Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17)
and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code
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This publication contains the text of Title 17 of the United States Code, including all amendments enacted by Congress through December 23, 2022. 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 and 10 through 12 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. Listed below in chronological order of their enactment are the Copyright Act of 1976 and subsequent amendments to Title 17.
This edition adds two pieces of copyright legislation enacted since the last printed edition of the circular in May 2021: the Artistic Recognition for Talented Students Act, signed into law in October 2022, and the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, signed into law in December 2022.
U.S. Copyright Law, December 2022 [size 5 MB]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