The U.S. Copyright Office regulations set forth the rules by which the Copyright Office operates. For instance, the rules regarding examination of registration applications and deposits are included within the Copyright Office regulations. The regulations, which are listed below, can also be found in title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
*We are working on a new update.
201
general provisions
- 201.1 Communication with the Copyright Office.
- 201.2 Information given by the Copyright Office.
- 201.3 Fees for registration, recordation, and related services, special services, and services performed by the Licensing Division.
- 201.4 Recordation of transfers and other documents pertaining to copyright.
- 201.5 [Reserved]
- 201.6 Payment and refund of Copyright Office fees.
- 201.7 Cancellation of completed registrations.
- 201.8 Disruption of postal or other transportation or communication services.
- 201.9 [Reserved]
- 201.10 Notices of termination of transfers and licenses.
- 201.11 Satellite carrier statements of account covering statutory licenses for secondary transmissions.
- 201.12 Recordation of certain contracts by cable systems located outside of the forty-eight contiguous States.
- 201.13 Notices of objection to certain noncommercial performances of nondramatic literary or musical works.
- 201.14 Warnings of copyright for use by certain libraries and archives.
- 201.15 [Reserved]
- 201.16 Verification of a Statement of Account for secondary transmissions made by cable systems and satellite carriers.
- 201.17 Statements of Account covering compulsory licenses for secondary transmissions by cable systems.
- 201.18 Notice of intention to obtain a compulsory license for making and distributing phonorecords of nondramatic musical works.
- 201.19-201.21 [Reserved]
- 201.22 Advance notices of potential infringement of works consisting of sounds, images, or both.
- 201.23 Transfer of unpublished copyright deposits to the Library of Congress.
- 201.24 Warning of copyright for software lending by nonprofit libraries.
- 201.25 Visual Arts Registry.
- 201.26 Recordation of documents pertaining to computer shareware and donation of public domain computer software.
- 201.27 Initial notice of distribution of digital audio recording devices or media.
- 201.28 Statements of Account for digital audio recording devices or media.
- 201.29 Access to, and confidentiality of, Statements of Account, Verification Auditor's Reports, and other verification information filed in the Copyright Office for digital audio recording devices or media.
- 201.30 Verification of Statements of Account.
- 201.31 Procedures for closing out royalty payments accounts in accordance with the Audio Home Recording Act.
- 201.32 [Reserved]
- 201.33 Procedures for filing Notices of Intent to Enforce a restored copyright under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.
- 201.34 Procedures for filing Correction Notices of Intent to Enforce a Copyright Restored under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.
- 201.35 Schedules of pre-1972 sound recordings.
- 201.36 Notices of contact information for transmitting entities publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings.
- 201.37 Noncommercial use of pre-1972 sound recordings.
- 201.38 Designation of agent to receive notification of claimed infringement.
- 201.39 Notice to Libraries and Archives of Normal Commercial Exploitation or Availability at Reasonable Price.
- 201.40 Exemptions to prohibition against circumvention.
202
preregistration and registration of claims to copyright
- 202.1 Material not subject to copyright.
- 202.2 Copyright notice.
- 202.3 Registration of copyright.
- 202.4 Group registration.
- 202.5 Reconsideration Procedure for Refusals to Register.
- 202.6 Supplementary registration.
- 202.7-202.9 [Reserved]
- 202.10 Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.
- 202.11 Architectural works.
- 202.12 Restored copyrights.
- 202.13 Secure tests.
- 202.14-202.15 [Reserved]
- 202.16 Preregistration of copyrights.
- 202.17 Renewals.
- 202.18 Access to electronic works.
- 202.19 Deposit of published copies or phonorecords for the Library of Congress.
- 202.20 Deposit of copies and phonorecords for copyright registration.
- 202.21 Deposit of identifying material instead of copies.
- 202.22 Acquisition and deposit of unpublished audio and audiovisual transmission programs.
- 202.23 Full term retention of copyright deposits.
- 202.24 Deposit of published electronic works available only online.
- Appendix A to Part 202 - Technical Guidelines Regarding Sound Physical Condition
- Appendix B to Part 202 - “Best Edition” of Published Copyrighted Works for the Collections of the Library of Congress
203
freedom of information act: policies and procedures
- 203.1 General.
- 203.2 Authority and functions.
- 203.3 Organization.
- 203.4 Proactive disclosure of Office records.
- 203.5 Requirements for making requests.
- 203.6 Responsibility for responding to requests.
- 203.7 Timing of responses to requests.
- 203.8 Responses to requests.
- 203.9 Administrative appeals.
- 203.10 Preservation of records.
- 203.11 Fees.
204
privacy act: policies and procedures
- 204.1 Purposes and scope.
- 204.2 Definitions.
- 204.3 General policy.
- 204.4 Procedure for notification of the existence of records pertaining to individuals.
- 204.5 Procedures for requesting access to records.
- 204.6 Fees.
- 204.7 Request for correction or amendment of records.
- 204.8 Appeal of refusal to correct or amend an individual's record.
- 204.9 Judicial review.
205
legal processes
- Subpart A - General Provisions
- 205.1 Definitions.
- 205.2 Address for mail and service; telephone number.
- 205.3 Waiver of rules.
- 205.4 Relationship of this part to the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure.
- 205.5 Scope of this part related to Copyright Office duties under title 17 of the U.S. Code.
- 205.6-205.10 [Reserved]
- Subpart B - Service of Process
- 205.11 Scope and purpose.
- 205.12 Process served on the Register of Copyrights or an employee in his or her official capacity.
- 205.13 Complaints served on the Register of Copyrights pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 411(a).
- 205.14 xxx
- 205.15 xxx
- 205.16-205.20 [Reserved]
- Subpart C - Testimony By Employees and Production of Documents in Legal Proceedings in Which the Office Is Not a Party
- 205.21 Scope and purpose.
- 205.22 Production of documents and testimony.
- 205.23 Scope of testimony.
210
compulsory license for making and distributing physical and digital phonorecords of nondramatic musical works
- Subpart A - Blanket Compulsory License, Mechanical Licensing Collective, and Digital Licensee Coordinator
- 210.1 Designation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective and Digital Licensee Coordinator.
- 210.2-210.10 [Reserved]
- Subpart B - Royalties and Statements of Account Under Non-Blanket Compulsory License
- 210.11 General.
- 210.12 Definitions.
- 210.13 Accounting requirements where sales revenue is “recognized.”
- 210.14 Accounting requirements for offsetting phonorecord reserves with returned phonorecords.
- 210.15 Situations in which a compulsory licensee is barred from maintaining reserves.
- 210.16 Monthly statements of account.
- 210.17 Annual statements of account.
- 210.18 Documentation.
- 210.19 Harmless errors.
- 210.20 Statements required for limitation on liability for digital music providers for the transition period prior to the license availability date.
- 210.21 Record companies using individual download licenses.
211
mask work protection
- 211.1 General provisions.
- 211.2 Recordation of documents pertaining to mask works.
- 211.3 Mask work fees.
- 211.4 Registration of claims of protection in mask works.
- 211.5 Deposit of identifying material.
- 211.6 Methods of affixation and placement of mask work notice.
- 211.7 Reconsideration procedure for refusals to register.
212
protection of vessel designs
- 212.1 Scope.
- 212.2 Fees.
- 212.3 Registration of claims for protection of eligible designs.
- 212.4 Affixation and placement of design notice.
- 212.5 Recordation of distinctive identification of vessel designer.
- 212.6 Recordation of transfers and other documents.
- 212.7 Reconsideration procedure for refusals to register.
- 212.8 Correction of errors in certificates of registration.