Mandatory Deposits
- All works under copyright protection that are published in the United States are subject to the mandatory deposit provision of the copyright law (17 USC section 407).
- This law requires that two copies of the best edition of every copyrightable work published in the United States be sent to the Copyright Office within three months of publication. Works deposited under this law are for the use of the Library of Congress.
- Mandatory deposit applies to works first published in a foreign country at the point at which they are distributed in the United States.
Circular 7d - Mandatory Deposit of Copies or Phonorecords for the Library of Congress
Circular 7b - Best Edition of Published Copyrighted Works for the Collections of the Library of Congress
Circular 1 - Copyright Basics
See Mandatory Deposit, p.10
See Advantages of Copyright Registration, page 7
Title 17 USC section 407 – Deposit of copies or phonorecords for Library of Congress
Title 37 CFR section §202.19 - Deposit of Published Copies or Phonorecords for the Library of Congress
Factsheet M 295- How to Respond to Mandatory Deposit if you Elect to Register your Work
- Title 17 USC section 408 - Copyright Registration in General
- How to Register a Work via the Electronic Copyright Office