This volume contains the text of title 17 of the United
States Code, including all amendments enacted through
the end of the second session of the 107th Congress in 2002.
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
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.
Listed below in chronological order of their enactment are
subsequent amendments to copyright law.
Chapters 9 and 13 of title 17 contain statutory design protection
that is independent of copyright protection. Chapter 9 of
title 17 is the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984
(SCPA), as amended. On November 8, 1984, the SCPA was enacted
as title III of Pub. L. No. 98-620, 98 Stat. 3335, 3347. Chapter
13 of title 17 is the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act (VHDPA).
It was enacted on October 28, 1998 as title V of the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Pub. L. No. 105-304, 112
Stat. 2860, 2905. Subsequent amendments to the SCPA and the
VHDPA are also included in the list below, in chronological
order of their enactment.
For transitional and supplementary copyright provisions that
do not amend title 17, see the Appendix.
Statutory Enactments Contained in Title 17 of the United
States Code
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[Copyright Act of 1976], Pub. L. No. 94-553, 90 Stat.
2541 (for the general revision of copyright law, title
17 of the United States Code, and for other purposes),
October 19, 1976.
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Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1978, Pub. L. No.
95-94, 91 Stat. 653, 682 (amending §203
and §708, title 17,
United States Code, regarding the deposit of moneys
by the Register of Copyrights in the Treasury of the United
States), enacted August 5, 1977.
-
[Copyright Amendments], Pub. L. No. 95-598, 92 Stat.
2549, 2676 (amending §201(e),
title 17, United States Code, to permit involuntary
transfer under the Bankruptcy Law), enacted November 6,
1978.
-
[Copyright Amendments], Pub. L. No. 96-517, 94 Stat.
3015, 3028 (amending §101
and §117, title 17,
United States Code, regarding computer programs),
enacted December 12, 1980.
-
Piracy and Counterfeiting Amendments Act of 1982, Pub.
L. No. 97-180, 96 Stat. 91, 93 (amending §506(a),
title 17, United States Code and title 18 of the
United States Code), enacted May 24, 1982.
-
[Copyright Amendments], Pub. L. No. 97-215, 96 Stat.
178 (amending the manufacturing clause in chapter
6, title 17, United States Code), enacted July
13, 1982.
-
[Copyright Amendments], Pub. L. No. 97-366, 96 Stat.
1759 (amending §110
and §708, title 17,
United States Code, regarding the redesignation
of registration fees as filing fees, and the exemption
from copyright liability of certain performances of nondramatic
literary or musical works), enacted October 25, 1982.
-
Record Rental Amendment of 1984, Pub. L. No. 98-450,
98 Stat. 1727 (amending §109
and §115, title 17,
United States Code, with respect to rental, lease
or lending of sound recordings), enacted October 4, 1984.
-
Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984, title III
of Pub. L. No. 98-620, 98 Stat. 3335, 3347 (adding chapter
9, title 17, United States Code, to provide
design protection for semiconductor chips), November 8,
1984.
-
[Copyright Amendments], Pub. L. No. 99-397, 100 Stat.
848 (amending §111
and §801, title 17,
United States Code, to clarify the definition of
the local service area of a primary transmitter in the
case of a low power television station), enacted on August
27, 1986.
-
[Amendments to the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act
of 1984], Pub. L. No. 100-159,
101 Stat. 899 (amending chapter
9, title 17, United States
Code, regarding protection
extended to semiconductor chip
products of foreign entities),
enacted November 9, 1987.
-
Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988, Pub. L.
No. 100-568, 102 Stat. 2853, enacted October 31, 1988.
(See the Appendix for certain
provisions of this Act that do not amend title 17 of the
United States Code.)
-
[Copyright Amendments], Pub. L. No. 100-617, 102 Stat.
3194 (extending for an additional eight-year period certain
provisions of title 17, United States Code, relating
to the rental of sound recordings and for other purposes),
enacted November 5, 1988.
-
Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1988, title II of Pub. L.
No. 100-667, 102 Stat. 3935, 3949, enacted November 16,
1988.
-
Judicial Improvements and Access to Justice Act, Pub.
L. No. 100-702, 102 Stat. 4642, 4672 (amending §912,
title 17, United States Code), enacted November
19, 1988.
-
Copyright Fees and Technical Amendments Act of 1989,
Pub. L. No. 101-318, 104 Stat. 287, enacted on July 3,
1990.
-
Copyright Royalty Tribunal Reform and Miscellaneous Pay
Act of 1989, Pub. L. No. 101-319, 104 Stat. 290, enacted
July 3, 1990.
-
Copyright Remedy Clarification Act, Pub. L. No. 101-553,
104 Stat. 2749, enacted November 15, 1990.
-
Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990, title VI of the Judicial
Improvements Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-650, 104 Stat.
5089, 5128, enacted December 1, 1990.
-
Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act, title VII
of the Judicial Improvements Act of 1990, Pub. L. No.
101-650, 104 Stat. 5089, 5133, enacted December 1, 1990.
-
Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1990, title
VIII of the Judicial Improvements Act of 1990, Pub. L.
No. 101-650, 104 Stat 5089, 5134, enacted December 1,
1990.
-
Semiconductor International Protection Extension Act
of 1991, Pub. L. No. 102-64, 105 Stat. 320 (amending chapter
9, title 17, United States Code, regarding
protection extended to semiconductor chip products of
foreign entities), enacted June 28, 1991.
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Copyright Amendments Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-307,
106 Stat. 264, 272 (amending chapter
3, title 17, United States Code, as described
immediately below and by deleting subsection 108(i)),
enacted June 26, 1992. (Also, through an independent provision
that does not amend title 17 of the United States
Code, the Act established the National Film Registry
under title II, which is the National Film Preservation
Act of 1992.)
-
Copyright Renewal Act of 1992, title I of the Copyright
Amendments Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-307, 106 Stat.
264 (amending chapter 3, title
17 of the United States Code, by providing for
automatic renewal of copyright for works copyrighted between
January 1, 1964, and December 31, 1977), enacted June
26, 1992.
-
[Copyright Amendments], Pub. L. No. 102-492, 106 Stat.
3145 (amending §107, title
17, United States Code, regarding unpublished works),
enacted October 24, 1992.
-
[Copyright Amendments], Pub. L. No. 102-561, 106 Stat.
4233 (amending §2319,
title 18, United States Code, regarding criminal
penalties for copyright infringement), enacted October
28, 1992.
-
Audio Home Recording Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-563,
106 Stat. 4237 (amending title 17 of the United States
Code by adding a new chapter
10), enacted October 28, 1992.
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North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act,
Pub. L. No. 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057, 2114 and 2115 (amending
§109, title 17, United
States Code, and adding a new §104A),
enacted December 8, 1993.
-
Copyright Royalty Tribunal Reform Act of 1993, Pub. L.
No. 103-198, 107 Stat. 2304 (amending, inter alia,
chapter 8, title 17, United
States Code), enacted December 17, 1993.
-
Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1994, Pub. L. No. 103-369,
108 Stat. 3477 (amending, inter alia, §111
and §119, title 17,
United States Code, relating to the definition
of a local service area of a primary transmitter), enacted
October 18, 1994.
-
Uruguay Round Agreements Act, Pub. L. No. 103-465, 108
Stat. 4809, 4973 (amending, inter alia, §104A,
title 17, United States Code, and adding a new
chapter 11), enacted December 8, 1994. (See the Appendix
for the text of certain provisions of this Act that do
not amend title 17 of the United States Code.)
-
Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act of
1995, Pub. L. No. 104-39, 109 Stat. 336 (amending, inter
alia, §114 and
§115, title 17, United
States Code), enacted November 1, 1995.
-
Anticounterfeiting Consumer Protection Act of 1996, Pub.
L. No. 104-153, 110 Stat. 1386, 1388 (amending §603(c),
title 17, United States Code and §2318, title
18, United States Code), enacted July 2, 1996.
-
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1997, Pub. L.
No. 104-197, 110 Stat. 2394, 2416 (amending, inter
alia, title 17 of the United States Code, by
adding a new §121
concerning the limitation on exclusive copyrights for
literary works in specialized format for the blind and
disabled), enacted September 16, 1996.
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[Copyright Amendments and Amendments to the Semiconductor
Chip Protection Act of 1984], Pub. L. No. 105-80, 111
Stat. 1529 (making technical amendments to certain provisions
of title 17, United States Code), enacted November
13, 1997.
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No Electronic Theft (NET) Act, Pub. L. No. 105-147, 111
Stat. 2678, enacted December 16, 1997.
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Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, title I of Pub.
L. No. 105-298, 112 Stat. 2827 (amending chapter
3, title 17, United States Code, to extend
the term of copyright protection for most works to life
plus 70 years), enacted October 27, 1998.
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Fairness in Music Licensing Act of 1998, title II of
Pub. L. No. 105-298, 112 Stat. 2827, 2830 (amending, inter
alia, §110, title
17, United States Code, and adding §513
to provide a music licensing exemption for food service
and drinking establishments), enacted October 27, 1998.
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Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Pub. L. No. 105-304,
112 Stat. 2860, 2887 (title IV amending §108,
§112, §114,
chapter 7 and chapter
8, title 17, United States Code), enacted October
28, 1998. (This Act also contains four separate acts within
titles I, II, III and V that amended title 17 of the United
States Code. These four acts are each separately listed
below. See the Appendix for
additional provisions of this Act that do not amend title
17 of the United States Code.)
-
WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties
Implementation Act of 1998, title I of the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act, Pub. L. No. 105-304, 112 Stat. 2860, 2861
(amending title 17 of the United States Code, inter
alia, to add a new chapter
12 which prohibits circumvention of copyright protection
systems and provides protection for copyright management
information), enacted October 28, 1998.
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Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act,
title II of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Pub.
L. No. 105-304, 112 Stat. 2860, 2877 (amending title 17
of the United States Code, to add a new §512),
enacted October 28, 1998.
-
Computer Maintenance Competition Assurance Act, title
III of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Pub. L. No.
105-304, 112 Stat. 2860, 2886 (amending §117,
title 17, United States Code), enacted October
28, 1998.
-
Vessel Hull Design Protection Act, title V of the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act, Pub. L. No. 105-304, 112 Stat.
2860, 2905 (adding chapter 13,
title 17, United States Code, to provide design
protection for vessel hulls), enacted October 28, 1998.
-
[Copyright Amendments and Amendments to the Vessel Hull
Design Protection Act], Pub. L. No. 106-44, 113 Stat.
221 (making technical corrections to title 17 of the United
States Code), enacted August 5, 1999.
-
Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999, title
I of the Intellectual Property and Communications Omnibus
Reform Act of 1999, Pub. L. No. 106-113, 113 Stat. 1501,
app. I (amending chapters 1 and
5 of title 17 of the United States Code to
replace the Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1994 and amending
chapters 12 and 13
of title 17), enacted November 29, 1999.
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Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement
Act of 1999, Pub. L. No. 106-160, 113 Stat 1774, (amending
chapter 5 of title 17 of the
United States Code to increase statutory damages
for copyright infringement), enacted December 9, 1999.
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Work Made for Hire and Copyright Corrections Act of 2000,
Pub. L. No. 106-379, 114 Stat. 1444 (amending the definition
of work made for hire in title 17 of the United States
Code, amending chapter 7
of title 17, including changing the language regarding
Copyright Office fees, and making other technical and
conforming amendments to title 17), enacted October 27,
2000.
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Intellectual Property and High Technology Technical
Amendments Act of 2002, Division C, Title III, Subtitle
B of the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations
Authorization Act, Pub. L. No. 107-273, 116 Stat. 1758,
1901 (making technical corrections both to title 17, United
States Code, and, as described in footnotes where
appropriate, to title I of the Intellectual Property and
Communications Omnibus Reform Act of 1999, entitled the
Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999, Pub. L.
No. 106-113, 113 Stat. 1501, app. I), enacted November
2, 2002.
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Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act
of 2002, Division C, Title III, Subtitle C of the 21st
Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization
Act, Pub. L. No. 107-273, 116 Stat. 1758, 1910 (amending
chapter 1, title 17, United
States Code, to incorporate provisions relating to
use of copyrighted works for distance education), enacted
November 2, 2002.
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Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002, Pub. L. No.
107-321, 116 Stat. 2780 (amending chapter 1, title 17,
United States Code, to incorporate new language
into section 114), enacted
December 4, 2002.
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