Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17)
and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code

Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17) cover

This publication contains the text of Title 17 of the United States Code, including all amendments enacted by Congress through December 27, 2020. It includes the Copyright Act of 1976 and all subsequent amendments to copyright law; the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984, as amended; and the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act, as amended. The Copyright Office is responsible for registering intellectual property claims under all three.

The United States copyright law is contained in chapters 1 through 8, 10 through 12, and 14 through 15 of Title 17 of the United States Code. The Copyright Act of 1976, which provides the basic framework for the current copyright law, was enacted on October 19, 1976, as Pub. L. No. 94-553, 90 Stat. 2541. The 1976 Act was a comprehensive revision of the copyright law in Title 17.

This edition adds copyright legislation enacted since the last printed edition of the circular in June 2020: provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, that added section 2319C to Title 18, United States Code, regarding criminal penalties for copyright infringement, and a new chapter 15 to Title 17, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act of 2020. This legislation was signed into law in December 2020.

U.S. Copyright Law, May 2021 [size 6 MB]

For printed copies of Circular 92, see GPO's U.S. Government Bookstore.

Preface

Preface: Amendments to Title 17 since 1976

Chapters

Title 17 of the United States Code

Chapter 1:
Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright
Chapter 2:
Copyright Ownership and Transfer
Chapter 3:
Duration of Copyright
Chapter 4:
Copyright Notice, Deposit, and Registration
Chapter 5:
Copyright Infringement and Remedies
Chapter 6:
Importation and Exportation
Chapter 7:
Copyright Office
Chapter 8:
Proceedings by Copyright Royalty Judges
Chapter 9:
Protection of Semiconductor Chip Products
Chapter 10:
Digital Audio Recording Devices and Media
Chapter 11:
Sound Recordings and Music Videos
Chapter 12:
Copyright Protection and Management Systems
Chapter 13:
Protection of Original Designs
Chapter 14:
Unauthorized Use of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings
Chapter 15:
Copyright Small Claims

Appendices

Transitional and Related Statutory Provisions

Appendix A:
The Copyright Act of 1976
Appendix B:
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998
Appendix C:
The Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004
Appendix D:
The Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004
Appendix E:
The Intellectual Property Protection and Courts Amendments Act of 2004
Appendix F:
The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008
Appendix G:
The Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010
Appendix H:
The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act
Appendix I:
The STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014
Appendix J:
Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act
Appendix K:
Orrin G. Hatch–Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act
Appendix L:
Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act of 2019, Title X of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020
Appendix M:
Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2020

 

Related United States Code Provisions

Appendix N:
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure, U.S. Code
Appendix O:
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, U.S. Code
Appendix P:
Title 44 — Public Printing and Documents, U.S. Code

Related International Provisions

Appendix Q:
The Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988
Appendix R:
The Uruguay Round Agreements Act of 1994
Appendix S:
GATT/Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement, Part II
Appendix T:
Definition of “Berne Convention Work”