17 U.S.C.
United States Code, 2021 Edition
Title 17 - COPYRIGHTS
Front Matter
From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2020—Pub. L. 116–260, div. Q, title II, §212(c), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2199, added item relating to chapter 15.

2018—Pub. L. 115–264, title II, §202(b), Oct. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 3737, added item relating to chapter 14.

2010—Pub. L. 111–295, §4(b)(1)(B), Dec. 9, 2010, 124 Stat. 3180, substituted "Importation and Exportation" for "Manufacturing Requirements, Importation, and Exportation" in item relating to chapter 6.

2008—Pub. L. 110–403, title I, §105(c)(3), Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4260, substituted "Manufacturing Requirements, Importation, and Exportation" for "Manufacturing Requirements and Importation" in item relating to chapter 6.

2004—Pub. L. 108–419, §3(b), Nov. 30, 2004, 118 Stat. 2361, substituted "Proceedings by Copyright Royalty Judges" for "Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panels" in item relating to chapter 8.

1998—Pub. L. 105–304, title I, §103(b), title V, §503(a), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2876, 2916, added items relating to chapters 12 and 13.

1997—Pub. L. 105–80, §12(a)(1), Nov. 13, 1997, 111 Stat. 1534, substituted "Requirements" for "Requirement" in item relating to chapter 6, "Arbitration Royalty Panels" for "Royalty Tribunal" in item relating to chapter 8, and "Semiconductor Chip Products" for "semiconductor chip products" in item relating to chapter 9, and added item relating to chapter 10.

1994—Pub. L. 103–465, title V, §512(b), Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4974, added item relating to chapter 11.

1984—Pub. L. 98–620, title III, §303, Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3356, added item relating to chapter 9.

Table I
This Table lists the sections of former Title 17, Copyrights, and indicates the sections of Title 17, as enacted in 1947, which covered similar and related subject matter.
Title 17

Former Sections

Title 17

1947 Revision Sections

1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 7
7 8
8 9
9 10
10 11
11 12
12 13
13 14
14 15
15 16
16 17
17 18
18 19
19 20
20 21
21 22
22 23
23 24
24 Rep.
25 101
26 102
27 103
28 104
29 105
30 106
31 107
32 108
33 109
34 110
35 111
36 112
37 113
38 114
39 115
40 116
41 27
42 28
43 29
44 30
45 31
46 32
47 201
48 202
49 203
50 204
51 205
52 206
53 207
54 208
55 209
56 210
57 211
58 212
59 213
60 214
61 215
62 26
63 6
64 6
65 25
Table II
This Table lists the sections of former Title 17, Copyrights, and indicates the sections of Title 17, as revised in 1976, which cover similar and related subject matter.
Title 17

1947 Revision Sections

Title 17

New Sections

1 106, 116
2 301
3 102, 103
4 102
5 102
6 102
7 103
8 104, 105, 303
9 104
10 401
11 410
12 408
13 407, 411
14 407
15 407
16 601
17 407
18 407, 506
19 401
20 401, 402
21 405
22 601
23 601
24 203, 301 et seq.
25 301 et seq.
26 101
27 109, 202
28 201, 204
29 204
30 205
31 205
32 201
101 412, 501–504
102 Rep. See T. 28 §1338
103 Rep. See F.R. Civ. Proc.
104 110, 506
105 506
106 602
107 602
108 603
109 603
110 Rep. See T. 28 §1338
111 Rep. See T. 28 §1400
112 502
113 502
114 502
115 507
116 505
201 701(a)
202 701(a)
203 708(c)
204 Rep.
205 701(c)
206 701(b)
207 702
208 705
209 407, 410
210 707
211 707
212 705
213 704
214 704
215 708(a), (b)
216 703

Prior Provisions

Title 17, as enacted by act July 30, 1947, ch. 391, 61 Stat. 652, consisting of sections 1 to 32, 101 to 116, and 201 to 216, as amended through 1976, and section 203, as amended by Pub. L. 95–94, title IV, §406(a), Aug. 5, 1977, 91 Stat. 682, terminated Jan. 1, 1978.


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 94–553, title I, §102, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2598, provided that: "This Act [enacting this title and section 170 of Title 2, The Congress, amending section 131 of Title 2, section 290e of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, section 2318 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, section 543 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code, section 1498 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, sections 3203 and 3206 of Title 39, Postal Service, and sections 505 and 2117 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents, and enacting provisions set out as notes below and under sections 104, 115, 304, 401, 407, 410, and 501 of this title] becomes effective on January 1, 1978, except as otherwise expressly provided by this Act, including provisions of the first section of this Act. The provisions of sections 118, 304(b), and chapter 8 of title 17, as amended by the first section of this Act, take effect upon enactment of this Act [Oct. 19, 1976]."

Separability

Pub. L. 94–553, title I, §115, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2602, provided that: "If any provision of title 17 [this title], as amended by the first section of this Act, is declared unconstitutional, the validity of the remainder of this title is not affected."

Authorization of Appropriations

Pub. L. 94–553, title I, §114, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2602, provided that: "There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such funds as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act [this title]."

Lost and Expired Copyrights; Recording Rights

Pub. L. 94–553, title I, §103, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2599, provided that: "This Act [enacting this title] does not provide copyright protection for any work that goes into the public domain before January 1, 1978. The exclusive rights, as provided by section 106 of title 17 as amended by the first section of this Act, to reproduce a work in phonorecords and to distribute phonorecords of the work, do not extend to any nondramatic musical work copyrighted before July 1, 1909."

1 So in original. Probably should be "Unauthorized Use of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings".