The Copyright Act is the foundation of copyright law in the United States. In the table below you will find the text of the Copyright Act, which can be found in title 17 of the United States Code. The underlying text is the 1976 Copyright Act, which was enacted in 1978, and has been amended several times throughout the years.
To help you find what you are looking for, we have highlighted below the most frequently requested sections of the Copyright Act:
- Copyright Notice: Chapter 4, sections 401-406
- Definitions: Chapter 1, section 101
- DMCA Notice and Takedown: Chapter 5, section 512
- Fair Use Defense: Chapter 1 section 107
- First Sale Defense: Chapter 1; section 109
- Ownership: Chapter 2, sections 201 and 202
- Registration: Chapter 4, sections 408-412
- Remedies for Infringement: Chapter 5, sections 501-505
- Rights Granted to Copyright Owners: Chapter 1, section 106
- Term of Protection: Chapter 3, sections 302 and 303
- Transfer of Copyrights Ownership: Chapter 2, sections 203-205
- Types of Works Protected by Copyright: Chapter 1, sections 102 and 103
Chapter 1 Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright
- 101. Definitions
- 102. Subject matter of copyright: in general
- 103. Subject matter of copyright: Compilations and derivative works
- 104. Subject matter of copyright: National origin
- 104A. Copyright in restored works
- 105. Subject matter of copyright: United States Government works
- 106. Exclusive rights in copyrighted works
- 106A. Rights of certain authors to attribution and integrity
- 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use
- 108. Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction by libraries and archives
- 109. Limitations on exclusive rights: Effect of transfer of particular copy or phonorecord
- 110. Limitations on exclusive rights: Exemption of certain performances and displays
- 111. Limitations on exclusive rights: Secondary transmissions of broadcast programming by cable
- 112. Limitations on exclusive rights: Ephemeral recordings
- 113. Scope of exclusive rights in pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
- 114. Scope of exclusive rights in sound recordings
- 115. Scope of exclusive rights in nondramatic musical works: Compulsory license for making and distributing phonorecords
- 116. Negotiated licenses for public performances by means of coin-operated phonorecord players
- 117. Limitations on exclusive rights: Computer programs
- 118. Scope of exclusive rights: Use of certain works in connection with noncommercial broadcasting
- 119. Limitations on exclusive rights: Secondary transmissions of distant television programming by satellite
- 120. Scope of exclusive rights in architectural works
- 121. Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction for blind or other people with disabilities
- 121A. Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction for blind or other people with disabilities in Marrakesh Treaty countries
- 122. Limitations on exclusive rights: Secondary transmissions of local television programming by satellite
Chapter 2 Copyright Ownership and Transfer
Chapter 3 Duration of Copyright
Chapter 4 Copyright Notice, Deposit, and Registration
- 401. Notice of copyright: Visual perceptible copies
- 402. Notice of copyright: Phonorecords of sound recordings
- 403. Notice of copyright: Publications incorporating United States Government works
- 404. Notice of copyright: Contributions to collective works
- 405. Notice of copyright: Omission of notice on certain copies and phonorecords
- 406. Notice of copyright: Error in name or date on certain copies and phonorecords
- 407. Deposit of copies or phonorecords for Library of Congress
- 408. Copyright registration in general
- 409. Application for copyright registration
- 410. Registration of claim and issuance of certificate
- 411. Registration and civil infringement actions
- 412. Registration as prerequisite to certain remedies for infringement
Chapter 5 Copyright Infringement and Remedies
- 501. Infringement of copyright
- 502. Remedies for infringement: Injunctions
- 503. Remedies for infringement: Impounding and disposition of infringing articles
- 504. Remedies for infringement: Damages and profits
- 505. Remedies for infringement: Costs and attorney’s fees
- 506. Criminal offenses
- 507. Limitations on actions
- 508. Notification of filing and determination of actions
- 509. [Repealed]
- 510. Remedies for alteration of programming by cable systems
- 511. Liability of States, instrumentalities of States, and State officials for infringement of copyright
- 512. Limitations on liability relating to material online
- 513. Determination of reasonable license fees for individual proprietors
Chapter 7 Copyright Office
- 701. The Copyright Office: General responsibilities and organization
- 702. Copyright Office regulations
- 703. Effective date of actions in Copyright Office
- 704. Retention and disposition of articles deposited in Copyright Office
- 705. Copyright Office records: Preparation, maintenance, public inspection, and searching
- 706. Copies of Copyright Office records
- 707. Copyright Office forms and publications
- 708. Copyright Office fees
- 709. Delay in delivery caused by disruption of postal or other services
- 710. Emergency relief authority
Chapter 9 Protection of Semiconductor Chip Products
- 901. Definitions
- 902. Subject matter of protection
- 903. Ownership, transfer, licensing, and recordation
- 904. Duration of protection
- 905. Exclusive rights in mask works
- 906. Limitation on exclusive rights: reverse engineering; first sale
- 907. Limitation on exclusive rights: innocent infringement
- 908. Registration of claims of protection
- 909. Mask work notice
- 910. Enforcement of exclusive rights
- 911. Civil actions
- 912. Relation to other laws
- 913. Transitional provisions
- 914. International transitional provisions
Chapter 10 Digital Audio Recording Devices and Media
- 1001. Definitions
- 1002. Incorporation of copying controls
- 1003. Obligation to make royalty payments
- 1004. Royalty payments
- 1005. Deposit of royalty payments and deduction of expenses
- 1006. Entitlement to royalty payments
- 1007. Procedures for distributing royalty payments
- 1008. Prohibition on certain infringement actions
- 1009. Civil remedies
- 1010. Determination of certain disputes
Chapter 11 Sound Recordings and Music Videos
Chapter 12 Copyright Protection and Management Systems
Chapter 13 Protection of Original Designs
- 1301. Designs protected
- 1302. Designs not subject to protection
- 1303. Revisions, adaptations, and rearrangements
- 1304. Commencement of protection
- 1305. Term of protection
- 1306. Design notice
- 1307. Effect of omission of notice
- 1308. Exclusive rights
- 1309. Infringement
- 1310. Application for registration
- 1311. Benefit of earlier filing date in foreign country
- 1312. Oaths and acknowledgments
- 1313. Examination of application and issue or refusal of registration
- 1314. Certification of registration
- 1315. Publication of announcements and indexes
- 1316. Fees
- 1317. Regulations
- 1318. Copies of records
- 1319. Correction of errors in certifications
- 1320. Ownership and transfer
- 1321. Remedy for infringement
- 1322. Injunctions
- 1323. Recovery for infringement
- 1324. Power of court over registration
- 1325. Liability for action on registration fraudulently obtained
- 1326. Penalty for false marking
- 1327. Penalty for false representation
- 1328. Enforcement by Treasury and Postal Service
- 1329. Relation to design patent law
- 1330. Common law and other rights unaffected
- 1331. Administrator; Office of the Administrator
- 1332. No retroactive effect
Chapter 14 Unauthorized Use of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings
Chapter 15 Copyright Small Claims
- 1501. Definitions
- 1502. Copyright Claims Board
- 1503. Authority and duties of the Copyright Claims Board
- 1504. Nature of proceedings
- 1505. Registration requirement
- 1506. Conduct of proceedings
- 1507. Effect of proceedings
- 1508. Review and confirmation by district court
- 1509. Relationship to other district court actions
- 1510. Implementation by Copyright Office
- 1511. Funding