting. The term does not refer to activities that use, in 1 or more class sessions of a single course, such works as textbooks, course packs, or other material in any media, copies or phonorecords of which are typically purchased or acquired by the students in higher education for their independent use and retention or are typically purchased or acquired for elementary and secondary students for their possession and independent use.
For purposes of paragraph (2), accreditation—
For purposes of paragraph (2), no governmental body or accredited nonprofit educational institution shall be liable for infringement by reason of the transient or temporary storage of material carried out through the automatic technical process of a digital transmission of the performance or display of that material as authorized under paragraph (2). No such material stored on the system or network controlled or operated by the transmitting body or institution under this paragraph shall be maintained on such system or network in a manner ordinarily accessible to anyone other than anticipated recipients. No such copy shall be maintained on the system or network in a manner ordinarily accessible to such anticipated recipients for a longer period than is reasonably necessary to facilitate the transmissions for which it was made.
For purposes of paragraph (11), the term “making imperceptible” does not include the addition of audio or video content that is performed or displayed over or in place of existing content in a motion picture.
Nothing in paragraph (11) shall be construed to imply further rights under section 106 of this title , or to have any effect on defenses or limitations on rights granted under any other section of this title or under any other paragraph of this section.
17 U.S.C. § 114 Scope of copyright in sound recordings
(1) Exempt transmissions and retransmissions.— The performance of a sound recording publicly by means of a digital audio transmission , other than as a part of an interactive service, is not an infringement of section 106(6) if the performance is part of— (A) a nonsubscription broadcast transmission;
(2) Statutory licensing of certain transmissions.— The performance of a sound recording publicly by means of a subscription digital audio transmission not exempt under paragraph (1), an eligible nonsubscription transmission , or a transmission not exempt under paragraph (1) that is made by a preexisting satellite digital audio radio service shall be subject to statutory licensing, in accordance with subsection (f) if— (A) (i) the transmission is not part of an interactive service ;
except that the requirement of this subclause shall not apply in the case of a retransmission of a broadcast transmission by a transmitting entity that does not have the right or ability to control the programming of the broadcast transmission, unless the transmitting entity is given notice in writing by the copyright owner of the sound recording that the broadcast station makes broadcast transmissions that regularly violate such requirement;
(3) Licenses for transmissions by interactive services.— (A) No interactive service shall be granted an exclusive license under section 106(6) for the performance of a sound recording publicly by means of digital audio transmission for a period in excess of 12 months, except that with respect to an exclusive license granted to an interactive service by a licensor that holds the copyright to 1,000 or fewer sound recordings, the period of such license shall not exceed 24 months: Provided, however, That the grantee of such exclusive license shall be ineligible to receive another exclusive license for the performance of that sound recording for a period of 13 months from the expiration of the prior exclusive license.
(4) Rights not otherwise limited.— (A) Except as expressly provided in this section, this section does not limit or impair the exclusive right to perform a sound recording publicly by means of a digital audio transmission under section 106(6).
(1) Notwithstanding any provision of the antitrust laws, in negotiating statutory licenses in accordance with subsection (f), any copyright owners of sound recordings and any entities performing sound recordings affected by this section may negotiate and agree upon the royalty rates and license terms and conditions for the performance of such sound recordings and the proportionate division of fees paid among copyright owners, and may designate common agents on a nonexclusive basis to negotiate, agree to, pay, or receive payments.
(2) For licenses granted under section 106(6), other than statutory licenses, such as for performances by interactive services or performances that exceed the sound recording performance complement — (A) copyright owners of sound recordings affected by this section may designate common agents to act on their behalf to grant licenses and receive and remit royalty payments: Provided, That each copyright owner shall establish the royalty rates and material license terms and conditions unilaterally, that is, not in agreement, combination, or concert with other copyright owners of sound recordings ; and
(1) (A) Proceedings under chapter 8 shall determine reasonable rates and terms of royalty payments for transmissions subject to statutory licensing under subsection (d)(2) during the 5-year period beginning on January 1 of the second year following the year in which the proceedings are to be commenced pursuant to subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 804(b)(3), as the case may be, or such other period as the parties may agree. The parties to each proceeding shall bear their own costs.
(2) License agreements voluntarily negotiated at any time between 1 or more copyright owners of sound recordings and 1 or more entities performing sound recordings shall be given effect in lieu of any decision by the Librarian of Congress or determination by the Copyright Royalty Judges.
(3) (A) The Copyright Royalty Judges shall also establish requirements by which copyright owners may receive reasonable notice of the use of their sound recordings under this section, and under which records of such use shall be kept and made available by entities performing sound recordings. The notice and recordkeeping rules in effect on the day before the effective date of the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004 shall remain in effect unless and until new regulations are promulgated by the Copyright Royalty Judges. If new regulations are promulgated under this subparagraph, the Copyright Royalty Judges shall take into account the substance and effect of the rules in effect on the day before the effective date of the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004 and shall, to the extent practicable, avoid significant disruption of the functions of any designated agent authorized to collect and distribute royalty fees.
(4) (A) Notwithstanding section 112(e) and the other provisions of this subsection, the receiving agent may enter into agreements for the reproduction and performance of sound recordings under section 112(e) and this section by any 1 or more commercial webcasters or noncommercial webcasters for a period of not more than 11 years beginning on January 1, 2005 , that, once published in the Federal Register pursuant to subparagraph (B), shall be binding on all copyright owners of sound recordings and other persons entitled to payment under this section, in lieu of any determination by the Copyright Royalty Judges. Any such agreement for commercial webcasters may include provisions for payment of royalties on the basis of a percentage of revenue or expenses, or both, and include a minimum fee. Any such agreement may include other terms and conditions, including requirements by which copyright owners may receive notice of the use of their sound recordings and under which records of such use shall be kept and made available by commercial webcasters or noncommercial webcasters. The receiving agent shall be under no obligation to negotiate any such agreement. The receiving agent shall have no obligation to any copyright owner of sound recordings or any other person entitled to payment under this section in negotiating any such agreement, and no liability to any copyright owner of sound recordings or any other person entitled to payment under this section for having entered into such agreement.
(1) Except in the case of a transmission licensed under a statutory license in accordance with subsection (f) of this section— (A) a featured recording artist who performs on a sound recording that has been licensed for a transmission shall be entitled to receive payments from the copyright owner of the sound recording in accordance with the terms of the artist’s contract; and
(2) Except as provided for in paragraph (6), a nonprofit collective designated by the Copyright Royalty Judges to distribute receipts from the licensing of transmissions in accordance with subsection (f) shall distribute such receipts as follows: (A) 50 percent of the receipts shall be paid to the copyright owner of the exclusive right under section 106(6) of this title to publicly perform a sound recording by means of a digital audio transmission.
(3) A nonprofit collective designated by the Copyright Royalty Judges to distribute receipts from the licensing of transmissions in accordance with subsection (f) may deduct from any of its receipts, prior to the distribution of such receipts to any person or entity entitled thereto other than copyright owners and performers who have elected to receive royalties from another designated nonprofit collective and have notified such nonprofit collective in writing of such election, the reasonable costs of such collective incurred after November 1, 1995 , in— (A) the administration of the collection, distribution, and calculation of the royalties;
(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3), any nonprofit collective designated to distribute receipts from the licensing of transmissions in accordance with subsection (f) may deduct from any of its receipts, prior to the distribution of such receipts, the reasonable costs identified in paragraph (3) of such collective incurred after November 1, 1995 , with respect to such copyright owners and performers who have entered with such collective a contractual relationship that specifies that such costs may be deducted from such royalty receipts.
(5) Letter of direction.— (A) In general.— A nonprofit collective designated by the Copyright Royalty Judges to distribute receipts from the licensing of transmissions in accordance with subsection (f) shall adopt and reasonably implement a policy that provides, in circumstances determined by the collective to be appropriate, for acceptance of instructions from a payee identified under subparagraph (A) or (D) of paragraph (2) to distribute, to a producer, mixer, or sound engineer who was part of the creative process that created a sound recording, a portion of the payments to which the payee would otherwise be entitled from the licensing of transmissions of the sound recording. In this section, such instructions shall be referred to as a “letter of direction”.
(6) Sound recordings fixed before november 1, 1995.— (A) Payment absent letter of direction.— A nonprofit collective designated by the Copyright Royalty Judges to distribute receipts from the licensing of transmissions in accordance with subsection (f) (in this paragraph referred to as the “collective”) shall adopt and reasonably implement a policy that provides, in circumstances determined by the collective to be appropriate, for the deduction of 2 percent of all the receipts that are collected from the licensing of transmissions of a sound recording fixed before November 1, 1995 , but which is withdrawn from the amount otherwise payable under paragraph (2)(D) to the recording artist or artists featured on the sound recording (or the persons conveying rights in the artists’ performance in the sound recording), and the distribution of such amount to 1 or more persons described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, after deduction of costs described in paragraph (3) or (4), as applicable, if each of the following requirements is met: (i) Certification of attempt to obtain a letter of direction.— The person described in subparagraph (B) who is to receive the distribution has certified to the collective, under penalty of perjury, that— (I) for a period of not less than 120 days, that person made reasonable efforts to contact the artist payee for such sound recording to request and obtain a letter of direction instructing the collective to pay to that person a portion of the royalties payable to the featured recording artist or artists; and
(7) Preemption of state property laws.— The holding and distribution of receipts under section 112 and this section by a nonprofit collective designated by the Copyright Royalty Judges in accordance with this subsection and regulations adopted by the Copyright Royalty Judges , or by an independent administrator pursuant to subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 114(g)(2), shall supersede and preempt any State law (including common law) concerning escheatment or abandoned property, or any analogous provision, that might otherwise apply.
(1) If the copyright owner of a sound recording licenses an affiliated entity the right to publicly perform a sound recording by means of a digital audio transmission under section 106(6), the copyright owner shall make the licensed sound recording available under section 106(6) on no less favorable terms and conditions to all bona fide entities that offer similar services, except that, if there are material differences in the scope of the requested license with respect to the type of service, the particular sound recordings licensed, the frequency of use, the number of subscribers served, or the duration, then the copyright owner may establish different terms and conditions for such other services.
(2) The limitation set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not apply in the case where the copyright owner of a sound recording licenses— (A) an interactive service ; or
(1) An “ affiliated entity ” is an entity engaging in digital audio transmissions covered by section 106(6), other than an interactive service, in which the licensor has any direct or indirect partnership or any ownership interest amounting to 5 percent or more of the outstanding voting or non-voting stock.
(2) An “ archived program ” is a predetermined program that is available repeatedly on the demand of the transmission recipient and that is performed in the same order from the beginning, except that an archived program shall not include a recorded event or broadcast transmission that makes no more than an incidental use of sound recordings, as long as such recorded event or broadcast transmission does not contain an entire sound recording or feature a particular sound recording.
(3) A “ broadcast ” transmission is a transmission made by a terrestrial broadcast station licensed as such by the Federal Communications Commission .
(4) A “ continuous program ” is a predetermined program that is continuously performed in the same order and that is accessed at a point in the program that is beyond the control of the transmission recipient.
(5) A “ digital audio transmission ” is a digital transmission as defined in section 101, that embodies the transmission of a sound recording. This term does not include the transmission of any audiovisual work.
(6) An “ eligible nonsubscription transmission ” is a noninteractive nonsubscription digital audio transmission not exempt under subsection (d)(1) that is made as part of a service that provides audio programming consisting, in whole or in part, of performances of sound recordings, including retransmissions of broadcast transmissions, if the primary purpose of the service is to provide to the public such audio or other entertainment programming, and the primary purpose of the service is not to sell, advertise, or promote particular products or services other than sound recordings, live concerts, or other music-related events.
(7) An “ interactive service ” is one that enables a member of the public to receive a transmission of a program specially created for the recipient, or on request, a transmission of a particular sound recording, whether or not as part of a program, which is selected by or on behalf of the recipient. The ability of individuals to request that particular sound recordings be performed for reception by the public at large, or in the case of a subscription service, by all subscribers of the service, does not make a service interactive, if the programming on each channel of the service does not substantially consist of sound recordings that are performed within 1 hour of the request or at a time designated by either the transmitting entity or the individual making such request. If an entity offers both interactive and noninteractive services (either concurrently or at different times), the noninteractive component shall not be treated as part of an interactive service .
(8) A “ new subscription service ” is a service that performs sound recordings by means of noninteractive subscription digital audio transmissions and that is not a preexisting subscription service or a preexisting satellite digital audio radio service .
(9) A “nonsubscription” transmission is any transmission that is not a subscription transmission.
(10) A “ preexisting satellite digital audio radio service ” is a subscription satellite digital audio radio service provided pursuant to a satellite digital audio radio service license issued by the Federal Communications Commission on or before July 31, 1998 , and any renewal of such license to the extent of the scope of the original license, and may include a limited number of sample channels representative of the subscription service that are made available on a nonsubscription basis in order to promote the subscription service.
(11) A “ preexisting subscription service ” is a service that performs sound recordings by means of noninteractive audio-only subscription digital audio transmissions, which was in existence and was making such transmissions to the public for a fee on or before July 31, 1998 , and may include a limited number of sample channels representative of the subscription service that are made available on a nonsubscription basis in order to promote the subscription service.
(12) A “retransmission” is a further transmission of an initial transmission, and includes any further retransmission of the same transmission. Except as provided in this section, a transmission qualifies as a “retransmission” only if it is simultaneous with the initial transmission. Nothing in this definition shall be construed to exempt a transmission that fails to satisfy a separate element required to qualify for an exemption under section 114(d)(1).
(13) The “ sound recording performance complement ” is the transmission during any 3-hour period, on a particular channel used by a transmitting entity, of no more than— (A) 3 different selections of sound recordings from any one phonorecord lawfully distributed for public performance or sale in the United States, if no more than 2 such selections are transmitted consecutively; or
if no more than three such selections are transmitted consecutively:
(14) A “ subscription ” transmission is a transmission that is controlled and limited to particular recipients, and for which consideration is required to be paid or otherwise given by or on behalf of the recipient to receive the transmission or a package of transmissions including the transmission.
(15) A “transmission” is either an initial transmission or a retransmission.
“(1) In general.— License fees payable for the public performance of sound recordings under section 106(6) of title 17 , United States Code, shall not be taken into account in any administrative, judicial, or other governmental proceeding to set or adjust the royalties payable to musical work copyright owners for the public performance of their works except in such a proceeding to set or adjust royalties for the public performance of musical works by means of a digital audio transmission other than a transmission by a broadcaster, and may be taken into account only with respect to such digital audio transmission.
“(2) Definitions.— In this subsection: “(A) Transmission by a broadcaster.— The term ‘transmission by a broadcaster’ means a nonsubscription digital transmission made by a terrestrial broadcast station on its own behalf, or on the behalf of a terrestrial broadcast station under common ownership or control, that is not part of an interactive service or a music-intensive service comprising the transmission of sound recordings customized for or customizable by recipients or service users.
“(1) Some small webcasters who did not participate in the copyright arbitration royalty panel proceeding leading to the July 8, 2002 order of the Librarian of Congress establishing rates and terms for certain digital performances and ephemeral reproductions of sound recordings, as provided in part 261 of the Code of Federal Regulations (published in the Federal Register on July 8, 2002 ) (referred to in this section as ‘small webcasters’ ), have expressed reservations about the fee structure set forth in such order, and have expressed their desire for a fee based on a percentage of revenue.
“(2) Congress has strongly encouraged representatives of copyright owners of sound recordings and representatives of the small webcasters to engage in negotiations to arrive at an agreement that would include a fee based on a percentage of revenue.
“(3) The representatives have arrived at an agreement that they can accept in the extraordinary and unique circumstances here presented, specifically as to the small webcasters , their belief in their inability to pay the fees due pursuant to the July 8 order, and as to the copyright owners of sound recordings and performers, the strong encouragement of Congress to reach an accommodation with the small webcasters on an expedited basis.
“(4) The representatives have indicated that they do not believe the agreement provides for or in any way approximates fair or reasonable royalty rates and terms, or rates and terms that would have been negotiated in the marketplace between a willing buyer and a willing seller.
“(5) Congress has made no determination as to whether the agreement provides for or in any way approximates fair or reasonable fees and terms, or rates and terms that would have been negotiated in the marketplace between a willing buyer and a willing seller.
“(6) Congress likewise has made no determination as to whether the July 8 order is reasonable or arbitrary, and nothing in this Act [amending this section and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 101 of this title ] shall be taken into account by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in its review of such order.
“(7) It is, nevertheless, in the public interest for the parties to be able to enter into such an agreement without fear of liability for deviating from the fees and terms of the July 8 order, if it is clear that the agreement will not be admissible as evidence or otherwise taken into account in any government proceeding involving the setting or adjustment of the royalties payable to copyright owners of sound recordings for the public performance or reproduction in ephemeral phonorecords or copies of such works, the determination of terms or conditions related thereto, or the establishment of notice or recordkeeping requirements.”
“(1) in the case of royalty payments from the licensing of digital transmissions of sound recordings under subsection (f) of section 114 of title 17 , United States Code, the parties have voluntarily negotiated arrangements under which payments shall be made directly to featured recording artists and the administrators of the accounts provided in subsection (g)(2) of that section;
“(2) such voluntarily negotiated payment arrangements have been codified in regulations issued by the Librarian of Congress , currently found in section 261.4 of title 37, Code of Federal Regulations, as published in the Federal Register on July 8, 2002 ;
“(3) other regulations issued by the Librarian of Congress were inconsistent with the voluntarily negotiated arrangements by such parties concerning the deductibility of certain costs incurred for licensing and arbitration, and Congress is therefore restoring those terms as originally negotiated among the parties; and
“(4) in light of the special circumstances described in this subsection, the uncertainty created by the regulations issued by the Librarian of Congress , and the fact that all of the interested parties have reached agreement, the voluntarily negotiated arrangements agreed to among the parties are being codified.”
“(1) In general.— The payments to be made by noncommercial webcasters for the digital performance of sound recordings under section 114 of title 17 , United States Code, and the making of ephemeral phonorecords under section 112 of title 17 , United States Code, during the period beginning on October 28, 1998 , and ending on May 31, 2003 , which have not already been paid, shall not be due until June 20, 2003 .
“(2) Definition.— In this subsection, the term ‘ noncommercial webcaster ’ has the meaning given that term in section 114(f)(5)(E)(i) [now 114(f)(4)(E)(i)] of title 17, United States Code, as added by section 4 of this Act.
“(1) In general.— The receiving agent may, in a writing signed by an authorized representative thereof, delay the obligation of any 1 or more small commercial webcasters to make payments pursuant to sections 112 and 114 of title 17, United States Code, for a period determined by such entity to allow negotiations as permitted in section 4 of this Act [amending this section], except that any such period shall end no later than December 15, 2002 . The duration and terms of any such delay shall be as set forth in such writing.
“(2) Definitions.— In this subsection— “(A) the term ‘ webcaster ’ has the meaning given that term in section 114(f)(5)(E)(iii) [now 114(f)(4)(E)(iii)] of title 17, United States Code, as added by section 4 of this Act; and
17 U.S.C. § 115 Compulsory license for phonorecords
In the case of nondramatic musical works, the exclusive rights provided by clauses (1) and (3) of section 106, to make and to distribute phonorecords of such works, are subject to compulsory licensing under the conditions specified by this section.
(1) Eligibility for compulsory license.— (A) Conditions for compulsory license.— A person may by complying with the provisions of this section obtain a compulsory license to make and distribute phonorecords of a nondramatic musical work, including by means of digital phonorecord delivery . A person may obtain a compulsory license only if the primary purpose in making phonorecords of the musical work is to distribute them to the public for private use, including by means of digital phonorecord delivery , and— (i) phonorecords of such musical work have previously been distributed to the public in the United States under the authority of the copyright owner of the work, including by means of digital phonorecord delivery ; or
(2) Musical arrangement.— A compulsory license includes the privilege of making a musical arrangement of the work to the extent necessary to conform it to the style or manner of interpretation of the performance involved, but the arrangement shall not change the basic melody or fundamental character of the work, and shall not be subject to protection as a derivative work under this title, except with the express consent of the copyright owner.
(1) Phonorecords other than digital phonorecord deliveries.— A person who seeks to obtain a compulsory license under subsection (a) to make and distribute phonorecords of a musical work other than by means of digital phonorecord delivery shall, before, or not later than 30 calendar days after, making, and before distributing, any phonorecord of the work, serve notice of intention to do so on the copyright owner. If the registration or other public records of the Copyright Office do not identify the copyright owner and include an address at which notice can be served, it shall be sufficient to file the notice of intention with the Copyright Office. The notice shall comply, in form, content, and manner of service, with requirements that the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation.
(2) Digital phonorecord deliveries.— A person who seeks to obtain a compulsory license under subsection (a) to make and distribute phonorecords of a musical work by means of digital phonorecord delivery — (A) prior to the license availability date , shall, before, or not later than 30 calendar days after, first making any such digital phonorecord delivery , serve a notice of intention to do so on the copyright owner (but may not file the notice with the Copyright Office, even if the public records of the Office do not identify the owner or the owner’s address), and such notice shall comply, in form, content, and manner of service, with requirements that the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation; or
(3) Record company individual download licenses.— Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(B), a record company may, on or after the license availability date , obtain an individual download license in accordance with the notice requirements described in paragraph (2)(A) (except for the requirement that notice occur prior to the license availability date) . A record company that obtains an individual download license as permitted under this paragraph shall provide statements of account and pay royalties as provided in subsection (c)(2)(I).
(4) Failure to obtain license.— (A) Phonorecords other than digital phonorecord deliveries.— In the case of phonorecords made and distributed other than by means of digital phonorecord delivery , the failure to serve or file the notice of intention required by paragraph (1) forecloses the possibility of a compulsory license under paragraph (1). In the absence of a voluntary license, the failure to obtain a compulsory license renders the making and distribution of phonorecords actionable as acts of infringement under section 501 and subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506.
(1) Royalty payable under compulsory license.— (A) Identification requirement.— To be entitled to receive royalties under a compulsory license obtained under subsection (b)(1) the copyright owner must be identified in the registration or other public records of the Copyright Office. The owner is entitled to royalties for phonorecords made and distributed after being so identified, but is not entitled to recover for any phonorecords previously made and distributed.
(2) Additional terms and conditions.— (A) Voluntary licenses and contractual royalty rates.— (i) In general.— License agreements voluntarily negotiated at any time between one or more copyright owners of nondramatic musical works and one or more persons entitled to obtain a compulsory license under subsection (a) shall be given effect in lieu of any determination by the Copyright Royalty Judges . Subject to clause (ii), the royalty rates determined pursuant to subparagraphs (E) and (F) of paragraph (1) shall be given effect as to digital phonorecord deliveries in lieu of any contrary royalty rates specified in a contract pursuant to which a recording artist who is the author of a nondramatic musical work grants a license under that person’s exclusive rights in the musical work under paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 106 or commits another person to grant a license in that musical work under paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 106, to a person desiring to fix in a tangible medium of expression a sound recording embodying the musical work.
(1) Blanket license for digital uses.— (A) In general.— A digital music provider that qualifies for a compulsory license under subsection (a) may, by complying with the terms and conditions of this subsection, obtain a blanket license from copyright owners through the mechanical licensing collective to make and distribute digital phonorecord deliveries of musical works through one or more covered activities.
(2) Availability of blanket license.— (A) Procedure for obtaining license.— A digital music provider may obtain a blanket license by submitting a notice of license to the mechanical licensing collective that specifies the particular covered activities in which the digital music provider seeks to engage, as follows: (i) The notice of license shall comply in form and substance with requirements that the Register of Copyrights shall establish by regulation.
(3) Mechanical licensing collective.— (A) In general.— The mechanical licensing collective shall be a single entity that— (i) is a nonprofit entity, not owned by any other entity, that is created by copyright owners to carry out responsibilities under this subsection;
(4) Terms and conditions of blanket license.— A blanket license is subject to, and conditioned upon, the following requirements: (A) Royalty reporting and payments.— (i) Monthly reports and payment.— A digital music provider shall report and pay royalties to the mechanical licensing collective under the blanket license on a monthly basis in accordance with clause (ii) and subsection (c)(2)(I), except that the monthly reporting shall be due on the date that is 45 calendar days, rather than 20 calendar days, after the end of the monthly reporting period.
(5) Digital licensee coordinator.— (A) In general.— The digital licensee coordinator shall be a single entity that— (i) is a nonprofit , not owned by any other entity, that is created to carry out responsibilities under this subsection;
(6) Requirements for significant nonblanket licensees.— (A) In general.— (i) Notice of activity.— Not later than 45 calendar days after the license availability date , or 45 calendar days after the end of the first full calendar month in which an entity initially qualifies as a significant nonblanket licensee , whichever occurs later, a significant nonblanket licensee shall submit a notice of nonblanket activity to the mechanical licensing collective. The notice of nonblanket activity shall comply in form and substance with requirements that the Register of Copyrights shall establish by regulation, and a copy shall be made available to the digital licensee coordinator.
(7) Funding of mechanical licensing collective.— (A) In general.— The collective total costs shall be funded by— (i) an administrative assessment , as such assessment is established by the Copyright Royalty Judges pursuant to subparagraph (D) from time to time, to be paid by— (I) digital music providers that are engaged, in all or in part, in covered activities pursuant to a blanket license; and
(8) Establishment of rates and terms under blanket license.— (A) Restrictions on ratesetting participation.— Neither the mechanical licensing collective nor the digital licensee coordinator shall be a party to a proceeding described in subsection (c)(1)(E), except that the mechanical licensing collective or the digital licensee coordinator may gather and provide financial and other information for the use of a party to such a proceeding and comply with requests for information as required under applicable statutory and regulatory provisions and rulings of the Copyright Royalty Judges.
(9) Transition to blanket licenses.— (A) Substitution of blanket license.— On the license availability date , a blanket license shall, without any interruption in license authority enjoyed by such digital music provider, be automatically substituted for and supersede any existing compulsory license previously obtained under this section by the digital music provider from a copyright owner to engage in 1 or more covered activities with respect to a musical work, except that such substitution shall not apply to any authority obtained from a record company pursuant to a compulsory license to make and distribute permanent downloads unless and until such record company terminates such authority in writing to take effect at the end of a monthly reporting period, with a copy to the mechanical licensing collective .
(10) Prior unlicensed uses.— (A) Limitation on liability in general.— A copyright owner that commences an action under section 501 on or after January 1, 2018 , against a digital music provider for the infringement of the exclusive rights provided by paragraph (1) or (3) of section 106 arising from the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a musical work by such digital music provider in the course of engaging in covered activities prior to the license availability date, shall, as the copyright owner’s sole and exclusive remedy against the digital music provider, be eligible to recover the royalty prescribed under subsection (c)(1)(C) and chapter 8, from the digital music provider, provided that such digital music provider can demonstrate compliance with the requirements of subparagraph (B), as applicable. In all other cases the limitation on liability under this subparagraph shall not apply.
(11) Legal protections for licensing activities.— (A) Exemption for compulsory license activities.— The antitrust exemption described in subsection (c)(1)(D) shall apply to negotiations and agreements between and among copyright owners and persons entitled to obtain a compulsory license for covered activities, and common agents acting on behalf of such copyright owners or persons, including with respect to the administrative assessment established under this subsection.
(12) Regulations.— (A) Adoption by register of copyrights and copyright royalty judges.— The Register of Copyrights may conduct such proceedings and adopt such regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the provisions of this subsection, except for regulations concerning proceedings before the Copyright Royalty Judges to establish the administrative assessment , which shall be adopted by the Copyright Royalty Judges.
(13) Savings clauses.— (A) Limitation on activities and rights covered.— This subsection applies solely to uses of musical works subject to licensing under this section. The blanket license shall not be construed to extend or apply to activities other than covered activities or to rights other than the exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution licensed under this section, or serve or act as the basis to extend or expand the compulsory license under this section to activities and rights not covered by this section on the day before the enactment date.
(1) Accrued interest.— The term “ accrued interest ” means interest accrued on accrued royalties , as described in subsection (d)(3)(H)(ii).
(2) Accrued royalties.— The term “ accrued royalties ” means royalties accrued for the reproduction or distribution of a musical work (or share thereof) in a covered activity, calculated in accordance with the applicable royalty rate under this section.
(3) Administrative assessment.— The term “ administrative assessment ” means the fee established pursuant to subsection (d)(7)(D).
(4) Audit.— The term “ audit ” means a royalty compliance examination to verify the accuracy of royalty payments, or the conduct of such an examination, as applicable.
(5) Blanket license.— The term “ blanket license ” means a compulsory license described in subsection (d)(1)(A) to engage in covered activities.
(6) Collective total costs.— The term “ collective total costs ”— (A) means the total costs of establishing, maintaining, and operating the mechanical licensing collective to fulfill its statutory functions, including— (i) startup costs;
(7) Covered activity.— The term “ covered activity ” means the activity of making a digital phonorecord delivery of a musical work, including in the form of a permanent download, limited download, or interactive stream, where such activity qualifies for a compulsory license under this section.
(8) Digital music provider.— The term “ digital music provider ” means a person (or persons operating under the authority of that person) that, with respect to a service engaged in covered activities— (A) has a direct contractual, subscription, or other economic relationship with end users of the service , or, if no such relationship with end users exists, exercises direct control over the provision of the service to end users;
(9) Digital licensee coordinator.— The term “ digital licensee coordinator ” means the entity most recently designated pursuant to subsection (d)(5).
(10) Digital phonorecord delivery.— The term “ digital phonorecord delivery ” means each individual delivery of a phonorecord by digital transmission of a sound recording that results in a specifically identifiable reproduction by or for any transmission recipient of a phonorecord of that sound recording, regardless of whether the digital transmission is also a public performance of the sound recording or any musical work embodied therein, and includes a permanent download, a limited download, or an interactive stream. A digital phonorecord delivery does not result from a real-time, noninteractive subscription transmission of a sound recording where no reproduction of the sound recording or the musical work embodied therein is made from the inception of the transmission through to its receipt by the transmission recipient in order to make the sound recording audible. A digital phonorecord delivery does not include the digital transmission of sounds accompanying a motion picture or other audiovisual work as defined in section 101.
(11) Enactment date.— The term “ enactment date ” means the date of the enactment of the Musical Works Modernization Act.
(12) Individual download license.— The term “ individual download license ” means a compulsory license obtained by a record company to make and distribute, or authorize the making and distribution of, permanent downloads embodying a specific individual musical work.
(13) Interactive stream.— The term “ interactive stream ” means a digital transmission of a sound recording of a musical work in the form of a stream, where the performance of the sound recording by means of such transmission is not exempt under section 114(d)(1) and does not in itself, or as a result of a program in which it is included, qualify for statutory licensing under section 114(d)(2). An interactive stream is a digital phonorecord delivery .
(14) Interested.— The term “ interested ”, as applied to a party seeking to participate in a proceeding under subsection (d)(7)(D), is a party as to which the Copyright Royalty Judges have not determined that the party lacks a significant interest in such proceeding.
(15) License availability date.— The term “ license availability date ” means January 1 following the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the enactment date.
(16) Limited download.— The term “ limited download ” means a digital transmission of a sound recording of a musical work in the form of a download, where such sound recording is accessible for listening only for a limited amount of time or specified number of times.
(17) Matched.— The term “ matched ”, as applied to a musical work (or share thereof), means that the copyright owner of such work (or share thereof) has been identified and located.
(18) Mechanical licensing collective.— The term “ mechanical licensing collective ” means the entity most recently designated as such by the Register of Copyrights under subsection (d)(3).
(19) Mechanical licensing collective budget.— The term “ mechanical licensing collective budget ” means a statement of the financial position of the mechanical licensing collective for a fiscal year or quarter thereof based on estimates of expenditures during the period and proposals for financing those expenditures, including a calculation of the collective total costs.
(20) Musical works database.— The term “ musical works database ” means the database described in subsection (d)(3)(E).
(21) Nonprofit.— The term “ nonprofit ” means a nonprofit created or organized in a State.
(22) Notice of license.— The term “ notice of license ” means a notice from a digital music provider provided under subsection (d)(2)(A) for purposes of obtaining a blanket license.
(23) Notice of nonblanket activity.— The term “ notice of nonblanket activity ” means a notice from a significant nonblanket licensee provided under subsection (d)(6)(A) for purposes of notifying the mechanical licensing collective that the licensee has been engaging in covered activities.
(24) Permanent download.— The term “ permanent download ” means a digital transmission of a sound recording of a musical work in the form of a download, where such sound recording is accessible for listening without restriction as to the amount of time or number of times it may be accessed.
(25) Qualified auditor.— The term “ qualified auditor ” means an independent, certified public accountant with experience performing music royalty audits.
(26) Record company.— The term “ record company ” means an entity that invests in, produces, and markets sound recordings of musical works, and distributes such sound recordings for remuneration through multiple sales channels, including a corporate affiliate of such an entity engaged in distribution of sound recordings.
(27) Report of usage.— The term “ report of usage ” means a report reflecting an entity’s usage of musical works in covered activities described in subsection (d)(4)(A).
(28) Required matching efforts.— The term “ required matching efforts ” means efforts to identify and locate copyright owners of musical works as described in subsection (d)(10)(B)(i).
(29) Service.— The term “ service ”, as used in relation to covered activities, means any site, facility, or offering by or through which sound recordings of musical works are digitally transmitted to members of the public.
(30) Share.— The term “ share ”, as applied to a musical work, means a fractional ownership interest in such work.
(31) Significant nonblanket licensee.— The term “ significant nonblanket licensee ”— (A) means an entity, including a group of entities under common ownership or control that, acting under the authority of one or more voluntary licenses or individual download licenses , offers a service engaged in covered activities, and such entity or group of entities— (i) is not currently operating under a blanket license and is not obligated to provide reports of usage reflecting covered activities under subsection (d)(4)(A);
(32) Songwriter.— The term “ songwriter ” means the author of all or part of a musical work, including a composer or lyricist.
(33) State.— The term “ State ” means each State of the United States , the District of Columbia, and each territory or possession of the United States .
(34) Unclaimed accrued royalties.— The term “ unclaimed accrued royalties ” means accrued royalties eligible for distribution under subsection (d)(3)(J).
(35) Unmatched.— The term “ unmatched ”, as applied to a musical work (or share thereof), means that the copyright owner of such work (or share thereof) has not been identified or located.
(36) Voluntary license.— The term “ voluntary license ” means a license for use of a musical work (or share thereof) other than a compulsory license obtained under this section.
“(1) regarding the amendments made by subsection (a) to section 115 of title 17 , United States Code, including the responsibilities of the mechanical licensing collective designated under those amendments;
“(2) which shall include educating songwriters and other interested parties with respect to the process established under section 115(d)(3)(C)(i)(V) of title 17 , United States Code, as added by subsection (a), by which— “(A) a copyright owner may claim ownership of musical works (and shares of such works); and
“(3) which the Register shall make available online.”
“(1) In general.— Not later than 2 years after the date on which the Register of Copyrights initially designates the mechanical licensing collective under section 115(d)(3)(B)(i) of title 17 , United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(4), the Register, in consultation with the Comptroller General of the United States, and after soliciting and reviewing comments and relevant information from music industry participants and other interested parties, shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report that recommends best practices that the collective may implement in order to— “(A) identify and locate musical work copyright owners with unclaimed accrued royalties held by the collective;
“(2) Consideration of recommendations.— The mechanical licensing collective shall carefully consider, and give substantial weight to, the recommendations submitted by the Register of Copyrights under paragraph (1) when establishing the procedures of the collective with respect to the— “(A) identification and location of musical work copyright owners; and
17 U.S.C. § 117 Computer programs
(1) that such a new copy or adaptation is created as an essential step in the utilization of the computer program in conjunction with a machine and that it is used in no other manner, or
(2) that such new copy or adaptation is for archival purposes only and that all archival copies are destroyed in the event that continued possession of the computer program should cease to be rightful.
(1) such new copy is used in no other manner and is destroyed immediately after the maintenance or repair is completed; and
(2) with respect to any computer program or part thereof that is not necessary for that machine to be activated, such program or part thereof is not accessed or used other than to make such new copy by virtue of the activation of the machine.
(1) the “ maintenance ” of a machine is the servicing of the machine in order to make it work in accordance with its original specifications and any changes to those specifications authorized for that machine; and
(2) the “ repair ” of a machine is the restoring of the machine to the state of working in accordance with its original specifications and any changes to those specifications authorized for that machine.
17 U.S.C. § 201 Ownership vests in the author
(1) The ownership of a copyright may be transferred in whole or in part by any means of conveyance or by operation of law, and may be bequeathed by will or pass as personal property by the applicable laws of intestate succession.
(2) Any of the exclusive rights comprised in a copyright, including any subdivision of any of the rights specified by section 106, may be transferred as provided by clause (1) and owned separately. The owner of any particular exclusive right is entitled, to the extent of that right, to all of the protection and remedies accorded to the copyright owner by this title.
17 U.S.C. § 202 Copyright separate from the physical object
Ownership of a copyright, or of any of the exclusive rights under a copyright, is distinct from ownership of any material object in which the work is embodied. Transfer of ownership of any material object, including the copy or phonorecord in which the work is first fixed, does not of itself convey any rights in the copyrighted work embodied in the object; nor, in the absence of an agreement, does transfer of ownership of a copyright or of any exclusive rights under a copyright convey property rights in any material object.
17 U.S.C. § 203 Termination of transfers
(1) In the case of a grant executed by one author, termination of the grant may be effected by that author or, if the author is dead, by the person or persons who, under clause (2) of this subsection, own and are entitled to exercise a total of more than one-half of that author’s termination interest. In the case of a grant executed by two or more authors of a joint work, termination of the grant may be effected by a majority of the authors who executed it; if any of such authors is dead, the termination interest of any such author may be exercised as a unit by the person or persons who, under clause (2) of this subsection, own and are entitled to exercise a total of more than one-half of that author’s interest.
(2) Where an author is dead, his or her termination interest is owned, and may be exercised, as follows: (A) The widow or widower owns the author’s entire termination interest unless there are any surviving children or grandchildren of the author, in which case the widow or widower owns one-half of the author’s interest.
(3) Termination of the grant may be effected at any time during a period of five years beginning at the end of thirty-five years from the date of execution of the grant; or, if the grant covers the right of publication of the work, the period begins at the end of thirty-five years from the date of publication of the work under the grant or at the end of forty years from the date of execution of the grant, whichever term ends earlier.
(4) The termination shall be effected by serving an advance notice in writing, signed by the number and proportion of owners of termination interests required under clauses (1) and (2) of this subsection, or by their duly authorized agents, upon the grantee or the grantee’s successor in title. (A) The notice shall state the effective date of the termination, which shall fall within the five-year period specified by clause (3) of this subsection, and the notice shall be served not less than two or more than ten years before that date. A copy of the notice shall be recorded in the Copyright Office before the effective date of termination, as a condition to its taking effect.
(5) Termination of the grant may be effected notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary, including an agreement to make a will or to make any future grant.
(1) A derivative work prepared under authority of the grant before its termination may continue to be utilized under the terms of the grant after its termination, but this privilege does not extend to the preparation after the termination of other derivative works based upon the copyrighted work covered by the terminated grant.
(2) The future rights that will revert upon termination of the grant become vested on the date the notice of termination has been served as provided by clause (4) of subsection (a). The rights vest in the author, authors, and other persons named in, and in the proportionate shares provided by, clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (a).
(3) Subject to the provisions of clause (4) of this subsection, a further grant, or agreement to make a further grant, of any right covered by a terminated grant is valid only if it is signed by the same number and proportion of the owners, in whom the right has vested under clause (2) of this subsection, as are required to terminate the grant under clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (a). Such further grant or agreement is effective with respect to all of the persons in whom the right it covers has vested under clause (2) of this subsection, including those who did not join in signing it. If any person dies after rights under a terminated grant have vested in him or her, that person’s legal representatives, legatees, or heirs at law represent him or her for purposes of this clause.
(4) A further grant, or agreement to make a further grant, of any right covered by a terminated grant is valid only if it is made after the effective date of the termination. As an exception, however, an agreement for such a further grant may be made between the persons provided by clause (3) of this subsection and the original grantee or such grantee’s successor in title, after the notice of termination has been served as provided by clause (4) of subsection (a).
(5) Termination of a grant under this section affects only those rights covered by the grants that arise under this title, and in no way affects rights arising under any other Federal, State, or foreign laws.
(6) Unless and until termination is effected under this section, the grant, if it does not provide otherwise, continues in effect for the term of copyright provided by this title.
17 U.S.C. § 301 Preemption of state law
(1) subject matter that does not come within the subject matter of copyright as specified by sections 102 and 103, including works of authorship not fixed in any tangible medium of expression; or
(2) any cause of action arising from undertakings commenced before January 1, 1978 ;
(3) activities violating legal or equitable rights that are not equivalent to any of the exclusive rights within the general scope of copyright as specified by section 106; or
(4) State and local landmarks, historic preservation, zoning, or building codes, relating to architectural works protected under section 102(a)(8).
(1) On or after the effective date set forth in section 610(a) of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 , all legal or equitable rights that are equivalent to any of the rights conferred by section 106A with respect to works of visual art to which the rights conferred by section 106A apply are governed exclusively by section 106A and section 113(d) and the provisions of this title relating to such sections. Thereafter, no person is entitled to any such right or equivalent right in any work of visual art under the common law or statutes of any State.
(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) annuls or limits any rights or remedies under the common law or statutes of any State with respect to— (A) any cause of action from undertakings commenced before the effective date set forth in section 610(a) of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 ;
17 U.S.C. § 302 Duration
Copyright in a work created on or after January 1, 1978 , subsists from its creation and, except as provided by the following subsections, endures for a term consisting of the life of the author and 70 years after the author’s death.
17 U.S.C. § 304 Termination for pre-1978 grants
(1) (A) Any copyright, the first term of which is subsisting on January 1, 1978 , shall endure for 28 years from the date it was originally secured.
the proprietor of such copyright shall be entitled to a renewal and extension of the copyright in such work for the further term of 67 years.
shall be entitled to a renewal and extension of the copyright in such work for a further term of 67 years.
(2) (A) At the expiration of the original term of copyright in a work specified in paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection, the copyright shall endure for a renewed and extended further term of 67 years, which— (i) if an application to register a claim to such further term has been made to the Copyright Office within 1 year before the expiration of the original term of copyright, and the claim is registered, shall vest, upon the beginning of such further term, in the proprietor of the copyright who is entitled to claim the renewal of copyright at the time the application is made; or
(3) (A) An application to register a claim to the renewed and extended term of copyright in a work may be made to the Copyright Office— (i) within 1 year before the expiration of the original term of copyright by any person entitled under paragraph (1)(B) or (C) to such further term of 67 years; and
(4) (A) If an application to register a claim to the renewed and extended term of copyright in a work is not made within 1 year before the expiration of the original term of copyright in a work, or if the claim pursuant to such application is not registered, then a derivative work prepared under authority of a grant of a transfer or license of the copyright that is made before the expiration of the original term of copyright may continue to be used under the terms of the grant during the renewed and extended term of copyright without infringing the copyright, except that such use does not extend to the preparation during such renewed and extended term of other derivative works based upon the copyrighted work covered by such grant.
(1) In the case of a grant executed by a person or persons other than the author, termination of the grant may be effected by the surviving person or persons who executed it. In the case of a grant executed by one or more of the authors of the work, termination of the grant may be effected, to the extent of a particular author’s share in the ownership of the renewal copyright, by the author who executed it or, if such author is dead, by the person or persons who, under clause (2) of this subsection, own and are entitled to exercise a total of more than one-half of that author’s termination interest.
(2) Where an author is dead, his or her termination interest is owned, and may be exercised, as follows: (A) The widow or widower owns the author’s entire termination interest unless there are any surviving children or grandchildren of the author, in which case the widow or widower owns one-half of the author’s interest.
(3) Termination of the grant may be effected at any time during a period of five years beginning at the end of fifty-six years from the date copyright was originally secured, or beginning on January 1, 1978 , whichever is later.
(4) The termination shall be effected by serving an advance notice in writing upon the grantee or the grantee’s successor in title. In the case of a grant executed by a person or persons other than the author, the notice shall be signed by all of those entitled to terminate the grant under clause (1) of this subsection, or by their duly authorized agents. In the case of a grant executed by one or more of the authors of the work, the notice as to any one author’s share shall be signed by that author or his or her duly authorized agent or, if that author is dead, by the number and proportion of the owners of his or her termination interest required under clauses (1) and (2) of this subsection, or by their duly authorized agents. (A) The notice shall state the effective date of the termination, which shall fall within the five-year period specified by clause (3) of this subsection, or, in the case of a termination under subsection (d), within the five-year period specified by subsection (d)(2), and the notice shall be served not less than two or more than ten years before that date. A copy of the notice shall be recorded in the Copyright Office before the effective date of termination, as a condition to its taking effect.
(5) Termination of the grant may be effected notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary, including an agreement to make a will or to make any future grant.
(6) In the case of a grant executed by a person or persons other than the author, all rights under this title that were covered by the terminated grant revert, upon the effective date of termination, to all of those entitled to terminate the grant under clause (1) of this subsection. In the case of a grant executed by one or more of the authors of the work, all of a particular author’s rights under this title that were covered by the terminated grant revert, upon the effective date of termination, to that author or, if that author is dead, to the persons owning his or her termination interest under clause (2) of this subsection, including those owners who did not join in signing the notice of termination under clause (4) of this subsection. In all cases the reversion of rights is subject to the following limitations: (A) A derivative work prepared under authority of the grant before its termination may continue to be utilized under the terms of the grant after its termination, but this privilege does not extend to the preparation after the termination of other derivative works based upon the copyrighted work covered by the terminated grant.
(1) The conditions specified in subsections (c)(1), (2), (4), (5), and (6) of this section apply to terminations of the last 20 years of copyright term as provided by the amendments made by the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act .
(2) Termination of the grant may be effected at any time during a period of 5 years beginning at the end of 75 years from the date copyright was originally secured.
17 U.S.C. § 408 Registration in general
(1) in the case of an unpublished work, one complete copy or phonorecord;
(2) in the case of a published work, two complete copies or phonorecords of the best edition;
(3) in the case of a work first published outside the United States, one complete copy or phonorecord as so published;
(4) in the case of a contribution to a collective work, one complete copy or phonorecord of the best edition of the collective work.
Copies or phonorecords deposited for the Library of Congress under section 407 may be used to satisfy the deposit provisions of this section, if they are accompanied by the prescribed application and fee, and by any additional identifying material that the Register may, by regulation, require. The Register shall also prescribe regulations establishing requirements under which copies or phonorecords acquired for the Library of Congress under subsection (e) of section 407, otherwise than by deposit, may be used to satisfy the deposit provisions of this section.
(1) The Register of Copyrights is authorized to specify by regulation the administrative classes into which works are to be placed for purposes of deposit and registration, and the nature of the copies or phonorecords to be deposited in the various classes specified. The regulations may require or permit, for particular classes, the deposit of identifying material instead of copies or phonorecords, the deposit of only one copy or phonorecord where two would normally be required, or a single registration for a group of related works. This administrative classification of works has no significance with respect to the subject matter of copyright or the exclusive rights provided by this title.
(2) Without prejudice to the general authority provided under clause (1), the Register of Copyrights shall establish regulations specifically permitting a single registration for a group of works by the same individual author, all first published as contributions to periodicals, including newspapers, within a twelve-month period, on the basis of a single deposit, application, and registration fee, under the following conditions: (A) if the deposit consists of one copy of the entire issue of the periodical, or of the entire section in the case of a newspaper, in which each contribution was first published; and
(3) As an alternative to separate renewal registrations under subsection (a) of section 304, a single renewal registration may be made for a group of works by the same individual author, all first published as contributions to periodicals, including newspapers, upon the filing of a single application and fee, under all of the following conditions: (A) the renewal claimant or claimants, and the basis of claim or claims under section 304(a), is the same for each of the works; and
(1) Rulemaking.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Register of Copyrights shall issue regulations to establish procedures for preregistration of a work that is being prepared for commercial distribution and has not been published.
(2) Class of works.— The regulations established under paragraph (1) shall permit preregistration for any work that is in a class of works that the Register determines has had a history of infringement prior to authorized commercial distribution.
(3) Application for registration.— Not later than 3 months after the first publication of a work preregistered under this subsection, the applicant shall submit to the Copyright Office— (A) an application for registration of the work;
(4) Effect of untimely application.— An action under this chapter for infringement of a work preregistered under this subsection, in a case in which the infringement commenced no later than 2 months after the first publication of the work, shall be dismissed if the items described in paragraph (3) are not submitted to the Copyright Office in proper form within the earlier of— (A) 3 months after the first publication of the work; or
17 U.S.C. § 411 Registration prerequisite to suit
(1) A certificate of registration satisfies the requirements of this section and section 412, regardless of whether the certificate contains any inaccurate information, unless— (A) the inaccurate information was included on the application for copyright registration with knowledge that it was inaccurate; and
(2) In any case in which inaccurate information described under paragraph (1) is alleged, the court shall request the Register of Copyrights to advise the court whether the inaccurate information, if known, would have caused the Register of Copyrights to refuse registration.
(3) Nothing in this subsection shall affect any rights, obligations, or requirements of a person related to information contained in a registration certificate, except for the institution of and remedies in infringement actions under this section and section 412.
(1) serves notice upon the infringer, not less than 48 hours before such fixation, identifying the work and the specific time and source of its first transmission, and declaring an intention to secure copyright in the work; and
(2) makes registration for the work, if required by subsection (a), within three months after its first transmission.
17 U.S.C. § 412 Remedies limited without registration
In any action under this title, other than an action brought for a violation of the rights of the author under section 106A(a), an action for infringement of the copyright of a work that has been preregistered under section 408(f) before the commencement of the infringement and that has an effective date of registration not later than the earlier of 3 months after the first publication of the work or 1 month after the copyright owner has learned of the infringement, or an action instituted under section 411(c), no award of statutory damages or of attorney’s fees, as provided by sections 504 and 505, shall be made for—
(1) any infringement of copyright in an unpublished work commenced before the effective date of its registration; or
(2) any infringement of copyright commenced after first publication of the work and before the effective date of its registration, unless such registration is made within three months after the first publication of the work.
17 U.S.C. § 501 Infringement
(1) With respect to any secondary transmission that is made by a satellite carrier of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission and is actionable as an act of infringement under section 122, a television broadcast station holding a copyright or other license to transmit or perform the same version of that work shall, for purposes of subsection (b) of this section, be treated as a legal or beneficial owner if such secondary transmission occurs within the local market of that station.
(2) A television broadcast station may file a civil action against any satellite carrier that has refused to carry television broadcast signals, as required under section 122(a)(2), to enforce that television broadcast station’s rights under section 338(a) of the Communications Act of 1934 .
17 U.S.C. § 504 Remedies: damages and profits
(1) the copyright owner’s actual damages and any additional profits of the infringer, as provided by subsection (b); or
(2) statutory damages, as provided by subsection (c).
(1) Except as provided by clause (2) of this subsection, the copyright owner may elect, at any time before final judgment is rendered, to recover, instead of actual damages and profits, an award of statutory damages for all infringements involved in the action, with respect to any one work, for which any one infringer is liable individually, or for which any two or more infringers are liable jointly and severally, in a sum of not less than $750 or more than $30,000 as the court considers just. For the purposes of this subsection, all the parts of a compilation or derivative work constitute one work.
(2) In a case where the copyright owner sustains the burden of proving, and the court finds, that infringement was committed willfully, the court in its discretion may increase the award of statutory damages to a sum of not more than $150,000. In a case where the infringer sustains the burden of proving, and the court finds, that such infringer was not aware and had no reason to believe that his or her acts constituted an infringement of copyright, the court in its discretion may reduce the award of statutory damages to a sum of not less than $200. The court shall remit statutory damages in any case where an infringer believed and had reasonable grounds for believing that his or her use of the copyrighted work was a fair use under section 107, if the infringer was: (i) an employee or agent of a nonprofit educational institution, library, or archives acting within the scope of his or her employment who, or such institution, library, or archives itself, which infringed by reproducing the work in copies or phonorecords; or (ii) a public broadcasting entity which or a person who, as a regular part of the nonprofit activities of a public broadcasting entity (as defined in section 118(f) ) infringed by performing a published nondramatic literary work or by reproducing a transmission program embodying a performance of such a work.
(3) (A) In a case of infringement, it shall be a rebuttable presumption that the infringement was committed willfully for purposes of determining relief if the violator, or a person acting in concert with the violator, knowingly provided or knowingly caused to be provided materially false contact information to a domain name registrar, domain name registry, or other domain name registration authority in registering, maintaining, or renewing a domain name used in connection with the infringement.
17 U.S.C. § 505 Costs and attorney's fees
In any civil action under this title, the court in its discretion may allow the recovery of full costs by or against any party other than the United States or an officer thereof. Except as otherwise provided by this title, the court may also award a reasonable attorney’s fee to the prevailing party as part of the costs.
17 U.S.C. § 506 Criminal offenses
(1) In general.— Any person who willfully infringes a copyright shall be punished as provided under section 2319 of title 18 , if the infringement was committed— (A) for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain;
(2) Evidence.— For purposes of this subsection, evidence of reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work, by itself, shall not be sufficient to establish willful infringement of a copyright.
(3) Definition.— In this subsection, the term “ work being prepared for commercial distribution ” means— (A) a computer program, a musical work, a motion picture or other audiovisual work, or a sound recording, if, at the time of unauthorized distribution— (i) the copyright owner has a reasonable expectation of commercial distribution; and
17 U.S.C. § 507 Limitation of actions
Except as expressly provided otherwise in this title, no criminal proceeding shall be maintained under the provisions of this title unless it is commenced within 5 years after the cause of action arose.
17 U.S.C. § 512 Online safe harbors (DMCA)
(1) the transmission of the material was initiated by or at the direction of a person other than the service provider ;
(2) the transmission, routing, provision of connections, or storage is carried out through an automatic technical process without selection of the material by the service provider ;
(3) the service provider does not select the recipients of the material except as an automatic response to the request of another person;
(4) no copy of the material made by the service provider in the course of such intermediate or transient storage is maintained on the system or network in a manner ordinarily accessible to anyone other than anticipated recipients, and no such copy is maintained on the system or network in a manner ordinarily accessible to such anticipated recipients for a longer period than is reasonably necessary for the transmission, routing, or provision of connections; and
(5) the material is transmitted through the system or network without modification of its content.
(1) Limitation on liability.— A service provider shall not be liable for monetary relief, or, except as provided in subsection (j), for injunctive or other equitable relief, for infringement of copyright by reason of the intermediate and temporary storage of material on a system or network controlled or operated by or for the service provider in a case in which— (A) the material is made available online by a person other than the service provider ;
if the conditions set forth in paragraph (2) are met.
(2) Conditions.— The conditions referred to in paragraph (1) are that— (A) the material described in paragraph (1) is transmitted to the subsequent users described in paragraph (1)(C) without modification to its content from the manner in which the material was transmitted from the person described in paragraph (1)(A);
(1) In general.— A service provider shall not be liable for monetary relief, or, except as provided in subsection (j), for injunctive or other equitable relief, for infringement of copyright by reason of the storage at the direction of a user of material that resides on a system or network controlled or operated by or for the service provider , if the service provider — (A) (i) does not have actual knowledge that the material or an activity using the material on the system or network is infringing;
(2) Designated agent.— The limitations on liability established in this subsection apply to a service provider only if the service provider has designated an agent to receive notifications of claimed infringement described in paragraph (3), by making available through its service, including on its website in a location accessible to the public, and by providing to the Copyright Office, substantially the following information: (A) the name, address, phone number, and electronic mail address of the agent.
The Register of Copyrights shall maintain a current directory of agents available to the public for inspection, including through the Internet, and may require payment of a fee by service providers to cover the costs of maintaining the directory.
(3) Elements of notification.— (A) To be effective under this subsection, a notification of claimed infringement must be a written communication provided to the designated agent of a service provider that includes substantially the following: (i) A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
(1) (A) does not have actual knowledge that the material or activity is infringing;
(2) does not receive a financial benefit directly attributable to the infringing activity, in a case in which the service provider has the right and ability to control such activity; and
(3) upon notification of claimed infringement as described in subsection (c)(3), responds expeditiously to remove, or disable access to, the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity, except that, for purposes of this paragraph, the information described in subsection (c)(3)(A)(iii) shall be identification of the reference or link, to material or activity claimed to be infringing, that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to locate that reference or link.
(1) When a public or other nonprofit institution of higher education is a service provider , and when a faculty member or graduate student who is an employee of such institution is performing a teaching or research function, for the purposes of subsections (a) and (b) such faculty member or graduate student shall be considered to be a person other than the institution, and for the purposes of subsections (c) and (d) such faculty member’s or graduate student’s knowledge or awareness of his or her infringing activities shall not be attributed to the institution, if— (A) such faculty member’s or graduate student’s infringing activities do not involve the provision of online access to instructional materials that are or were required or recommended, within the preceding 3-year period, for a course taught at the institution by such faculty member or graduate student;
(2) For the purposes of this subsection, the limitations on injunctive relief contained in subsections (j)(2) and (j)(3), but not those in (j)(1), shall apply.
(1) that material or activity is infringing, or
(2) that material or activity was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification,
shall be liable for any damages, including costs and attorneys’ fees, incurred by the alleged infringer, by any copyright owner or copyright owner’s authorized licensee, or by a service provider , who is injured by such misrepresentation, as the result of the service provider relying upon such misrepresentation in removing or disabling access to the material or activity claimed to be infringing, or in replacing the removed material or ceasing to disable access to it.
(1) No liability for taking down generally.— Subject to paragraph (2), a service provider shall not be liable to any person for any claim based on the service provider ’s good faith disabling of access to, or removal of, material or activity claimed to be infringing or based on facts or circumstances from which infringing activity is apparent, regardless of whether the material or activity is ultimately determined to be infringing.
(2) Exception.— Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to material residing at the direction of a subscriber of the service provider on a system or network controlled or operated by or for the service provider that is removed, or to which access is disabled by the service provider , pursuant to a notice provided under subsection (c)(1)(C), unless the service provider — (A) takes reasonable steps promptly to notify the subscriber that it has removed or disabled access to the material;
(3) Contents of counter notification.— To be effective under this subsection, a counter notification must be a written communication provided to the service provider ’s designated agent that includes substantially the following: (A) A physical or electronic signature of the subscriber.
(4) Limitation on other liability.— A service provider ’s compliance with paragraph (2) shall not subject the service provider to liability for copyright infringement with respect to the material identified in the notice provided under subsection (c)(1)(C).
(1) Request.— A copyright owner or a person authorized to act on the owner’s behalf may request the clerk of any United States district court to issue a subpoena to a service provider for identification of an alleged infringer in accordance with this subsection.
(2) Contents of request.— The request may be made by filing with the clerk— (A) a copy of a notification described in subsection (c)(3)(A);
(3) Contents of subpoena.— The subpoena shall authorize and order the service provider receiving the notification and the subpoena to expeditiously disclose to the copyright owner or person authorized by the copyright owner information sufficient to identify the alleged infringer of the material described in the notification to the extent such information is available to the service provider .
(4) Basis for granting subpoena.— If the notification filed satisfies the provisions of subsection (c)(3)(A), the proposed subpoena is in proper form, and the accompanying declaration is properly executed, the clerk shall expeditiously issue and sign the proposed subpoena and return it to the requester for delivery to the service provider .
(5) Actions of service provider receiving subpoena.— Upon receipt of the issued subpoena, either accompanying or subsequent to the receipt of a notification described in subsection (c)(3)(A), the service provider shall expeditiously disclose to the copyright owner or person authorized by the copyright owner the information required by the subpoena, notwithstanding any other provision of law and regardless of whether the service provider responds to the notification.
(6) Rules applicable to subpoena.— Unless otherwise provided by this section or by applicable rules of the court, the procedure for issuance and delivery of the subpoena, and the remedies for noncompliance with the subpoena, shall be governed to the greatest extent practicable by those provisions of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure governing the issuance, service, and enforcement of a subpoena duces tecum.
(1) Accommodation of technology.— The limitations on liability established by this section shall apply to a service provider only if the service provider — (A) has adopted and reasonably implemented, and informs subscribers and account holders of the service provider ’s system or network of, a policy that provides for the termination in appropriate circumstances of subscribers and account holders of the service provider ’s system or network who are repeat infringers; and
(2) Definition.— As used in this subsection, the term “ standard technical measures ” means technical measures that are used by copyright owners to identify or protect copyrighted works and— (A) have been developed pursuant to a broad consensus of copyright owners and service providers in an open, fair, voluntary, multi-industry standards process;
(1) Scope of relief.— (A) With respect to conduct other than that which qualifies for the limitation on remedies set forth in subsection (a), the court may grant injunctive relief with respect to a service provider only in one or more of the following forms: (i) An order restraining the service provider from providing access to infringing material or activity residing at a particular online site on the provider’s system or network.
(2) Considerations.— The court, in considering the relevant criteria for injunctive relief under applicable law, shall consider— (A) whether such an injunction, either alone or in combination with other such injunctions issued against the same service provider under this subsection, would significantly burden either the provider or the operation of the provider’s system or network;
(3) Notice and ex parte orders.— Injunctive relief under this subsection shall be available only after notice to the service provider and an opportunity for the service provider to appear are provided, except for orders ensuring the preservation of evidence or other orders having no material adverse effect on the operation of the service provider ’s communications network.
(1) Service provider.— (A) As used in subsection (a), the term “ service provider ” means an entity offering the transmission, routing, or providing of connections for digital online communications, between or among points specified by a user, of material of the user’s choosing, without modification to the content of the material as sent or received.
(2) Monetary relief.— As used in this section, the term “ monetary relief ” means damages, costs, attorneys’ fees, and any other form of monetary payment.
(1) a service provider monitoring its service or affirmatively seeking facts indicating infringing activity, except to the extent consistent with a standard technical measure complying with the provisions of subsection (i); or
(2) a service provider gaining access to, removing, or disabling access to material in cases in which such conduct is prohibited by law.
17 U.S.C. § 1201 Anti-circumvention
(1) (A) No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title. The prohibition contained in the preceding sentence shall take effect at the end of the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this chapter.
(2) No person shall manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof, that— (A) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title;
(3) As used in this subsection— (A) to “ circumvent a technological measure ” means to descramble a scrambled work, to decrypt an encrypted work, or otherwise to avoid, bypass, remove, deactivate, or impair a technological measure, without the authority of the copyright owner; and
(1) No person shall manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof, that— (A) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing protection afforded by a technological measure that effectively protects a right of a copyright owner under this title in a work or a portion thereof;
(2) As used in this subsection— (A) to “ circumvent protection afforded by a technological measure ” means avoiding, bypassing, removing, deactivating, or otherwise impairing a technological measure; and
(1) Nothing in this section shall affect rights, remedies, limitations, or defenses to copyright infringement, including fair use, under this title.
(2) Nothing in this section shall enlarge or diminish vicarious or contributory liability for copyright infringement in connection with any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof.
(3) Nothing in this section shall require that the design of, or design and selection of parts and components for, a consumer electronics, telecommunications, or computing product provide for a response to any particular technological measure, so long as such part or component, or the product in which such part or component is integrated, does not otherwise fall within the prohibitions of subsection (a)(2) or (b)(1).
(4) Nothing in this section shall enlarge or diminish any rights of free speech or the press for activities using consumer electronics, telecommunications, or computing products.
(1) A nonprofit library, archives, or educational institution which gains access to a commercially exploited copyrighted work solely in order to make a good faith determination of whether to acquire a copy of that work for the sole purpose of engaging in conduct permitted under this title shall not be in violation of subsection (a)(1)(A). A copy of a work to which access has been gained under this paragraph— (A) may not be retained longer than necessary to make such good faith determination; and
(2) The exemption made available under paragraph (1) shall only apply with respect to a work when an identical copy of that work is not reasonably available in another form.
(3) A nonprofit library, archives, or educational institution that willfully for the purpose of commercial advantage or financial gain violates paragraph (1)— (A) shall, for the first offense, be subject to the civil remedies under section 1203; and
(4) This subsection may not be used as a defense to a claim under subsection (a)(2) or (b), nor may this subsection permit a nonprofit library, archives, or educational institution to manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, component, or part thereof, which circumvents a technological measure.
(5) In order for a library or archives to qualify for the exemption under this subsection, the collections of that library or archives shall be— (A) open to the public; or
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(A), a person who has lawfully obtained the right to use a copy of a computer program may circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a particular portion of that program for the sole purpose of identifying and analyzing those elements of the program that are necessary to achieve interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs, and that have not previously been readily available to the person engaging in the circumvention, to the extent any such acts of identification and analysis do not constitute infringement under this title.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a)(2) and (b), a person may develop and employ technological means to circumvent a technological measure , or to circumvent protection afforded by a technological measure , in order to enable the identification and analysis under paragraph (1), or for the purpose of enabling interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs, if such means are necessary to achieve such interoperability, to the extent that doing so does not constitute infringement under this title.
(3) The information acquired through the acts permitted under paragraph (1), and the means permitted under paragraph (2), may be made available to others if the person referred to in paragraph (1) or (2), as the case may be, provides such information or means solely for the purpose of enabling interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs, and to the extent that doing so does not constitute infringement under this title or violate applicable law other than this section.
(4) For purposes of this subsection, the term “ interoperability ” means the ability of computer programs to exchange information, and of such programs mutually to use the information which has been exchanged.
(1) Definitions.— For purposes of this subsection— (A) the term “ encryption research ” means activities necessary to identify and analyze flaws and vulnerabilities of encryption technologies applied to copyrighted works, if these activities are conducted to advance the state of knowledge in the field of encryption technology or to assist in the development of encryption products; and
(2) Permissible acts of encryption research.— Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(A), it is not a violation of that subsection for a person to circumvent a technological measure as applied to a copy, phonorecord, performance, or display of a published work in the course of an act of good faith encryption research if— (A) the person lawfully obtained the encrypted copy, phonorecord, performance, or display of the published work;
(3) Factors in determining exemption.— In determining whether a person qualifies for the exemption under paragraph (2), the factors to be considered shall include— (A) whether the information derived from the encryption research was disseminated, and if so, whether it was disseminated in a manner reasonably calculated to advance the state of knowledge or development of encryption technology , versus whether it was disseminated in a manner that facilitates infringement under this title or a violation of applicable law other than this section, including a violation of privacy or breach of security;
(4) Use of technological means for research activities.— Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(2), it is not a violation of that subsection for a person to— (A) develop and employ technological means to circumvent a technological measure for the sole purpose of that person performing the acts of good faith encryption research described in paragraph (2); and
(5) Report to congress.— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this chapter, the Register of Copyrights and the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information of the Department of Commerce shall jointly report to the Congress on the effect this subsection has had on— (A) encryption research and the development of encryption technology ;
The report shall include legislative recommendations, if any.
(1) does not itself violate the provisions of this title; and
(2) has the sole purpose to prevent the access of minors to material on the Internet.
(1) Circumvention permitted.— Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(A), it is not a violation of that subsection for a person to circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title, if— (A) the technological measure, or the work it protects, contains the capability of collecting or disseminating personally identifying information reflecting the online activities of a natural person who seeks to gain access to the work protected;
(2) Inapplicability to certain technological measures.— This subsection does not apply to a technological measure, or a work it protects, that does not collect or disseminate personally identifying information and that is disclosed to a user as not having or using such capability.
(1) Definition.— For purposes of this subsection, the term “ security testing ” means accessing a computer, computer system, or computer network, solely for the purpose of good faith testing, investigating, or correcting, a security flaw or vulnerability, with the authorization of the owner or operator of such computer, computer system, or computer network.
(2) Permissible acts of security testing.— Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(A), it is not a violation of that subsection for a person to engage in an act of security testing , if such act does not constitute infringement under this title or a violation of applicable law other than this section, including section 1030 of title 18 and those provisions of title 18 amended by the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 .
(3) Factors in determining exemption.— In determining whether a person qualifies for the exemption under paragraph (2), the factors to be considered shall include— (A) whether the information derived from the security testing was used solely to promote the security of the owner or operator of such computer, computer system or computer network, or shared directly with the developer of such computer, computer system, or computer network; and
(4) Use of technological means for security testing.— Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(2), it is not a violation of that subsection for a person to develop, produce, distribute or employ technological means for the sole purpose of performing the acts of security testing described in subsection (2), [1] provided such technological means does not otherwise violate section [2] (a)(2).
(1) Certain analog devices.— (A) Effective 18 months after the date of the enactment of this chapter, no person shall manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide or otherwise traffic in any— (i) VHS format analog video cassette recorder unless such recorder conforms to the automatic gain control copy control technology ;
Manufacturers that have not previously manufactured or sold a VHS format analog video cassette recorder , or an 8mm format analog cassette recorder, shall be required to conform to the four-line colorstripe copy control technology in the initial model of any such recorder manufactured after the date of the enactment of this chapter, and thereafter to continue conforming to the four-line colorstripe copy control technology . For purposes of this subparagraph, an analog video cassette recorder “conforms to” the four-line colorstripe copy control technology if it records a signal that, when played back by the playback function of that recorder in the normal viewing mode, exhibits, on a reference display device, a display containing distracting visible lines through portions of the viewable picture.
(2) Certain encoding restrictions.— No person shall apply the automatic gain control copy control technology or colorstripe copy control technology to prevent or limit consumer copying except such copying— (A) of a single transmission, or specified group of transmissions, of live events or of audiovisual works for which a member of the public has exercised choice in selecting the transmissions, including the content of the transmissions or the time of receipt of such transmissions, or both, and as to which such member is charged a separate fee for each such transmission or specified group of transmissions;
In the event that a transmission meets both the conditions set forth in subparagraph (A) and those set forth in subparagraph (B), the transmission shall be treated as a transmission described in subparagraph (A).
(3) Inapplicability.— This subsection shall not— (A) require any analog video cassette camcorder to conform to the automatic gain control copy control technology with respect to any video signal received through a camera lens;
(4) Definitions.— For purposes of this subsection: (A) An “ analog video cassette recorder ” means a device that records, or a device that includes a function that records, on electromagnetic tape in an analog format the electronic impulses produced by the video and audio portions of a television program, motion picture, or other form of audiovisual work.
(5) Violations.— Any violation of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be treated as a violation of subsection (b)(1) of this section. Any violation of paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be deemed an “act of circumvention” for the purposes of section 1203(c)(3)(A) of this chapter .
“(1) (A) as authorized by paragraph (3) of section 201.40(b) of title 37, Code of Federal Regulations, as made effective by subsection (a); and
“(2) as authorized by an exemption adopted by the Librarian of Congress pursuant to a determination made on or after the date of enactment of this Act under section 1201(a)(1)(C) of title 17 , United States Code,
may be initiated by the owner of any such handset or other device, by another person at the direction of the owner, or by a provider of a commercial mobile radio service or a commercial mobile data service at the direction of such owner or other person, solely in order to enable such owner or a family member of such owner to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when such connection is authorized by the operator of such network.
“(1) In general.— Except as expressly provided herein, nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter the scope of any party’s rights under existing law.
“(2) Librarian of congress.— Nothing in this Act alters, or shall be construed to alter, the authority of the Librarian of Congress under section 1201(a)(1) of title 17 , United States Code.
“(1) Commercial mobile data service; commercial mobile radio service.— The terms ‘commercial mobile data service’ and ‘commercial mobile radio service’ have the respective meanings given those terms in section 20.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
“(2) Wireless telecommunications network.— The term ‘wireless telecommunications network’ means a network used to provide a commercial mobile radio service or a commercial mobile data service.
“(3) Wireless telephone handsets; wireless devices.— The terms ‘wireless telephone handset’ and ‘wireless device’ mean a handset or other device that operates on a wireless telecommunications network.”
17 U.S.C. § 1202 Copyright management information
(1) provide copyright management information that is false, or
(2) distribute or import for distribution copyright management information that is false.
(1) intentionally remove or alter any copyright management information ,
(2) distribute or import for distribution copyright management information knowing that the copyright management information has been removed or altered without authority of the copyright owner or the law, or
(3) distribute, import for distribution, or publicly perform works, copies of works, or phonorecords, knowing that copyright management information has been removed or altered without authority of the copyright owner or the law,
knowing, or, with respect to civil remedies under section 1203, having reasonable grounds to know, that it will induce, enable, facilitate, or conceal an infringement of any right under this title.
(1) The title and other information identifying the work, including the information set forth on a notice of copyright.
(2) The name of, and other identifying information about, the author of a work.
(3) The name of, and other identifying information about, the copyright owner of the work, including the information set forth in a notice of copyright.
(4) With the exception of public performances of works by radio and television broadcast stations , the name of, and other identifying information about, a performer whose performance is fixed in a work other than an audiovisual work.
(5) With the exception of public performances of works by radio and television broadcast stations , in the case of an audiovisual work, the name of, and other identifying information about, a writer, performer, or director who is credited in the audiovisual work.
(6) Terms and conditions for use of the work.
(7) Identifying numbers or symbols referring to such information or links to such information.
(8) Such other information as the Register of Copyrights may prescribe by regulation, except that the Register of Copyrights may not require the provision of any information concerning the user of a copyrighted work.
(1) Analog transmissions.— In the case of an analog transmission, a person who is making transmissions in its capacity as a broadcast station , or as a cable system, or someone who provides programming to such station or system, shall not be liable for a violation of subsection (b) if— (A) avoiding the activity that constitutes such violation is not technically feasible or would create an undue financial hardship on such person; and
(2) Digital transmissions.— (A) If a digital transmission standard for the placement of copyright management information for a category of works is set in a voluntary, consensus standard-setting process involving a representative cross-section of broadcast stations or cable systems and copyright owners of a category of works that are intended for public performance by such stations or systems, a person identified in paragraph (1) shall not be liable for a violation of subsection (b) with respect to the particular copyright management information addressed by such standard if— (i) the placement of such information by someone other than such person is not in accordance with such standard; and
(3) Definitions.— As used in this subsection— (A) the term “ broadcast station ” has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 153 ); and
17 U.S.C. § 104A 17 U.S. Code § 104A - Copyright in restored works
(1) Term.— (A) Copyright subsists, in accordance with this section, in restored works , and vests automatically on the date of restoration.
(2) Exception.— Any work in which the copyright was ever owned or administered by the Alien Property Custodian and in which the restored copyright would be owned by a government or instrumentality thereof, is not a restored work.
(1) Enforcement of copyright in restored works in the absence of a reliance party.— As against any party who is not a reliance party , the remedies provided in chapter 5 of this title shall be available on or after the date of restoration of a restored copyright with respect to an act of infringement of the restored copyright that is commenced on or after the date of restoration.
(2) Enforcement of copyright in restored works as against reliance parties.— As against a reliance party , except to the extent provided in paragraphs (3) and (4), the remedies provided in chapter 5 of this title shall be available, with respect to an act of infringement of a restored copyright, on or after the date of restoration of the restored copyright if the requirements of either of the following subparagraphs are met: (A) (i) The owner of the restored copyright (or such owner’s agent) or the owner of an exclusive right therein (or such owner’s agent) files with the Copyright Office, during the 24-month period beginning on the date of restoration, a notice of intent to enforce the restored copyright ; and
In the event that notice is provided under both subparagraphs (A) and (B), the 12-month period referred to in such subparagraphs shall run from the earlier of publication or service of notice.
(3) Existing derivative works.— (A) In the case of a derivative work that is based upon a restored work and is created— (i) before the date of the enactment of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act , if the source country of the restored work is an eligible country on such date, or
a reliance party may continue to exploit that derivative work for the duration of the restored copyright if the reliance party pays to the owner of the restored copyright reasonable compensation for conduct which would be subject to a remedy for infringement but for the provisions of this paragraph.
(4) Commencement of infringement for reliance parties.— For purposes of section 412, in the case of reliance parties, infringement shall be deemed to have commenced before registration when acts which would have constituted infringement had the restored work been subject to copyright were commenced before the date of restoration.
(1) Notices of intent filed with the copyright office.— (A) (i) A notice of intent filed with the Copyright Office to enforce a restored copyright shall be signed by the owner of the restored copyright or the owner of an exclusive right therein, who files the notice under subsection (d)(2)(A)(i) (hereafter in this paragraph referred to as the “owner”), or by the owner’s agent, shall identify the title of the restored work, and shall include an English translation of the title and any other alternative titles known to the owner by which the restored work may be identified, and an address and telephone number at which the owner may be contacted. If the notice is signed by an agent, the agency relationship must have been constituted in a writing signed by the owner before the filing of the notice. The Copyright Office may specifically require in regulations other information to be included in the notice, but failure to provide such other information shall not invalidate the notice or be a basis for refusal to list the restored work in the Federal Register.
(2) Notices of intent served on a reliance party.— (A) Notices of intent to enforce a restored copyright may be served on a reliance party at any time after the date of restoration of the restored copyright .
(3) Effect of material false statements.— Any material false statement knowingly made with respect to any restored copyright identified in any notice of intent shall make void all claims and assertions made with respect to such restored copyright .
(1) In general.— Any person who warrants, promises, or guarantees that a work does not violate an exclusive right granted in section 106 shall not be liable for legal, equitable, arbitral, or administrative relief if the warranty, promise, or guarantee is breached by virtue of the restoration of copyright under this section, if such warranty, promise, or guarantee is made before January 1, 1995 .
(2) Performances.— No person shall be required to perform any act if such performance is made infringing by virtue of the restoration of copyright under the provisions of this section, if the obligation to perform was undertaken before January 1, 1995 .
(1) of which one or more of the authors is, on the date of first publication , a national, domiciliary, or sovereign authority of that nation; or
(2) which was first published in that nation.
The President may revise, suspend, or revoke any such proclamation or impose any conditions or limitations on protection under such a proclamation.
(1) The term “ date of adherence or proclamation ” means the earlier of the date on which a foreign nation which, as of the date the WTO Agreement enters into force with respect to the United States, is not a nation adhering to the Berne Convention or a WTO member country, becomes— (A) a nation adhering to the Berne Convention ;
(2) The “date of restoration” of a restored copyright is— (A) January 1, 1996 , if the source country of the restored work is a nation adhering to the Berne Convention or a WTO member country on such date, or
(3) The term “ eligible country ” means a nation, other than the United States, that— (A) becomes a WTO member country after the date of the enactment of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act ;
(4) The term “ reliance party ” means any person who— (A) with respect to a particular work, engages in acts, before the source country of that work becomes an eligible country , which would have violated section 106 if the restored work had been subject to copyright protection, and who, after the source country becomes an eligible country, continues to engage in such acts;
(5) The term “ restored copyright ” means copyright in a restored work under this section.
(6) The term “ restored work ” means an original work of authorship that— (A) is protected under subsection (a);
(7) The term “ rightholder ” means the person— (A) who, with respect to a sound recording, first fixes a sound recording with authorization, or
(8) The “ source country ” of a restored work is— (A) a nation other than the United States ;
17 U.S.C. § 113 17 U.S. Code § 113 - Scope of exclusive rights in pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
(1) In a case in which— (A) a work of visual art has been incorporated in or made part of a building in such a way that removing the work from the building will cause the destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification of the work as described in section 106A(a)(3), and
then the rights conferred by paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 106A(a) shall not apply.
(2) If the owner of a building wishes to remove a work of visual art which is a part of such building and which can be removed from the building without the destruction, distortion, mutilation, or other modification of the work as described in section 106A(a)(3), the author’s rights under paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 106A(a) shall apply unless— (A) the owner has made a diligent, good faith attempt without success to notify the author of the owner’s intended action affecting the work of visual art , or
For purposes of subparagraph (A), an owner shall be presumed to have made a diligent, good faith attempt to send notice if the owner sent such notice by registered mail to the author at the most recent address of the author that was recorded with the Register of Copyrights pursuant to paragraph (3). If the work is removed at the expense of the author, title to that copy of the work shall be deemed to be in the author.
(3) The Register of Copyrights shall establish a system of records whereby any author of a work of visual art that has been incorporated in or made part of a building, may record his or her identity and address with the Copyright Office. The Register shall also establish procedures under which any such author may update the information so recorded, and procedures under which owners of buildings may record with the Copyright Office evidence of their efforts to comply with this subsection.
17 U.S.C. § 111 17 U.S. Code § 111 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Secondary transmissions of broadcast programming by cable
(1) the secondary transmission is not made by a cable system, and consists entirely of the relaying, by the management of a hotel, apartment house, or similar establishment, of signals transmitted by a broadcast station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission , within the local service area of such station, to the private lodgings of guests or residents of such establishment, and no direct charge is made to see or hear the secondary transmission; or
(2) the secondary transmission is made solely for the purpose and under the conditions specified by paragraph (2) of section 110; or
(3) the secondary transmission is made by any carrier who has no direct or indirect control over the content or selection of the primary transmission or over the particular recipients of the secondary transmission , and whose activities with respect to the secondary transmission consist solely of providing wires, cables, or other communications channels for the use of others: Provided, That the provisions of this paragraph extend only to the activities of said carrier with respect to secondary transmissions and do not exempt from liability the activities of others with respect to their own primary or secondary transmissions ;
(4) the secondary transmission is made by a satellite carrier pursuant to a statutory license under section 119 or section 122;
(5) the secondary transmission is not made by a cable system but is made by a governmental body, or other nonprofit organization, without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage, and without charge to the recipients of the secondary transmission other than assessments necessary to defray the actual and reasonable costs of maintaining and operating the secondary transmission service.
(1) the primary transmission is made by a broadcast station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission ; and
(2) the carriage of the signals comprising the secondary transmission is required under the rules, regulations, or authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission ; and
(3) the signal of the primary transmitter is not altered or changed in any way by the secondary transmitter.
(1) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of this subsection and section 114(d), secondary transmissions to the public by a cable system of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission made by a broadcast station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission or by an appropriate governmental authority of Canada or Mexico shall be subject to statutory licensing upon compliance with the requirements of subsection (d) where the carriage of the signals comprising the secondary transmission is permissible under the rules, regulations, or authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission .
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, the willful or repeated secondary transmission to the public by a cable system of a primary transmission made by a broadcast station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission or by an appropriate governmental authority of Canada or Mexico and embodying a performance or display of a work is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506, in the following cases: (A) where the carriage of the signals comprising the secondary transmission is not permissible under the rules, regulations, or authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission ; or
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection and subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, the secondary transmission to the public by a cable system of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission made by a broadcast station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission or by an appropriate governmental authority of Canada or Mexico is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506 and section 510, if the content of the particular program in which the performance or display is embodied, or any commercial advertising or station announcements transmitted by the primary transmitter during, or immediately before or after, the transmission of such program, is in any way willfully altered by the cable system through changes, deletions, or additions, except for the alteration, deletion, or substitution of commercial advertisements performed by those engaged in television commercial advertising market research: Provided, That the research company has obtained the prior consent of the advertiser who has purchased the original commercial advertisement, the television station broadcasting that commercial advertisement, and the cable system performing the secondary transmission: And provided further, That such commercial alteration, deletion, or substitution is not performed for the purpose of deriving income from the sale of that commercial time.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, the secondary transmission to the public by a cable system of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission made by a broadcast station licensed by an appropriate governmental authority of Canada or Mexico is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506, if (A) with respect to Canadian signals, the community of the cable system is located more than 150 miles from the United States- Canadian border and is also located south of the forty-second parallel of latitude, or (B) with respect to Mexican signals, the secondary transmission is made by a cable system which received the primary transmission by means other than direct interception of a free space radio wave emitted by such broadcast television station, unless prior to April 15, 1976 , such cable system was actually carrying, or was specifically authorized to carry, the signal of such foreign station on the system pursuant to the rules, regulations, or authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission .
(1) Statement of account and royalty fees.— Subject to paragraph (5), a cable system whose secondary transmissions have been subject to statutory licensing under subsection (c) shall, on a semiannual basis, deposit with the Register of Copyrights, in accordance with requirements that the Register shall prescribe by regulation the following: (A) A statement of account, covering the six months next preceding, specifying the number of channels on which the cable system made secondary transmissions to its subscribers, the names and locations of all primary transmitters whose transmissions were further transmitted by the cable system, the total number of subscribers, the gross amounts paid to the cable system for the basic service of providing secondary transmissions of primary broadcast transmitters, and such other data as the Register of Copyrights may from time to time prescribe by regulation. In determining the total number of subscribers and the gross amounts paid to the cable system for the basic service of providing secondary transmissions of primary broadcast transmitters, the system shall not include subscribers and amounts collected from subscribers receiving secondary transmissions pursuant to section 119. Such statement shall also include a special statement of account covering any non-network television programming that was carried by the cable system in whole or in part beyond the local service area of the primary transmitter, under rules, regulations, or authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission permitting the substitution or addition of signals under certain circumstances, together with logs showing the times, dates, stations, and programs involved in such substituted or added carriage.
(2) Handling of fees.— The Register of Copyrights shall receive all fees ( including the filing fee specified in paragraph (1)(G)) deposited under this section and, after deducting the reasonable costs incurred by the Copyright Office under this section, shall deposit the balance in the Treasury of the United States, in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury directs. All funds held by the Secretary of the Treasury shall be invested in interest-bearing United States securities for later distribution with interest by the Librarian of Congress upon authorization by the Copyright Royalty Judges.
(3) Distribution of royalty fees to copyright owners.— The royalty fees thus deposited shall, in accordance with the procedures provided by paragraph (4), be distributed to those among the following copyright owners who claim that their works were the subject of secondary transmissions by cable systems during the relevant semiannual period: (A) Any such owner whose work was included in a secondary transmission made by a cable system of a non-network television program in whole or in part beyond the local service area of the primary transmitter.
(4) Procedures for royalty fee distribution.— The royalty fees thus deposited shall be distributed in accordance with the following procedures: (A) During the month of July in each year, every person claiming to be entitled to statutory license fees for secondary transmissions shall file a claim with the Copyright Royalty Judges, in accordance with requirements that the Copyright Royalty Judges shall prescribe by regulation. Notwithstanding any provisions of the antitrust laws, for purposes of this clause any claimants may agree among themselves as to the proportionate division of statutory licensing fees among them, may lump their claims together and file them jointly or as a single claim, or may designate a common agent to receive payment on their behalf.
(5) 3.75 percent rate and syndicated exclusivity surcharge not applicable to multicast streams.— The royalty rates specified in sections 256.2(c) and 256.2(d) of title 37, Code of Federal Regulations (commonly referred to as the “3.75 percent rate” and the “syndicated exclusivity surcharge”, respectively), as in effect on the date of the enactment of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 , as such rates may be adjusted, or such sections redesignated, thereafter by the Copyright Royalty Judges, shall not apply to the secondary transmission of a multicast stream.
(6) Verification of accounts and fee payments.— The Register of Copyrights shall issue regulations to provide for the confidential verification by copyright owners whose works were embodied in the secondary transmissions of primary transmissions pursuant to this section of the information reported on the semiannual statements of account filed under this subsection for accounting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2010 , in order that the auditor designated under subparagraph (A) is able to confirm the correctness of the calculations and royalty payments reported therein. The regulations shall— (A) establish procedures for the designation of a qualified independent auditor— (i) with exclusive authority to request verification of such a statement of account on behalf of all copyright owners whose works were the subject of secondary transmissions of primary transmissions by the cable system (that deposited the statement) during the accounting period covered by the statement; and
(7) Acceptance of additional deposits.— Any royalty fee payments received by the Copyright Office from cable systems for the secondary transmission of primary transmissions that are in addition to the payments calculated and deposited in accordance with this subsection shall be deemed to have been deposited for the particular accounting period for which they are received and shall be distributed as specified under this subsection.
(1) Notwithstanding those provisions of the [1] subsection (f)(2) relating to nonsimultaneous secondary transmissions by a cable system, any such transmissions are actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and are fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506 and section 510, unless— (A) the program on the videotape is transmitted no more than one time to the cable system ’s subscribers;
(2) If a cable system transfers to any person a videotape of a program nonsimultaneously transmitted by it, such transfer is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506, except that, pursuant to a written, nonprofit contract providing for the equitable sharing of the costs of such videotape and its transfer, a videotape nonsimultaneously transmitted by it, in accordance with paragraph (1), may be transferred by one cable system in Alaska to another system in Alaska, by one cable system in Hawaii permitted to make such nonsimultaneous transmissions to another such cable system in Hawaii, or by one cable system in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, or the Republic of the Marshall Islands, to another cable system in any of those five entities, if— (A) each such contract is available for public inspection in the offices of the cable systems involved, and a copy of such contract is filed, within thirty days after such contract is entered into, with the Copyright Office (which Office shall make each such contract available for public inspection);
(3) This subsection shall not be construed to supersede the exclusivity protection provisions of any existing agreement, or any such agreement hereafter entered into, between a cable system and a television broadcast station in the area in which the cable system is located, or a network with which such station is affiliated.
(4) As used in this subsection, the term “ videotape ” means the reproduction of the images and sounds of a program or programs broadcast by a television broadcast station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission , regardless of the nature of the material objects, such as tapes or films, in which the reproduction is embodied.
(1) Primary transmission.— A “ primary transmission ” is a transmission made to the public by a transmitting facility whose signals are being received and further transmitted by a secondary transmission service, regardless of where or when the performance or display was first transmitted. In the case of a television broadcast station, the primary stream and any multicast streams transmitted by the station constitute primary transmissions.
(2) Secondary transmission.— A “ secondary transmission ” is the further transmitting of a primary transmission simultaneously with the primary transmission, or nonsimultaneously with the primary transmission if by a cable system not located in whole or in part within the boundary of the forty-eight contiguous States, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico : Provided, however, That a nonsimultaneous further transmission by a cable system located in Hawaii of a primary transmission shall be deemed to be a secondary transmission if the carriage of the television broadcast signal comprising such further transmission is permissible under the rules, regulations, or authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission .
(3) Cable system.— A “ cable system ” is a facility, located in any State, territory, trust territory, or possession of the United States, that in whole or in part receives signals transmitted or programs broadcast by one or more television broadcast stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission , and makes secondary transmissions of such signals or programs by wires, cables, microwave, or other communications channels to subscribing members of the public who pay for such service. For purposes of determining the royalty fee under subsection (d)(1), two or more cable systems in contiguous communities under common ownership or control or operating from one headend shall be considered as one system.
(4) Local service area of a primary transmitter.— The “local service area of a primary transmitter ”, in the case of both the primary stream and any multicast streams transmitted by a primary transmitter that is a television broadcast station, comprises the area where such primary transmitter could have insisted upon its signal being retransmitted by a cable system pursuant to the rules, regulations, and authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission in effect on April 15, 1976 , or such station’s television market as defined in section 76.55(e) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on September 18, 1993 ), or any modifications to such television market made, on or after September 18, 1993 , pursuant to section 76.55(e) or 76.59 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or within the noise-limited contour as defined in 73.622(e)(1) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or in the case of a television broadcast station licensed by an appropriate governmental authority of Canada or Mexico, the area in which it would be entitled to insist upon its signal being retransmitted if it were a television broadcast station subject to such rules, regulations, and authorizations. In the case of a low power television station, as defined by the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission , the “local service area of a primary transmitter” comprises the designated market area, as defined in section 122(j)(2)(C), that encompasses the community of license of such station and any community that is located outside such designated market area that is either wholly or partially within 35 miles of the transmitter site or, in the case of such a station located in a standard metropolitan statistical area which has one of the 50 largest populations of all standard metropolitan statistical areas (based on the 1980 decennial census of population taken by the Secretary of Commerce ), wholly or partially within 20 miles of such transmitter site. The “local service area of a primary transmitter” , in the case of a radio broadcast station, comprises the primary service area of such station, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission .
(5) Distant signal equivalent.— (A) In general.— Except as provided under subparagraph (B), a “ distant signal equivalent ”— (i) is the value assigned to the secondary transmission of any non-network television programming carried by a cable system in whole or in part beyond the local service area of the primary transmitter of such programming; and
(6) Network station.— (A) Treatment of primary stream.— The term “ network station ” shall be applied to a primary stream of a television broadcast station that is owned or operated by, or affiliated with, one or more of the television networks in the United States providing nationwide transmissions, and that transmits a substantial part of the programming supplied by such networks for a substantial part of the primary stream’ s typical broadcast day.
(7) Independent station.— The term “ independent station ” shall be applied to the primary stream or a multicast stream of a television broadcast station that is not a network station or a noncommercial educational station .
(8) Noncommercial educational station.— The term “ noncommercial educational station ” shall be applied to the primary stream or a multicast stream of a television broadcast station that is a noncommercial educational broadcast station as defined in section 397 of the Communications Act of 1934 , as in effect on the date of the enactment of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 .
(9) Primary stream.— A “ primary stream ” is— (A) the single digital stream of programming that, before June 12, 2009 , was substantially duplicating the programming transmitted by the television broadcast station as an analog signal; or
(10) Primary transmitter.— A “ primary transmitter ” is a television or radio broadcast station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission , or by an appropriate governmental authority of Canada or Mexico, that makes primary transmissions to the public.
(11) Multicast stream.— A “ multicast stream ” is a digital stream of programming that is transmitted by a television broadcast station and is not the station’s primary stream.
(12) Simulcast.— A “ simulcast ” is a multicast stream of a television broadcast station that duplicates the programming transmitted by the primary stream or another multicast stream of such station.
(13) Subscriber; subscribe.— (A) Subscriber.— The term “ subscriber ” means a person or entity that receives a secondary transmission service from a cable system and pays a fee for the service, directly or indirectly, to the cable system.
“(1) In general.— Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the amendments made by this section [amending this section and section 804 of this title ], to the extent such amendments assign a distant signal equivalent value to the secondary transmission of the multicast stream of a primary transmitter, shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [deemed to refer to Feb. 27, 2010 , see section 307(a) of Pub. L. 111–175 , set out as a note below].
“(2) Delayed applicability.— “(A) Secondary transmissions of a multicast stream beyond the local service area of its primary transmitter before 2010 act.— In any case in which a cable system was making secondary transmissions of a multicast stream beyond the local service area of its primary transmitter before the date of the enactment of this Act, a distant signal equivalent value (referred to in paragraph (1)) shall not be assigned to secondary transmissions of such multicast stream that are made on or before June 30, 2010 .
“(3) Definitions.— In this subsection, the terms ‘ cable system ’, ‘ secondary transmission ’, ‘multicast stream’ , and ‘local service area of a primary transmitter’ have the meanings given those terms in section 111(f) of title 17 , United States Code, as amended by this section.”
17 U.S.C. § 116 17 U.S. Code § 116 - Negotiated licenses for public performances by means of coin-operated phonorecord players
(1) Authority for negotiations.— Any owners of copyright in works to which this section applies and any operators of coin-operated phonorecord players may negotiate and agree upon the terms and rates of royalty payments for the performance of such works and the proportionate division of fees paid among copyright owners, and may designate common agents to negotiate, agree to, pay, or receive such royalty payments.
(2) Chapter 8 proceeding.— Parties not subject to such a negotiation may have the terms and rates and the division of fees described in paragraph (1) determined in a proceeding in accordance with the provisions of chapter 8.
(1) A “ coin-operated phonorecord player ” is a machine or device that— (A) is employed solely for the performance of nondramatic musical works by means of phonorecords upon being activated by the insertion of coins, currency, tokens, or other monetary units or their equivalent;
(2) An “operator” is any person who, alone or jointly with others— (A) owns a coin-operated phonorecord player ;
17 U.S.C. § 118 17 U.S. Code § 118 - Scope of exclusive rights: Use of certain works in connection with noncommercial broadcasting
(1) Any owner of copyright in a work specified in this subsection or any public broadcasting entity may submit to the Copyright Royalty Judges proposed licenses covering such activities with respect to such works.
(2) License agreements voluntarily negotiated at any time between one or more copyright owners and one or more public broadcasting entities shall be given effect in lieu of any determination by the Librarian of Congress or the Copyright Royalty Judges, if copies of such agreements are filed with the Copyright Royalty Judges within 30 days of execution in accordance with regulations that the Copyright Royalty Judges shall issue.
(3) Voluntary negotiation proceedings initiated pursuant to a petition filed under section 804(a) for the purpose of determining a schedule of terms and rates of royalty payments by public broadcasting entities to owners of copyright in works specified by this subsection and the proportionate division of fees paid among various copyright owners shall cover the 5-year period beginning on January 1 of the second year following the year in which the petition is filed. The parties to each negotiation proceeding shall bear their own costs.
(4) In the absence of license agreements negotiated under paragraph (2) or (3), the Copyright Royalty Judges shall, pursuant to chapter 8, conduct a proceeding to determine and publish in the Federal Register a schedule of rates and terms which, subject to paragraph (2), shall be binding on all owners of copyright in works specified by this subsection and public broadcasting entities, regardless of whether such copyright owners have submitted proposals to the Copyright Royalty Judges . In establishing such rates and terms the Copyright Royalty Judges may consider the rates for comparable circumstances under voluntary license agreements negotiated as provided in paragraph (2) or (3). The Copyright Royalty Judges shall also establish requirements by which copyright owners may receive reasonable notice of the use of their works under this section, and under which records of such use shall be kept by public broadcasting entities.
(1) performance or display of a work by or in the course of a transmission made by a noncommercial educational broadcast station referred to in subsection (f); and
(2) production of a transmission program , reproduction of copies or phonorecords of such a transmission program , and distribution of such copies or phonorecords, where such production, reproduction, or distribution is made by a nonprofit institution or organization solely for the purpose of transmissions specified in paragraph (1); and
(3) the making of reproductions by a governmental body or a nonprofit institution of a transmission program simultaneously with its transmission as specified in paragraph (1), and the performance or display of the contents of such program under the conditions specified by paragraph (1) of section 110, but only if the reproductions are used for performances or displays for a period of no more than seven days from the date of the transmission specified in paragraph (1), and are destroyed before or at the end of such period. No person supplying, in accordance with paragraph (2), a reproduction of a transmission program to governmental bodies or nonprofit institutions under this paragraph shall have any liability as a result of failure of such body or institution to destroy such reproduction: Provided, That it shall have notified such body or institution of the requirement for such destruction pursuant to this paragraph: And provided further, That if such body or institution itself fails to destroy such reproduction it shall be deemed to have infringed.
17 U.S.C. § 112 17 U.S. Code § 112 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Ephemeral recordings
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, and except in the case of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, it is not an infringement of copyright for a transmitting organization entitled to transmit to the public a performance or display of a work, under a license, including a statutory license under section 114(f), or transfer of the copyright or under the limitations on exclusive rights in sound recordings specified by section 114(a), or for a transmitting organization that is a broadcast radio or television station licensed as such by the Federal Communications Commission and that makes a broadcast transmission of a performance of a sound recording in a digital format on a nonsubscription basis, to make no more than one copy or phonorecord of a particular transmission program embodying the performance or display, if— (A) the copy or phonorecord is retained and used solely by the transmitting organization that made it, and no further copies or phonorecords are reproduced from it; and
(2) In a case in which a transmitting organization entitled to make a copy or phonorecord under paragraph (1) in connection with the transmission to the public of a performance or display of a work is prevented from making such copy or phonorecord by reason of the application by the copyright owner of technical measures that prevent the reproduction of the work, the copyright owner shall make available to the transmitting organization the necessary means for permitting the making of such copy or phonorecord as permitted under that paragraph, if it is technologically feasible and economically reasonable for the copyright owner to do so. If the copyright owner fails to do so in a timely manner in light of the transmitting organization’s reasonable business requirements, the transmitting organization shall not be liable for a violation of section 1201(a)(1) of this title for engaging in such activities as are necessary to make such copies or phonorecords as permitted under paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(1) no further copies or phonorecords are reproduced from the copies or phonorecords made under this clause; and
(2) except for one copy or phonorecord that may be preserved exclusively for archival purposes, the copies or phonorecords are destroyed within seven years from the date the transmission program was first transmitted to the public.
(1) there is no direct or indirect charge for making or distributing any such copies or phonorecords ; and
(2) none of such copies or phonorecords is used for any performance other than a single transmission to the public by a transmitting organization entitled to transmit to the public a performance of the work under a license or transfer of the copyright; and
(3) except for one copy or phonorecord that may be preserved exclusively for archival purposes, the copies or phonorecords are all destroyed within one year from the date the transmission program was first transmitted to the public.
(1) any such copy or phonorecord is retained and used solely by the organization that made it, or by a governmental body or nonprofit organization entitled to transmit a performance of a work under section 110(8), and no further copies or phonorecords are reproduced from it; and
(2) any such copy or phonorecord is used solely for transmissions authorized under section 110(8), or for purposes of archival preservation or security; and
(3) the governmental body or nonprofit organization permitting any use of any such copy or phonorecord by any governmental body or nonprofit organization under this subsection does not make any charge for such use.
(1) A transmitting organization entitled to transmit to the public a performance of a sound recording under the limitation on exclusive rights specified by section 114(d)(1)(C)(iv) or under a statutory license in accordance with section 114(f) is entitled to a statutory license, under the conditions specified by this subsection, to make no more than 1 phonorecord of the sound recording (unless the terms and conditions of the statutory license allow for more), if the following conditions are satisfied: (A) The phonorecord is retained and used solely by the transmitting organization that made it, and no further phonorecords are reproduced from it.
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of the antitrust laws, any copyright owners of sound recordings and any transmitting organizations entitled to a statutory license under this subsection may negotiate and agree upon royalty rates and license terms and conditions for making phonorecords of such sound recordings under this section and the proportionate division of fees paid among copyright owners, and may designate common agents to negotiate, agree to, pay, or receive such royalty payments.
(3) Proceedings under chapter 8 shall determine reasonable rates and terms of royalty payments for the activities specified by paragraph (1) during the 5-year period beginning on January 1 of the second year following the year in which the proceedings are to be commenced, or such other period as the parties may agree. Such rates shall include a minimum fee for each type of service offered by transmitting organizations. Any copyright owners of sound recordings or any transmitting organizations entitled to a statutory license under this subsection may submit to the Copyright Royalty Judges licenses covering such activities with respect to such sound recordings. The parties to each proceeding shall bear their own costs.
(4) The schedule of reasonable rates and terms determined by the Copyright Royalty Judges shall, subject to paragraph (5), be binding on all copyright owners of sound recordings and transmitting organizations entitled to a statutory license under this subsection during the 5-year period specified in paragraph (3), or such other period as the parties may agree. Such rates shall include a minimum fee for each type of service offered by transmitting organizations. The Copyright Royalty Judges shall establish rates that most clearly represent the fees that would have been negotiated in the marketplace between a willing buyer and a willing seller. In determining such rates and terms, the Copyright Royalty Judges shall base their decision on economic, competitive, and programming information presented by the parties, including— (A) whether use of the service may substitute for or may promote the sales of phonorecords or otherwise interferes with or enhances the copyright owner’s traditional streams of revenue; and
In establishing such rates and terms, the Copyright Royalty Judges may consider the rates and terms under voluntary license agreements described in paragraphs (2) and (3). The Copyright Royalty Judges shall also establish requirements by which copyright owners may receive reasonable notice of the use of their sound recordings under this section, and under which records of such use shall be kept and made available by transmitting organizations entitled to obtain a statutory license under this subsection.
(5) License agreements voluntarily negotiated at any time between 1 or more copyright owners of sound recordings and 1 or more transmitting organizations entitled to obtain a statutory license under this subsection shall be given effect in lieu of any decision by the Librarian of Congress or determination by the Copyright Royalty Judges.
(6) (A) Any person who wishes to make a phonorecord of a sound recording under a statutory license in accordance with this subsection may do so without infringing the exclusive right of the copyright owner of the sound recording under section 106(1) — (i) by complying with such notice requirements as the Copyright Royalty Judges shall prescribe by regulation and by paying royalty fees in accordance with this subsection; or
(7) If a transmitting organization entitled to make a phonorecord under this subsection is prevented from making such phonorecord by reason of the application by the copyright owner of technical measures that prevent the reproduction of the sound recording, the copyright owner shall make available to the transmitting organization the necessary means for permitting the making of such phonorecord as permitted under this subsection, if it is technologically feasible and economically reasonable for the copyright owner to do so. If the copyright owner fails to do so in a timely manner in light of the transmitting organization’s reasonable business requirements, the transmitting organization shall not be liable for a violation of section 1201(a)(1) of this title for engaging in such activities as are necessary to make such phonorecords as permitted under this subsection.
(8) Nothing in this subsection annuls, limits, impairs, or otherwise affects in any way the existence or value of any of the exclusive rights of the copyright owners in a sound recording, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, or in a musical work, including the exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute a sound recording or musical work, including by means of a digital phonorecord delivery, under sections 106(1), 106(3), and 115, and the right to perform publicly a sound recording or musical work, including by means of a digital audio transmission, under sections 106(4) and 106(6).
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, and without limiting the application of subsection (b), it is not an infringement of copyright for a governmental body or other nonprofit educational institution entitled under section 110(2) to transmit a performance or display to make copies or phonorecords of a work that is in digital form and, solely to the extent permitted in paragraph (2), of a work that is in analog form, embodying the performance or display to be used for making transmissions authorized under section 110(2), if— (A) such copies or phonorecords are retained and used solely by the body or institution that made them, and no further copies or phonorecords are reproduced from them, except as authorized under section 110(2); and
(2) This subsection does not authorize the conversion of print or other analog versions of works into digital formats, except that such conversion is permitted hereunder, only with respect to the amount of such works authorized to be performed or displayed under section 110(2), if— (A) no digital version of the work is available to the institution; or
17 U.S.C. § 121 17 U.S. Code § 121 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction for blind or other people with disabilities
(1) Copies or phonorecords to which this section applies shall— (A) not be reproduced or distributed in the United States in a format other than an accessible format exclusively for use by eligible persons;
(2) The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to standardized, secure, or norm-referenced tests and related testing material, or to computer programs , except the portions thereof that are in conventional human language (including descriptions of pictorial works) and displayed to users in the ordinary course of using the computer programs .
(1) the inclusion of the contents of such print instructional materials is required by any State educational agency or local educational agency;
(2) the publisher had the right to publish such print instructional materials in print formats; and
(3) such copies are used solely for reproduction or distribution of the contents of such print instructional materials in accessible formats.
(1) “ accessible format ” means an alternative manner or form that gives an eligible person access to the work when the copy or phonorecord in the accessible format is used exclusively by the eligible person to permit him or her to have access as feasibly and comfortably as a person without such disability as described in paragraph (3);
(2) “ authorized entity ” means a nonprofit organization or a governmental agency that has a primary mission to provide specialized services relating to training, education, or adaptive reading or information access needs of blind or other persons with disabilities;
(3) “ eligible person ” means an individual who, regardless of any other disability— (A) is blind;
(4) “ print instructional materials ” has the meaning given under section 674(e)(3)(C) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act .
17 U.S.C. § 205 17 U.S. Code § 205 - Recordation of transfers and other documents
(1) the document, or material attached to it, specifically identifies the work to which it pertains so that, after the document is indexed by the Register of Copyrights, it would be revealed by a reasonable search under the title or registration number of the work; and
(2) registration has been made for the work.
(1) the license was taken before execution of the transfer; or
(2) the license was taken in good faith before recordation of the transfer and without notice of it.
17 U.S.C. § 204 17 U.S. Code § 204 - Execution of transfers of copyright ownership
(1) in the case of a transfer executed in the United States, the certificate is issued by a person authorized to administer oaths within the United States; or
(2) in the case of a transfer executed in a foreign country, the certificate is issued by a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States, or by a person authorized to administer oaths whose authority is proved by a certificate of such an officer.
17 U.S.C. § 402 17 U.S. Code § 402 - Notice of copyright: Phonorecords of sound recordings
(1) the symbol ℗ (the letter P in a circle); and
(2) the year of first publication of the sound recording; and
(3) the name of the owner of copyright in the sound recording, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner; if the producer of the sound recording is named on the phonorecord labels or containers, and if no other name appears in conjunction with the notice, the producer’s name shall be considered a part of the notice.
17 U.S.C. § 401 17 U.S. Code § 401 - Notice of copyright: Visually perceptible copies
(1) the symbol © (the letter C in a circle), or the word “Copyright”, or the abbreviation “Copr.”; and
(2) the year of first publication of the work; in the case of compilations, or derivative works incorporating previously published material, the year date of first publication of the compilation or derivative work is sufficient. The year date may be omitted where a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work, with accompanying text matter, if any, is reproduced in or on greeting cards, postcards, stationery, jewelry, dolls, toys, or any useful articles; and
(3) the name of the owner of copyright in the work, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner.
17 U.S.C. § 122 17 U.S. Code § 122 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Secondary transmissions of local television programming by satellite
(1) Secondary transmissions of television broadcast stations within a local market.— A secondary transmission of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission of a television broadcast station into the station’s local market shall be subject to statutory licensing under this section if— (A) the secondary transmission is made by a satellite carrier to the public;
(2) Significantly viewed stations.— (A) In general.— A secondary transmission of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission of a television broadcast station to subscribers who receive secondary transmissions of primary transmissions under paragraph (1) shall be subject to statutory licensing under this paragraph if the secondary transmission is of the primary transmission of a network station or a non-network station to a subscriber who resides outside the station’s local market but within a community in which the signal has been determined by the Federal Communications Commission to be significantly viewed in such community, pursuant to the rules, regulations, and authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission in effect on April 15, 1976 , applicable to determining with respect to a cable system whether signals are significantly viewed in a community.
(3) Secondary transmission of low power programming.— (A) In general.— Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), a secondary transmission of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission of a television broadcast station to subscribers who receive secondary transmissions of primary transmissions under paragraph (1) shall be subject to statutory licensing under this paragraph if the secondary transmission is of the primary transmission of a television broadcast station that is licensed as a low power television station , to a subscriber who resides within the same designated market area as the station that originates the transmission.
(4) Special exceptions.— A secondary transmission of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission of a television broadcast station to subscribers who receive secondary transmissions of primary transmissions under paragraph (1) shall, if the secondary transmission is made by a satellite carrier that complies with the requirements of paragraph (1), be subject to statutory licensing under this paragraph as follows: (A) States with single full-power network station.— In a State in which there is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission a single full-power station that was a network station on January 1, 1995 , the statutory license provided for in this paragraph shall apply to the secondary transmission by a satellite carrier of the primary transmission of that station to any subscriber in a community that is located within that State and that is not within the first 50 television markets as listed in the regulations of the Commission as in effect on such date (47 C.F.R. 76.51 ).
the statutory license provided under this paragraph shall apply to secondary transmissions by a satellite carrier to subscribers in any such county of the primary transmissions of any network station located in that State, if the satellite carrier was making such secondary transmissions to any subscribers in that county on January 1, 2004 .
(5) Applicability of royalty rates and procedures.— The royalty rates and procedures under section 119(b) shall apply to the secondary transmissions to which the statutory license under paragraph (4) applies.
(1) Initial lists.— A satellite carrier that makes secondary transmissions of a primary transmission made by a network station under subsection (a) shall, within 90 days after commencing such secondary transmissions , submit to the network that owns or is affiliated with the network station— (A) a list identifying (by name in alphabetical order and street address, including county and 9-digit zip code) all subscribers to which the satellite carrier makes secondary transmissions of that primary transmission under subsection (a); and
(2) Subsequent lists.— After the list is submitted under paragraph (1), the satellite carrier shall, on the 15th of each month, submit to the network— (A) a list identifying (by name in alphabetical order and street address, including county and 9-digit zip code) any subscribers who have been added or dropped as subscribers since the last submission under this subsection; and
(3) Use of subscriber information.— Subscriber information submitted by a satellite carrier under this subsection may be used only for the purposes of monitoring compliance by the satellite carrier with this section.
(4) Requirements of networks.— The submission requirements of this subsection shall apply to a satellite carrier only if the network to which the submissions are to be made places on file with the Register of Copyrights a document identifying the name and address of the person to whom such submissions are to be made. The Register of Copyrights shall maintain for public inspection a file of all such documents.
(1) Individual violations.— The willful or repeated secondary transmission to the public by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission embodying a performance or display of a work made by a television broadcast station to a subscriber who does not reside in that station’s local market, and is not subject to statutory licensing under section 119, subject to statutory licensing by reason of paragraph (2)(A), (3), or (4) of subsection (a), or subject to a private licensing agreement, is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501 and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506, except that— (A) no damages shall be awarded for such act of infringement if the satellite carrier took corrective action by promptly withdrawing service from the ineligible subscriber; and
(2) Pattern of violations.— If a satellite carrier engages in a willful or repeated pattern or practice of secondarily transmitting to the public a primary transmission embodying a performance or display of a work made by a television broadcast station to subscribers who do not reside in that station’s local market, and are not subject to statutory licensing under section 119, subject to statutory licensing by reason of paragraph (2)(A), (3), or (4) of subsection (a), or subject to a private licensing agreement, then in addition to the remedies under paragraph (1)— (A) if the pattern or practice has been carried out on a substantially nationwide basis, the court— (i) shall order a permanent injunction barring the secondary transmission by the satellite carrier of the primary transmissions of that television broadcast station (and if such television broadcast station is a network station, all other television broadcast stations affiliated with such network); and
(1) Distributor.— The term “ distributor ” means an entity that contracts to distribute secondary transmissions from a satellite carrier and, either as a single channel or in a package with other programming, provides the secondary transmission either directly to individual subscribers or indirectly through other program distribution entities.
(2) Local market.— (A) In general.— The term “ local market ”, in the case of both commercial and noncommercial television broadcast stations , means the designated market area in which a station is located, and— (i) in the case of a commercial television broadcast station , all commercial television broadcast stations licensed to a community within the same designated market area are within the same local market; and
(3) Low power television station.— The term “ low power television station ” means a low power TV station as defined in section 74.701(f) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on June 1, 2004 . For purposes of this paragraph, the term “low power television station” includes a low power television station that has been accorded primary status as a Class A television licensee under section 73.6001(a) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.
(4) Network station; non-network station; satellite carrier; secondary transmission.— The terms “ network station ”, “ non-network station ”, “satellite carrier” , and “ secondary transmission ” have the meanings given such terms under section 119(d).
(5) Noncommercial educational broadcast station.— The term “ noncommercial educational broadcast station ” means a television broadcast station that is a noncommercial educational broadcast station as defined in section 397 of the Communications Act of 1934 , as in effect on the date of the enactment of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 .
(6) Subscriber.— The term “ subscriber ” means a person or entity that receives a secondary transmission service from a satellite carrier and pays a fee for the service, directly or indirectly, to the satellite carrier or to a distributor.
(7) Television broadcast station.— The term “ television broadcast station ”— (A) means an over-the-air, commercial or noncommercial television broadcast station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission under subpart E of part 73 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, except that such term does not include a low-power or translator television station; and
17 U.S.C. § 406 17 U.S. Code § 406 - Notice of copyright: Error in name or date on certain copies and phonorecords
(1) registration for the work had been made in the name of the owner of copyright; or
(2) a document executed by the person named in the notice and showing the ownership of the copyright had been recorded.
The person named in the notice is liable to account to the copyright owner for all receipts from transfers or licenses purportedly made under the copyright by the person named in the notice.
17 U.S.C. § 119 17 U.S. Code § 119 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Secondary transmissions of distant television programming by satellite
(1) Non-network stations.— Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3), (4), and (6) of this subsection and section 114(d), secondary transmissions of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission made by a non-network station shall be subject to statutory licensing under this section if the secondary transmission is made by a satellite carrier to the public for private home viewing or for viewing in a commercial establishment , with regard to secondary transmissions the satellite carrier is in compliance with the rules, regulations, or authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission governing the carriage of television broadcast station signals, and the carrier makes a direct or indirect charge for each retransmission service to each subscriber receiving the secondary transmission or to a distributor that has contracted with the carrier for direct or indirect delivery of the secondary transmission to the public for private home viewing or for viewing in a commercial establishment.
(2) Network stations.— (A) In general.— Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph and paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6) of this subsection and section 114(d), secondary transmissions of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission made by a network station shall be subject to statutory licensing under this section if the secondary transmission is made by a satellite carrier to the public for private home viewing, with regard to secondary transmissions the satellite carrier is in compliance with the rules, regulations, or authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission governing the carriage of television broadcast station signals, the carrier makes a direct or indirect charge for such retransmission service to each subscriber receiving the secondary transmission, and the carrier provides local-into-local service to all DMAs. Failure to reach an agreement with a network station to retransmit the signals of the station shall not be construed to affect compliance with providing local-into-local service to all DMAs if the satellite carrier has the capability to retransmit such signals when an agreement is reached.
(3) Noncompliance with reporting and payment requirements.— Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2), the willful or repeated secondary transmission to the public by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission made by a non-network station or a network station and embodying a performance or display of a work is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506, where the satellite carrier has not deposited the statement of account and royalty fee required by subsection (b), or has failed to make the submissions to networks required by paragraph (2)(C).
(4) Willful alterations.— Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2), the secondary transmission to the public by a satellite carrier of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission made by a non-network station or a network station is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506 and section 510, if the content of the particular program in which the performance or display is embodied, or any commercial advertising or station announcement transmitted by the primary transmitter during, or immediately before or after, the transmission of such program, is in any way willfully altered by the satellite carrier through changes, deletions, or additions, or is combined with programming from any other broadcast signal.
(5) Violation of territorial restrictions on statutory license for network stations.— (A) Individual violations.— The willful or repeated secondary transmission by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission made by a network station and embodying a performance or display of a work to a subscriber who is not eligible to receive the transmission under this section is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501 and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506, except that— (i) no damages shall be awarded for such act of infringement if the satellite carrier took corrective action by promptly withdrawing service from the ineligible subscriber, and
The court shall direct one half of any statutory damages ordered under clause (i) [1] to be deposited with the Register of Copyrights for distribution to copyright owners pursuant to subsection (b). The Copyright Royalty Judges shall issue regulations establishing procedures for distributing such funds, on a proportional basis, to copyright owners whose works were included in the secondary transmissions that were the subject of the statutory damages.
(6) Discrimination by a satellite carrier.— Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), the willful or repeated secondary transmission to the public by a satellite carrier of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission made by a non-network station or a network station is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506, if the satellite carrier unlawfully discriminates against a distributor.
(7) Geographic limitation on secondary transmissions.— The statutory license created by this section shall apply only to secondary transmissions to households located in the United States.
(8) Service to recreational vehicles and commercial trucks.— (A) Exemption.— (i) In general.— For purposes of this subsection, and subject to clauses (ii) and (iii), the term “ unserved household ” shall include— (I) recreational vehicles as defined in regulations of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under section 3282.8 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations; and
(9) Statutory license contingent on compliance with fcc rules and remedial steps.— Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the willful or repeated secondary transmission to the public by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission embodying a performance or display of a work made by a broadcast station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission is actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections 502 through 506, if, at the time of such transmission, the satellite carrier is not in compliance with the rules, regulations, and authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission concerning the carriage of television broadcast station signals.
(10) Restricted transmission of out-of-state distant network signals into certain markets.— (A) Out-of-state network affiliates.— Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the statutory license in this subsection and subsection (b) shall not apply to any secondary transmission of the primary transmission of a network station located outside of the State of Alaska to any subscriber in that State to whom the secondary transmission of the primary transmission of a television station located in that State is made available by the satellite carrier pursuant to section 122.
(1) Deposits with the register of copyrights.— A satellite carrier whose secondary transmissions are subject to statutory licensing under subsection (a) shall, on a semiannual basis, deposit with the Register of Copyrights, in accordance with requirements that the Register shall prescribe by regulation— (A) a statement of account, covering the preceding 6-month period, specifying the names and locations of all non-network stations and network stations whose signals were retransmitted, at any time during that period, to subscribers as described in subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2), the total number of subscribers that received such retransmissions, and such other data as the Register of Copyrights may from time to time prescribe by regulation;
(2) Verification of accounts and fee payments.— The Register of Copyrights shall issue regulations to permit interested parties to verify and audit the statements of account and royalty fees submitted by satellite carriers under this subsection.
(3) Investment of fees.— The Register of Copyrights shall receive all fees ( including the filing fee specified in paragraph (1)(C)) deposited under this section and, after deducting the reasonable costs incurred by the Copyright Office under this section (other than the costs deducted under paragraph (5)), shall deposit the balance in the Treasury of the United States, in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury directs. All funds held by the Secretary of the Treasury shall be invested in interest-bearing securities of the United States for later distribution with interest by the Librarian of Congress as provided by this title.
(4) Persons to whom fees are distributed.— The royalty fees deposited under paragraph (3) shall, in accordance with the procedures provided by paragraph (5), be distributed to those copyright owners whose works were included in a secondary transmission made by a satellite carrier during the applicable 6-month accounting period and who file a claim with the Copyright Royalty Judges under paragraph (5).
(5) Procedures for distribution.— The royalty fees deposited under paragraph (3) shall be distributed in accordance with the following procedures: (A) Filing of claims for fees.— During the month of July in each year, each person claiming to be entitled to statutory license fees for secondary transmissions shall file a claim with the Copyright Royalty Judges, in accordance with requirements that the Copyright Royalty Judges shall prescribe by regulation. For purposes of this paragraph, any claimants may agree among themselves as to the proportionate division of statutory license fees among them, may lump their claims together and file them jointly or as a single claim, or may designate a common agent to receive payment on their behalf.
(1) Applicability and determination of royalty fees for signals.— (A) Initial fee.— The appropriate fee for purposes of determining the royalty fee under subsection (b)(1)(B) for the secondary transmission of the primary transmissions of network stations and non-network stations shall be the appropriate fee set forth in part 258 of title 37, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on July 1, 2009 , as modified under this paragraph.
Such proceeding shall be conducted under chapter 8.
(2) Annual royalty fee adjustment.— Effective January 1 of each year, the royalty fee payable under subsection (b)(1)(B) for the secondary transmission of the primary transmissions of network stations and non-network stations shall be adjusted by the Copyright Royalty Judges to reflect any changes occurring in the cost of living as determined by the most recent Consumer Price Index (for all consumers and for all items) published by the Secretary of Labor before December 1 of the preceding year. Notification of the adjusted fees shall be published in the Federal Register at least 25 days before January 1.
(1) Distributor.— The term “ distributor ” means an entity that contracts to distribute secondary transmissions from a satellite carrier and, either as a single channel or in a package with other programming, provides the secondary transmission either directly to individual subscribers or indirectly through other program distribution entities in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(2) Network station.— The term “ network station ” means— (A) a television station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission , including any translator station or terrestrial satellite station that rebroadcasts all or substantially all of the programming broadcast by a network station, that is owned or operated by, or affiliated with, one or more of the television networks in the United States that offer an interconnected program service on a regular basis for 15 or more hours per week to at least 25 of its affiliated television licensees in 10 or more States; or
except that the term does not include the signal of the Alaska Rural Communications Service, or any successor entity to that service.
(3) Primary network station.— The term “ primary network station ” means a network station that broadcasts or rebroadcasts the basic programming service of a particular national network.
(4) Primary transmission.— The term “ primary transmission ” has the meaning given that term in section 111(f) of this title .
(5) Private home viewing.— The term “ private home viewing ” means the viewing, for private use in a household by means of satellite reception equipment that is operated by an individual in that household and that serves only such household, of a secondary transmission delivered by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission of a television station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission .
(6) Satellite carrier.— The term “ satellite carrier ” means an entity that uses the facilities of a satellite or satellite service licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and operates in the Fixed-Satellite Service under part 25 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or the Direct Broadcast Satellite Service under part 100 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, to establish and operate a channel of communications for point-to-multipoint distribution of television station signals, and that owns or leases a capacity or service on a satellite in order to provide such point-to-multipoint distribution, except to the extent that such entity provides such distribution pursuant to tariff under the Communications Act of 1934 , other than for private home viewing pursuant to this section.
(7) Secondary transmission.— The term “ secondary transmission ” has the meaning given that term in section 111(f) of this title .
(8) Subscriber; subscribe.— (A) Subscriber.— The term “ subscriber ” means a person or entity that receives a secondary transmission service from a satellite carrier and pays a fee for the service, directly or indirectly, to the satellite carrier or to a distributor.
(9) Non-network station.— The term “ non-network station ” means a television station, other than a network station, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission , that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite carrier.
(10) Unserved household.— The term “ unserved household ”, with respect to a particular television network, means a household that— (A) is a subscriber to whom subsection (a)(8) applies; or
(11) Local market.— The term “ local market ” has the meaning given such term under section 122(j).
(12) Commercial establishment.— The term “ commercial establishment ”— (A) means an establishment used for commercial purposes, such as a bar, restaurant, private office, fitness club, oil rig, retail store, bank or other financial institution, supermarket, automobile or boat dealership, or any other establishment with a common business area; and
(13) Multicast stream.— The term “ multicast stream ” means a digital stream containing programming and program-related material affiliated with a television network, other than the primary stream.
(14) Primary stream.— The term “ primary stream ” means— (A) the single digital stream of programming as to which a television broadcast station has the right to mandatory carriage with a satellite carrier under the rules of the Federal Communications Commission in effect on July 1, 2009 ; or
(15) Local-into-local service to all dmas.— The term “ local-into-local service to all DMAs ” has the meaning given such term in subsection (f)(7).
(16) Short market.— The term “ short market ” means a local market in which programming of one or more of the four most widely viewed television networks nationwide is not offered on either the primary stream or multicast stream transmitted by any network station in that market or is temporarily or permanently unavailable as a result of an act of god [2] or other force majeure event beyond the control of the carrier.
(1) In general.— In a case in which no satellite carrier makes available, to subscribers located in a local market, as defined in section 122(j)(2), the secondary transmission into that market of a primary transmission of one or more television broadcast stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission , and two or more satellite carriers request a business review letter in accordance with section 50.6 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on July 7, 2004 ), in order to assess the legality under the antitrust laws of proposed business conduct to make or carry out an agreement to provide such secondary transmission into such local market, the appropriate official of the Department of Justice shall respond to the request no later than 90 days after the date on which the request is received.
(2) Definition.— For purposes of this subsection, the term “ antitrust laws ”— (A) has the meaning given that term in subsection (a) of the first section of the Clayton Act ( 15 U.S.C. 12(a) ), except that such term includes section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act ( 15 U.S.C. 45 ) to the extent such section 5 applies to unfair methods of competition; and
(1) Injunction waiver.— A court that issued an injunction pursuant to subsection (a)(5)(B) before the date of the enactment of this subsection shall waive such injunction if the court recognizes the entity against which the injunction was issued as a qualified carrier.
(2) Limited temporary waiver.— (A) In general.— Upon a request made by a satellite carrier , a court that issued an injunction against such carrier under subsection (a)(5)(B) before the date of the enactment of this subsection shall waive such injunction with respect to the statutory license provided under subsection (a)(2) to the extent necessary to allow such carrier to make secondary transmissions of primary transmissions made by a network station to unserved households located in short markets in which such carrier was not providing local service pursuant to the license under section 122 as of December 31, 2009 .
(3) Establishment of qualified carrier recognition.— (A) Statement of eligibility.— An entity seeking to be recognized as a qualified carrier under this subsection shall file a statement of eligibility with the court that imposed the injunction. A statement of eligibility must include— (i) an affidavit that the entity is providing local-into-local service to all DMAs ;
(4) Qualified carrier obligations and compliance.— (A) Continuing obligations.— (i) In general.— An entity recognized as a qualified carrier shall continue to provide local-into-local service to all DMAs .
(5) Failure to provide service.— (A) Penalties.— If the court recognizing an entity as a qualified carrier finds that such entity has willfully failed to provide local-into-local service to all DMAs , such finding shall result in the loss of recognition of the entity as a qualified carrier and the termination of the waiver provided under paragraph (1), and the court may, in its discretion— (i) treat such failure as an act of infringement under section 501, and subject such infringement to the remedies provided for in sections 502 through 506 and subsection (a)(6)(B) of this section; 3 and
(6) Penalties for violations of license.— A court that finds, under subsection (a)(6)(A), 3 that an entity recognized as a qualified carrier has willfully made a secondary transmission of a primary transmission made by a network station and embodying a performance or display of a work to a subscriber who is not eligible to receive the transmission under this section shall reinstate the injunction waived under paragraph (1), and the court may order statutory damages of not more than $2,500,000.
(7) Local-into-local service to all dmas defined.— For purposes of this subsection: (A) In general.— An entity provides “ local-into-local service to all DMAs ” if the entity provides local service in all designated market areas (as such term is defined in section 122(j)(2)(C) ) pursuant to the license under section 122, except for designated market areas where the entity is temporarily or permanently unable to provide local service as a result of an act of god 2 or other force majeure event beyond the control of the entity.
“(1) In general.— A subscriber of a satellite carrier who receives the secondary transmission of a network station under the statutory license in section 119 of title 17 , United States Code, as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [ Dec. 20, 2019 ], and to whom subsection (a)(2)(B) of such section, as amended by subsection (a), does not apply, shall continue to be eligible to receive that secondary transmission from such carrier under such license, and at the royalty rate established for such license by the Copyright Royalty Board or voluntary agreement, as applicable, until the date that is the earlier of— “(A) May 31, 2020 ; or
“(2) Definitions.— In this subsection, the terms ‘ satellite carrier ’, ‘subscriber’ , ‘ secondary transmission ’, ‘network station’ , and ‘ local-into-local service to all DMAs ’ have the meaning given those terms in section 119 of title 17 , United States Code.”
17 U.S.C. § 405 17 U.S. Code § 405 - Notice of copyright: Omission of notice on certain copies and phonorecords
(1) the notice has been omitted from no more than a relatively small number of copies or phonorecords distributed to the public; or
(2) registration for the work has been made before or is made within five years after the publication without notice, and a reasonable effort is made to add notice to all copies or phonorecords that are distributed to the public in the United States after the omission has been discovered; or
(3) the notice has been omitted in violation of an express requirement in writing that, as a condition of the copyright owner’s authorization of the public distribution of copies or phonorecords, they bear the prescribed notice.
17 U.S.C. § 409 17 U.S. Code § 409 - Application for copyright registration
The application for copyright registration shall be made on a form prescribed by the Register of Copyrights and shall include—
(1) the name and address of the copyright claimant;
(2) in the case of a work other than an anonymous or pseudonymous work, the name and nationality or domicile of the author or authors, and, if one or more of the authors is dead, the dates of their deaths;
(3) if the work is anonymous or pseudonymous, the nationality or domicile of the author or authors;
(4) in the case of a work made for hire, a statement to this effect;
(5) if the copyright claimant is not the author, a brief statement of how the claimant obtained ownership of the copyright;
(6) the title of the work, together with any previous or alternative titles under which the work can be identified;
(7) the year in which creation of the work was completed;
(8) if the work has been published, the date and nation of its first publication;
(9) in the case of a compilation or derivative work, an identification of any preexisting work or works that it is based on or incorporates, and a brief, general statement of the additional material covered by the copyright claim being registered; and
(10) any other information regarded by the Register of Copyrights as bearing upon the preparation or identification of the work or the existence, ownership, or duration of the copyright.
If an application is submitted for the renewed and extended term provided for in section 304(a)(3)(A) and an original term registration has not been made, the Register may request information with respect to the existence, ownership, or duration of the copyright for the original term.
17 U.S.C. § 407 17 U.S. Code § 407 - Deposit of copies or phonorecords for Library of Congress
(1) two complete copies of the best edition; or
(2) if the work is a sound recording, two complete phonorecords of the best edition, together with any printed or other visually perceptible material published with such phonorecords.
Neither the deposit requirements of this subsection nor the acquisition provisions of subsection (e) are conditions of copyright protection.
(1) to a fine of not more than $250 for each work; and
(2) to pay into a specially designated fund in the Library of Congress the total retail price of the copies or phonorecords demanded, or, if no retail price has been fixed, the reasonable cost to the Library of Congress of acquiring them; and
(3) to pay a fine of $2,500, in addition to any fine or liability imposed under clauses (1) and (2), if such person willfully or repeatedly fails or refuses to comply with such a demand.
(1) The Librarian of Congress shall be permitted, under the standards and conditions set forth in such regulations, to make a fixation of a transmission program directly from a transmission to the public, and to reproduce one copy or phonorecord from such fixation for archival purposes.
(2) Such regulations shall also provide standards and procedures by which the Register of Copyrights may make written demand, upon the owner of the right of transmission in the United States, for the deposit of a copy or phonorecord of a specific transmission program. Such deposit may, at the option of the owner of the right of transmission in the United States, be accomplished by gift, by loan for purposes of reproduction, or by sale at a price not to exceed the cost of reproducing and supplying the copy or phonorecord. The regulations established under this clause shall provide reasonable periods of not less than three months for compliance with a demand, and shall allow for extensions of such periods and adjustments in the scope of the demand or the methods for fulfilling it, as reasonably warranted by the circumstances. Willful failure or refusal to comply with the conditions prescribed by such regulations shall subject the owner of the right of transmission in the United States to liability for an amount, not to exceed the cost of reproducing and supplying the copy or phonorecord in question, to be paid into a specially designated fund in the Library of Congress .
(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require the making or retention, for purposes of deposit, of any copy or phonorecord of an unpublished transmission program, the transmission of which occurs before the receipt of a specific written demand as provided by clause (2).
(4) No activity undertaken in compliance with regulations prescribed under clauses (1) or (2) of this subsection shall result in liability if intended solely to assist in the acquisition of copies or phonorecords under this subsection.
17 U.S.C. § 503 17 U.S. Code § 503 - Remedies for infringement: Impounding and disposition of infringing articles
(1) At any time while an action under this title is pending, the court may order the impounding, on such terms as it may deem reasonable— (A) of all copies or phonorecords claimed to have been made or used in violation of the exclusive right of the copyright owner;
(2) For impoundments of records ordered under paragraph (1)(C), the court shall enter an appropriate protective order with respect to discovery and use of any records or information that has been impounded. The protective order shall provide for appropriate procedures to ensure that confidential, private, proprietary, or privileged information contained in such records is not improperly disclosed or used.
(3) The relevant provisions of paragraphs (2) through (11) of section 34(d) of the Trademark Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1116(d)(2) through (11)) shall extend to any impoundment of records ordered under paragraph (1)(C) that is based upon an ex parte application, notwithstanding the provisions of rule 65 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Any references in paragraphs (2) through (11) of section 34(d) of the Trademark Act to section 32 of such Act shall be read as references to section 501 of this title , and references to use of a counterfeit mark in connection with the sale, offering for sale, or distribution of goods or services shall be read as references to infringement of a copyright.
17 U.S.C. § 513 17 U.S. Code § 513 - Determination of reasonable license fees for individual proprietors
In the case of any performing rights society subject to a consent decree which provides for the determination of reasonable license rates or fees to be charged by the performing rights society, notwithstanding the provisions of that consent decree, an individual proprietor who owns or operates fewer than 7 non-publicly traded establishments in which nondramatic musical works are performed publicly and who claims that any license agreement offered by that performing rights society is unreasonable in its license rate or fee as to that individual proprietor, shall be entitled to determination of a reasonable license rate or fee as follows:
(1) The individual proprietor may commence such proceeding for determination of a reasonable license rate or fee by filing an application in the applicable district court under paragraph (2) that a rate disagreement exists and by serving a copy of the application on the performing rights society. Such proceeding shall commence in the applicable district court within 90 days after the service of such copy, except that such 90-day requirement shall be subject to the administrative requirements of the court.
(2) The proceeding under paragraph (1) shall be held, at the individual proprietor’s election, in the judicial district of the district court with jurisdiction over the applicable consent decree or in that place of holding court of a district court that is the seat of the Federal circuit (other than the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit) in which the proprietor’s establishment is located.
(3) Such proceeding shall be held before the judge of the court with jurisdiction over the consent decree governing the performing rights society. At the discretion of the court, the proceeding shall be held before a special master or magistrate judge appointed by such judge. Should that consent decree provide for the appointment of an advisor or advisors to the court for any purpose, any such advisor shall be the special master so named by the court.
(4) In any such proceeding, the industry rate shall be presumed to have been reasonable at the time it was agreed to or determined by the court. Such presumption shall in no way affect a determination of whether the rate is being correctly applied to the individual proprietor.
(5) Pending the completion of such proceeding, the individual proprietor shall have the right to perform publicly the copyrighted musical compositions in the repertoire of the performing rights society by paying an interim license rate or fee into an interest bearing escrow account with the clerk of the court, subject to retroactive adjustment when a final rate or fee has been determined, in an amount equal to the industry rate , or, in the absence of an industry rate , the amount of the most recent license rate or fee agreed to by the parties.
(6) Any decision rendered in such proceeding by a special master or magistrate judge named under paragraph (3) shall be reviewed by the judge of the court with jurisdiction over the consent decree governing the performing rights society. Such proceeding, including such review, shall be concluded within 6 months after its commencement.
(7) Any such final determination shall be binding only as to the individual proprietor commencing the proceeding, and shall not be applicable to any other proprietor or any other performing rights society, and the performing rights society shall be relieved of any obligation of nondiscrimination among similarly situated music users that may be imposed by the consent decree governing its operations.
(8) An individual proprietor may not bring more than one proceeding provided for in this section for the determination of a reasonable license rate or fee under any license agreement with respect to any one performing rights society.
(9) For purposes of this section, the term “ industry rate ” means the license fee a performing rights society has agreed to with, or which has been determined by the court for, a significant segment of the music user industry to which the individual proprietor belongs.
17 U.S.C. § 701 17 U.S. Code § 701 - The Copyright Office: General responsibilities and organization
(1) Advise Congress on national and international issues relating to copyright, other matters arising under this title, and related matters.
(2) Provide information and assistance to Federal departments and agencies and the Judiciary on national and international issues relating to copyright, other matters arising under this title, and related matters.
(3) Participate in meetings of international intergovernmental organizations and meetings with foreign government officials relating to copyright, other matters arising under this title, and related matters, including as a member of United States delegations as authorized by the appropriate Executive branch authority.
(4) Conduct studies and programs regarding copyright, other matters arising under this title, and related matters, the administration of the Copyright Office, or any function vested in the Copyright Office by law, including educational programs conducted cooperatively with foreign intellectual property offices and international intergovernmental organizations.
(5) Perform such other functions as Congress may direct, or as may be appropriate in furtherance of the functions and duties specifically set forth in this title.
17 U.S.C. § 510 17 U.S. Code § 510 - Remedies for alteration of programming by cable systems
(1) Where an action is brought by a party identified in subsections (b) or (c) of section 501, the remedies provided by sections 502 through 505, and the remedy provided by subsection (b) of this section; and
(2) When an action is brought by a party identified in subsection (d) of section 501, the remedies provided by sections 502 and 505, together with any actual damages suffered by such party as a result of the infringement, and the remedy provided by subsection (b) of this section.
17 U.S.C. § 801 17 U.S. Code § 801 - Copyright Royalty Judges; appointment and functions
(1) To make determinations and adjustments of reasonable terms and rates of royalty payments as provided in sections 112(e), 114, 115, 116, 118, 119, and 1004.
(2) To make determinations concerning the adjustment of the copyright royalty rates under section 111 solely in accordance with the following provisions: (A) The rates established by section 111(d)(1)(B) may be adjusted to reflect— (i) national monetary inflation or deflation; or
except that—
The Copyright Royalty Judges may consider all factors relating to the maintenance of such level of payments, including, as an extenuating factor, whether the industry has been restrained by subscriber rate regulating authorities from increasing the rates for the basic service of providing secondary transmissions.
(3) (A) To authorize the distribution, under sections 111, 119, and 1007, of those royalty fees collected under sections 111, 119, and 1005, as the case may be, to the extent that the Copyright Royalty Judges have found that the distribution of such fees is not subject to controversy.
(4) To accept or reject royalty claims filed under sections 111, 119, and 1007, on the basis of timeliness or the failure to establish the basis for a claim.
(5) To accept or reject rate adjustment petitions as provided in section 804 and petitions to participate as provided in section 803(b) (1) and (2).
(6) To determine the status of a digital audio recording device or a digital audio interface device under sections 1002 and 1003, as provided in section 1010.
(7) (A) To adopt as a basis for statutory terms and rates or as a basis for the distribution of statutory royalty payments, an agreement concerning such matters reached among some or all of the participants in a proceeding at any time during the proceeding, except that— (i) the Copyright Royalty Judges shall provide to those that would be bound by the terms, rates, or other determination set by any agreement in a proceeding to determine royalty rates an opportunity to comment on the agreement and shall provide to participants in the proceeding under section 803(b)(2) that would be bound by the terms, rates, or other determination set by the agreement an opportunity to comment on the agreement and object to its adoption as a basis for statutory terms and rates; and
(8) To determine the administrative assessment to be paid by digital music providers under section 115(d). The provisions of section 115(d) shall apply to the conduct of proceedings by the Copyright Royalty Judges under section 115(d) and not the procedures described in this section, or section 803, 804, or 805.
(9) To perform other duties, as assigned by the Register of Copyrights within the Library of Congress , except as provided in section 802(g), at times when Copyright Royalty Judges are not engaged in performing the other duties set forth in this section.
“(1) In general.— Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the amendments made by this Act shall not affect any proceedings commenced, petitions filed, or voluntary agreements entered into before the effective date provided in subsection (a) under the provisions of title 17, United States Code, as amended by this Act, and pending on such effective date. Such proceedings shall continue, determinations made in such proceedings, and appeals taken therefrom, as if this Act had not been enacted, and shall continue in effect until modified under title 17, United States Code, as amended by this Act. Such petitions filed and voluntary agreements entered into shall remain in effect as if this Act had not been enacted. For purposes of this paragraph, the Librarian of Congress may determine whether a proceeding has commenced. The Librarian of Congress may terminate any proceeding commenced before the effective date provided in subsection (a) pursuant to chapter 8 of title 17, United States Code, and any proceeding so terminated shall become null and void. In such cases, the Copyright Royalty Judges may initiate a new proceeding in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to section 803(b)(6) of title 17 , United States Code.
“(2) Certain royalty rate proceedings.— Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the amendments made by this Act shall not affect proceedings to determine royalty rates pursuant to section 119(c) of title 17 , United States Code, that are commenced before January 31, 2006 .
“(3) Pending proceedings.— Notwithstanding paragraph (1), any proceedings to establish or adjust rates and terms for the statutory licenses under section [former] 114(f)(2) or 112(e) of title 17, United States Code, for a statutory period commencing on or after January 1, 2005 , shall be terminated upon the date of enactment of this Act and shall be null and void. The rates and terms in effect under section [former] 114(f)(2) or 112(e) of title 17, United States Code, on December 31, 2004 , for new subscription services, eligible nonsubscription services, and services exempt under section 114(d)(1)(C)(iv) of such title, and the rates and terms published in the Federal Register under the authority of the Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002 ( 17 U.S.C. 114 note; Public Law 107–321 ) (including the amendments made by that Act) for the years 2003 through 2004, as well as any notice and recordkeeping provisions adopted pursuant thereto, shall remain in effect until the later of the first applicable effective date for successor terms and rates specified in section 804(b) (2) or (3)(A) of title 17, United States Code, or such later date as the parties may agree or the Copyright Royalty Judges may establish. For the period commencing January 1, 2005 , an eligible small webcaster or a noncommercial webcaster, as defined in the regulations published by the Register of Copyrights pursuant to the Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002 ( 17 U.S.C. 114 note; Public Law 107–321 ) (including the amendments made by that Act) [amending section 114 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 101 and 114 of this title], may elect to be subject to the rates and terms published in those regulations by complying with the procedures governing the election process set forth in those regulations not later than the first date on which the webcaster would be obligated to make a royalty payment for such period. Until successor terms and rates have been established for the period commencing January 1, 2006 , licensees shall continue to make royalty payments at the rates and on the terms previously in effect, subject to retroactive adjustment when successor rates and terms for such services are established.
“(4) Interim proceedings.— Notwithstanding subsection (a), as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Copyright Royalty Judges or interim Copyright Royalty Judges shall publish the notice described in section 803(b)(1)(A) of title 17 , United States Code, as amended by this Act, to initiate a proceeding to establish or adjust rates and terms for the statutory licenses under section [former] 114(f)(2) or 112(e) of title 17, United States Code, for new subscription services and eligible nonsubscription services for the period commencing January 1, 2006 . The Copyright Royalty Judges or Interim Copyright Royalty Judges are authorized to cause that proceeding to take place as provided in subsection (b) of section 803 of that title within the time periods set forth in that subsection. Notwithstanding section 803(c)(1) of that title, the Copyright Royalty Judges shall not be required to issue their determination in that proceeding before the expiration of the statutory rates and terms in effect on December 31, 2004 .
17 U.S.C. § 1101 17 U.S. Code § 1101 - Unauthorized fixation and trafficking in sound recordings and music videos
(1) fixes the sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance in a copy or phonorecord, or reproduces copies or phonorecords of such a performance from an unauthorized fixation,
(2) transmits or otherwise communicates to the public the sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance, or
(3) distributes or offers to distribute, sells or offers to sell, rents or offers to rent, or traffics in any copy or phonorecord fixed as described in paragraph (1), regardless of whether the fixations occurred in the United States,
shall be subject to the remedies provided in sections 502 through 505, to the same extent as an infringer of copyright.
17 U.S.C. § 1203 17 U.S. Code § 1203 - Civil remedies
(1) may grant temporary and permanent injunctions on such terms as it deems reasonable to prevent or restrain a violation, but in no event shall impose a prior restraint on free speech or the press protected under the 1st amendment to the Constitution;
(2) at any time while an action is pending, may order the impounding, on such terms as it deems reasonable, of any device or product that is in the custody or control of the alleged violator and that the court has reasonable cause to believe was involved in a violation;
(3) may award damages under subsection (c);
(4) in its discretion may allow the recovery of costs by or against any party other than the United States or an officer thereof;
(5) in its discretion may award reasonable attorney’s fees to the prevailing party; and
(6) may, as part of a final judgment or decree finding a violation, order the remedial modification or the destruction of any device or product involved in the violation that is in the custody or control of the violator or has been impounded under paragraph (2).
(1) In general.— Except as otherwise provided in this title, a person committing a violation of section 1201 or 1202 is liable for either— (A) the actual damages and any additional profits of the violator, as provided in paragraph (2), or
(2) Actual damages.— The court shall award to the complaining party the actual damages suffered by the party as a result of the violation, and any profits of the violator that are attributable to the violation and are not taken into account in computing the actual damages, if the complaining party elects such damages at any time before final judgment is entered.
(3) Statutory damages.— (A) At any time before final judgment is entered, a complaining party may elect to recover an award of statutory damages for each violation of section 1201 in the sum of not less than $200 or more than $2,500 per act of circumvention, device, product, component, offer, or performance of service, as the court considers just.
(4) Repeated violations.— In any case in which the injured party sustains the burden of proving, and the court finds, that a person has violated section 1201 or 1202 within 3 years after a final judgment was entered against the person for another such violation, the court may increase the award of damages up to triple the amount that would otherwise be awarded, as the court considers just.
(5) Innocent violations.— (A) In general.— The court in its discretion may reduce or remit the total award of damages in any case in which the violator sustains the burden of proving, and the court finds, that the violator was not aware and had no reason to believe that its acts constituted a violation.
17 U.S.C. § 901 17 U.S. Code § 901 - Definitions
(1) a “ semiconductor chip product ” is the final or intermediate form of any product— (A) having two or more layers of metallic, insulating, or semiconductor material, deposited or otherwise placed on, or etched away or otherwise removed from, a piece of semiconductor material in accordance with a predetermined pattern; and
(2) a “ mask work ” is a series of related images, however fixed or encoded— (A) having or representing the predetermined, three-dimensional pattern of metallic, insulating, or semiconductor material present or removed from the layers of a semiconductor chip product ; and
(3) a mask work is “fixed” in a semiconductor chip product when its embodiment in the product is sufficiently permanent or stable to permit the mask work to be perceived or reproduced from the product for a period of more than transitory duration;
(4) to “ distribute ” means to sell, or to lease, bail, or otherwise transfer, or to offer to sell, lease, bail, or otherwise transfer;
(5) to “commercially exploit” a mask work is to distribute to the public for commercial purposes a semiconductor chip product embodying the mask work; except that such term includes an offer to sell or transfer a semiconductor chip product only when the offer is in writing and occurs after the mask work is fixed in the semiconductor chip product ;
(6) the “ owner ” of a mask work is the person who created the mask work , the legal representative of that person if that person is deceased or under a legal incapacity, or a party to whom all the rights under this chapter of such person or representative are transferred in accordance with section 903(b); except that, in the case of a work made within the scope of a person’s employment, the owner is the employer for whom the person created the mask work or a party to whom all the rights under this chapter of the employer are transferred in accordance with section 903(b);
(7) an “ innocent purchaser ” is a person who purchases a semiconductor chip product in good faith and without having notice of protection with respect to the semiconductor chip product ;
(8) having “ notice of protection ” means having actual knowledge that, or reasonable grounds to believe that, a mask work is protected under this chapter; and
(9) an “ infringing semiconductor chip product ” is a semiconductor chip product which is made, imported, or distributed in violation of the exclusive rights of the owner of a mask work under this chapter.
17 U.S.C. § 1301 17 U.S. Code § 1301 - Designs protected
(1) In general.— The designer or other owner of an original design of a useful article which makes the article attractive or distinctive in appearance to the purchasing or using public may secure the protection provided by this chapter upon complying with and subject to this chapter.
(2) Vessel features.— The design of a vessel hull, deck, or combination of a hull and deck, including a plug or mold, is subject to protection under this chapter, notwithstanding section 1302(4).
(3) Exceptions.— Department of Defense rights in a registered design under this chapter, including the right to build to such registered design, shall be determined solely by operation of subchapter I of chapter 275 of title 10 or by the instrument under which the design was developed for the United States Government.
(1) A design is “ original ” if it is the result of the designer’s creative endeavor that provides a distinguishable variation over prior work pertaining to similar articles which is more than merely trivial and has not been copied from another source.
(2) A “ useful article ” is a vessel hull or deck, including a plug or mold, which in normal use has an intrinsic utilitarian function that is not merely to portray the appearance of the article or to convey information. An article which normally is part of a useful article shall be deemed to be a useful article .
(3) A “ vessel ” is a craft— (A) that is designed and capable of independently steering a course on or through water through its own means of propulsion; and
(4) A “ hull ” is the exterior frame or body of a vessel , exclusive of the deck, superstructure, masts, sails, yards, rigging, hardware, fixtures, and other attachments.
(5) A “ plug ” means a device or model used to make a mold for the purpose of exact duplication, regardless of whether the device or model has an intrinsic utilitarian function that is not only to portray the appearance of the product or to convey information.
(6) A “ mold ” means a matrix or form in which a substance for material is used, regardless of whether the matrix or form has an intrinsic utilitarian function that is not only to portray the appearance of the product or to convey information.
(7) A “ deck ” is the horizontal surface of a vessel that covers the hull, including exterior cabin and cockpit surfaces, and exclusive of masts, sails, yards, rigging, hardware, fixtures, and other attachments.
“(1) the extent to which the amendments made by this title has been effective in suppressing infringement of the design of vessel hulls;
“(2) the extent to which the registration provided for in chapter 13 of title 17, United States Code, as added by this title, has been utilized;
“(3) the extent to which the creation of new designs of vessel hulls have been encouraged by the amendments made by this title;
“(4) the effect, if any, of the amendments made by this title on the price of vessels with hulls protected under such amendments; and
“(5) such other considerations as the Register and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office may deem relevant to accomplish the purposes of the evaluation conducted under subsection (a).”
17 U.S.C. § 1204 17 U.S. Code § 1204 - Criminal offenses and penalties
(1) shall be fined not more than $500,000 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both, for the first offense; and
(2) shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both, for any subsequent offense.
17 U.S.C. § 1302 17 U.S. Code § 1302 - Designs not subject to protection
Protection under this chapter shall not be available for a design that is—
(1) not original ;
(2) staple or commonplace, such as a standard geometric figure, a familiar symbol, an emblem, or a motif, or another shape, pattern, or configuration which has become standard, common, prevalent, or ordinary;
(3) different from a design excluded by paragraph (2) only in insignificant details or in elements which are variants commonly used in the relevant trades;
(4) dictated solely by a utilitarian function of the article that embodies it; or
(5) embodied in a useful article that was made public by the designer or owner in the United States or a foreign country more than 2 years before the date of the application for registration under this chapter.
17 U.S.C. § 1308 17 U.S. Code § 1308 - Exclusive rights
The owner of a design protected under this chapter has the exclusive right to—
(1) make, have made, or import, for sale or for use in trade, any useful article embodying that design; and
(2) sell or distribute for sale or for use in trade any useful article embodying that design.
17 U.S.C. § 1310 17 U.S. Code § 1310 - Application for registration
(1) the name and address of the designer or designers of the design;
(2) the name and address of the owner if different from the designer;
(3) the specific name of the useful article embodying the design;
(4) the date, if any, that the design was first made public, if such date was earlier than the date of the application;
(5) affirmation that the design has been fixed in a useful article ; and
(6) such other information as may be required by the Administrator.
The application for registration may include a description setting forth the salient features of the design, but the absence of such a description shall not prevent registration under this chapter.
(1) that the design is original and was created by the designer or designers named in the application;
(2) that the design has not previously been registered on behalf of the applicant or the applicant’s predecessor in title; and
(3) that the applicant is the person entitled to protection and to registration under this chapter.
If the design has been made public with the design notice prescribed in section 1306, the statement shall also describe the exact form and position of the design notice.
(1) Error in any statement or assertion as to the utility of the useful article named in the application under this section, the design of which is sought to be registered, shall not affect the protection secured under this chapter.
(2) Errors in omitting a joint designer or in naming an alleged joint designer shall not affect the validity of the registration, or the actual ownership or the protection of the design, unless it is shown that the error occurred with deceptive intent.
17 U.S.C. § 1306 17 U.S. Code § 1306 - Design notice
(1) Whenever any design for which protection is sought under this chapter is made public under section 1310(b), the owner of the design shall, subject to the provisions of section 1307, mark it or have it marked legibly with a design notice consisting of— (A) the words “Protected Design”, the abbreviation “Prot’d Des.”, or the letter “D” with a circle, or the symbol “*D*”;
Any distinctive identification of the owner may be used for purposes of subparagraph (C) if it has been recorded by the Administrator before the design marked with such identification is registered.
(2) After registration, the registration number may be used instead of the elements specified in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1).
17 U.S.C. § 1309 17 U.S. Code § 1309 - Infringement
(1) make, have made, or import, for sale or for use in trade, any infringing article as defined in subsection (e); or
(2) sell or distribute for sale or for use in trade any such infringing article.
(1) induced or acted in collusion with a manufacturer to make, or an importer to import such article, except that merely purchasing or giving an order to purchase such article in the ordinary course of business shall not of itself constitute such inducement or collusion; or
(2) refused or failed, upon the request of the owner of the design, to make a prompt and full disclosure of that person’s source of such article, and that person orders or reorders such article after receiving notice by registered or certified mail of the protection subsisting in the design.
17 U.S.C. § 1001 17 U.S. Code § 1001 - Definitions
As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) A “ digital audio copied recording ” is a reproduction in a digital recording format of a digital musical recording , whether that reproduction is made directly from another digital musical recording or indirectly from a transmission.
(2) A “digital audio interface device” is any machine or device that is designed specifically to communicate digital audio information and related interface data to a digital audio recording device through a nonprofessional interface.
(3) A “digital audio recording device” is any machine or device of a type commonly distributed to individuals for use by individuals, whether or not included with or as part of some other machine or device, the digital recording function of which is designed or marketed for the primary purpose of, and that is capable of, making a digital audio copied recording for private use, except for— (A) professional model products , and
(4) (A) A “digital audio recording medium” is any material object in a form commonly distributed for use by individuals, that is primarily marketed or most commonly used by consumers for the purpose of making digital audio copied recordings by use of a digital audio recording device.
(5) (A) A “ digital musical recording ” is a material object— (i) in which are fixed, in a digital recording format, only sounds, and material, statements, or instructions incidental to those fixed sounds, if any, and
(6) “ Distribute ” means to sell, lease, or assign a product to consumers in the United States, or to sell, lease, or assign a product in the United States for ultimate transfer to consumers in the United States.
(7) An “ interested copyright party ” is— (A) the owner of the exclusive right under section 106(1) of this title to reproduce a sound recording of a musical work that has been embodied in a digital musical recording or analog musical recording lawfully made under this title that has been distributed;
(8) To “ manufacture ” means to produce or assemble a product in the United States. A “ manufacturer ” is a person who manufactures.
(9) A “ music publisher ” is a person that is authorized to license the reproduction of a particular musical work in a sound recording.
(10) A “ professional model product ” is an audio recording device that is designed, manufactured, marketed, and intended for use by recording professionals in the ordinary course of a lawful business, in accordance with such requirements as the Secretary of Commerce shall establish by regulation.
(11) The term “ serial copying ” means the duplication in a digital format of a copyrighted musical work or sound recording from a digital reproduction of a digital musical recording . The term “digital reproduction of a digital musical recording ” does not include a digital musical recording as distributed, by authority of the copyright owner, for ultimate sale to consumers.
(12) The “transfer price” of a digital audio recording device or a digital audio recording medium— (A) is, subject to subparagraph (B)— (i) in the case of an imported product, the actual entered value at United States Customs (exclusive of any freight, insurance, and applicable duty), and
(13) A “ writer ” is the composer or lyricist of a particular musical work.
17 U.S.C. § 305 Duration of copyright: Terminal date
All terms of copyright provided by sections 302 through 304 run to the end of the calendar year in which they would otherwise expire.
17 U.S.C. § 403 Notice of copyright: Publications incorporating United States Government works
Sections 401(d) and 402(d) shall not apply to a work published in copies or phonorecords consisting predominantly of one or more works of the United States Government unless the notice of copyright appearing on the published copies or phonorecords to which a defendant in the copyright infringement suit had access includes a statement identifying, either affirmatively or negatively, those portions of the copies or phonorecords embodying any work or works protected under this title.
17 U.S.C. § 1205 Savings clause
Nothing in this chapter abrogates, diminishes, or weakens the provisions of, nor provides any defense or element of mitigation in a criminal prosecution or civil action under, any Federal or State law that prevents the violation of the privacy of an individual in connection with the individual’s use of the Internet.
17 U.S.C. § 1303 Revisions, adaptations, and rearrangements
Protection for a design under this chapter shall be available notwithstanding the employment in the design of subject matter excluded from protection under section 1302 if the design is a substantial revision, adaptation, or rearrangement of such subject matter. Such protection shall be independent of any subsisting protection in subject matter employed in the design, and shall not be construed as securing any right to subject matter excluded from protection under this chapter or as extending any subsisting protection under this chapter.
17 U.S.C. § 1304 Commencement of protection
The protection provided for a design under this chapter shall commence upon the earlier of the date of publication of the registration under section 1313(a) or the date the design is first made public as defined by section 1310(b).
17 U.S.C. § 120 Scope of exclusive rights in architectural works
The copyright in an architectural work that has been constructed does not include the right to prevent the making, distributing, or public display of pictures, paintings, photographs, or other pictorial representations of the work, if the building in which the work is embodied is located in or ordinarily visible from a public place.
17 U.S.C. § 303 Duration of copyright: Works created but not published or copyrighted before January 1, 1978
(a) Copyright in a work created before January 1, 1978 , but not theretofore in the public domain or copyrighted, subsists from January 1, 1978 , and endures for the term provided by section 302. In no case, however, shall the term of copyright in such a work expire before December 31, 2002 ; and, if the work is published on or before December 31, 2002 , the term of copyright shall not expire before December 31, 2047 .
(b) The distribution before January 1, 1978 , of a phonorecord shall not for any purpose constitute a publication of any musical work, dramatic work, or literary work embodied therein.
17 U.S.C. § 404 Notice of copyright: Contributions to collective works
(a) A separate contribution to a collective work may bear its own notice of copyright, as provided by sections 401 through 403. However, a single notice applicable to the collective work as a whole is sufficient to invoke the provisions of section 401(d) or 402(d), as applicable with respect to the separate contributions it contains (not including advertisements inserted on behalf of persons other than the owner of copyright in the collective work), regardless of the ownership of copyright in the contributions and whether or not they have been previously published.
(b) With respect to copies and phonorecords publicly distributed by authority of the copyright owner before the effective date of the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988 , where the person named in a single notice applicable to a collective work as a whole is not the owner of copyright in a separate contribution that does not bear its own notice, the case is governed by the provisions of section 406(a).
17 U.S.C. § 410 Registration of claim and issuance of certificate
(a) When, after examination, the Register of Copyrights determines that, in accordance with the provisions of this title, the material deposited constitutes copyrightable subject matter and that the other legal and formal requirements of this title have been met, the Register shall register the claim and issue to the applicant a certificate of registration under the seal of the Copyright Office. The certificate shall contain the information given in the application, together with the number and effective date of the registration.
(b) In any case in which the Register of Copyrights determines that, in accordance with the provisions of this title, the material deposited does not constitute copyrightable subject matter or that the claim is invalid for any other reason, the Register shall refuse registration and shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for such refusal.
(c) In any judicial proceedings the certificate of a registration made before or within five years after first publication of the work shall constitute prima facie evidence of the validity of the copyright and of the facts stated in the certificate. The evidentiary weight to be accorded the certificate of a registration made thereafter shall be within the discretion of the court.
(d) The effective date of a copyright registration is the day on which an application, deposit, and fee, which are later determined by the Register of Copyrights or by a court of competent jurisdiction to be acceptable for registration, have all been received in the Copyright Office.
17 U.S.C. § 502 Remedies for infringement: Injunctions
(a) Any court having jurisdiction of a civil action arising under this title may, subject to the provisions of section 1498 of title 28 , grant temporary and final injunctions on such terms as it may deem reasonable to prevent or restrain infringement of a copyright.
(b) Any such injunction may be served anywhere in the United States on the person enjoined; it shall be operative throughout the United States and shall be enforceable, by proceedings in contempt or otherwise, by any United States court having jurisdiction of that person. The clerk of the court granting the injunction shall, when requested by any other court in which enforcement of the injunction is sought, transmit promptly to the other court a certified copy of all the papers in the case on file in such clerk’s office.
17 U.S.C. § 508 Notification of filing and determination of actions
(a) Within one month after the filing of any action under this title, the clerks of the courts of the United States shall send written notification to the Register of Copyrights setting forth, as far as is shown by the papers filed in the court, the names and addresses of the parties and the title, author, and registration number of each work involved in the action. If any other copyrighted work is later included in the action by amendment, answer, or other pleading, the clerk shall also send a notification concerning it to the Register within one month after the pleading is filed.
(b) Within one month after any final order or judgment is issued in the case, the clerk of the court shall notify the Register of it, sending with the notification a copy of the order or judgment together with the written opinion, if any, of the court.
(c) Upon receiving the notifications specified in this section, the Register shall make them a part of the public records of the Copyright Office.
17 U.S.C. § 511 Liability of States, instrumentalities of States, and State officials for infringement of copyright
Any State, any instrumentality of a State, and any officer or employee of a State or instrumentality of a State acting in his or her official capacity, shall not be immune, under the Eleventh Amendment of the Constitution of the United States or under any other doctrine of sovereign immunity, from suit in Federal court by any person, including any governmental or nongovernmental entity, for a violation of any of the exclusive rights of a copyright owner provided by sections 106 through 122, for importing copies of phonorecords in violation of section 602, or for any other violation under this title.
17 U.S.C. § 1307 Effect of omission of notice
Except as provided in subsection (b), the omission of the notice prescribed in section 1306 shall not cause loss of the protection under this chapter or prevent recovery for infringement under this chapter against any person who, after receiving written notice of the design protection, begins an undertaking leading to infringement under this chapter.
17 U.S.C. § 1305 Term of protection
Subject to subsection (b), the protection provided under this chapter for a design shall continue for a term of 10 years beginning on the date of the commencement of protection under section 1304.
What this index is for
- Find the right citation quickly before reading the operative language in the statute.
- See, at a glance, how the rights, limits, ownership, and remedies fit together.
- Distinguish the Act itself from the Office rules in 37 C.F.R. Part 202 and the registration practice in the Compendium.
Section 411 makes registration a prerequisite to suing for infringement of a U.S. work, and Section 412 limits statutory damages and attorney's fees unless you register within the first three months after publication or before infringement begins. Timing your registration is not paperwork — it is the difference between a collectable judgment and a bare win.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to register to own a copyright?
No. Copyright exists automatically the moment an original work is fixed in a tangible medium. Registration is what unlocks the ability to sue in federal court for a U.S. work and, if done early, the recovery of statutory damages and attorney's fees.
What does fair use actually protect?
Section 107 weighs four factors — purpose and character (including whether the use is transformative or commercial), the nature of the work, how much is used, and the effect on the market. There is no safe word count or percentage; each use is judged on its own facts, which is why reasonable people and courts often disagree.
How long does copyright last?
For works created after 1977, life of the author plus 70 years. For works made for hire and anonymous or pseudonymous works, 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever ends first. Works fixed before 1978 follow their own, more complex rules.
Is copyright the same thing as trademark?
No. Copyright protects original expression; trademark protects source-identifying signs. They arise under different laws, are examined by different offices, and solve different problems. This site covers both because a brand often needs them together, not because they are the same right.
More in Databases & Legal Resources
Copyright Registration Compendium
The Copyright Office's own manual for how applications are examined and registrations are granted.
Copyright Office Rules (37 C.F.R. Part 202)
The procedural rules behind every registration, notice, and deposit requirement.
U.S. Trademark Statutes
The Lanham Act provisions governing registration, in plain language.
DMCA Rules
The anti-circumvention, safe-harbor, and notice-and-takedown rules of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.