Appendix I

Copyright Law of the United States of America

Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code, http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/title17/preface.html,18 Jan 98.

(Note: Published by the United States Copyright Office Library of Congress. Text revised to September 30, 1996, with the exception of the 1994 Satellite Home Viewer Act, Public Law 103-369, 108 Stat. 3447.1 This text does not include the Copyright Technical Amendments Act, Public Law 105-80, signed into law November 13, 1997.)

The Copyright Law of the United States of America is incorporated in Title 17 of the United States Code. The text contained herein includes the Act for the General Revision of the Copyright Law, being Chapters 1 through 8 of Title 17 of the United States Code, together with Transitional and Supplementary Provisions, enacted as Public Law 94-553, 90 Stat. 2541, on October 19, 1976. Also incorporated herein and listed below in chronological order of their enactment are subsequent amendments to the said General Revision of the Copyright Law as embodied in Title 17 of the United States Code.

• Act of August 5, 1977, (Amendment to section 203, Title 17, US Code, being the Act of 1909, as amended, and to section 708, Title 17, US Code, being the Copyright Act of 1976, regarding the deposit of moneys by the Register of Copyrights in the Treasury of the United States), Pub. L. 95-94, 91 Stat. 653, 682.
• Act of November 6, 1978, (Amendment of section 201(e), Title 17, US Code, to permit involuntary transfer under the Bankruptcy Law), Pub. L. 95-598, 92 Stat. 2549, 2676.
• Act of December 12, 1980, (Amendment of sections 101 and 117, Title 17, US Code, regarding computer programs), Pub. L. 96-517, 94 Stat. 3015, 3028.
• Act of May 24, 1982, ("Piracy and Counterfeiting Amendments Act of 1982," amending Title 18, US Code, in section 2318, and by adding a new section 2319, and also by amending section 506(a), Title 17, US Code), Pub. L. 97-180, 96 Stat. 91, 93.
• Act of July 13, 1982, (Amendment of manufacturing clause in chapter 6, Title 17, US Code), Pub. L. 97-215, 96 Stat. 178.
• Act of October 25, 1982, (Amendments to sections 708 and 110, Title 17, US Code, regarding the re-designation of registration fees as filing fees, and the exemption from copyright liability of certain performances of nondramatic literary or musical works), Pub. L.0 97-366, 96 Stat. 1759.
• Act of October 4, 1984, ("Record Rental Amendment of 1984," amending sections 109 and 115, Title 17, US Code, with respect to rental, lease, or lending of sound recordings), Pub. L. 98-450, 98 Stat. 1727.
• Act of August 27, 1986, (Amendments to sections 801 and 111, Title 17, US Code, to clarify the definition of the local service area of a primary transmitter in the case of a low power television station), Pub. L. 99-397, 100 Stat. 848.
• Act of October 31, 1988, ("Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988"), Pub. L. 100-568, 102 Stat. 2853. [See Appendix for the text of certain non-amendatory provisions of the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988.]
• Act of November 5, 1988, ("Extension of Record Rental Amendment"), Pub. L. 100-617, 102 Stat. 3194.
• Act of November 16, 1988, ("Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1988"), being Title II of Pub. L. 100-667, 102 Stat. 3935, 3949.
• Act of July 3, 1990, ("Copyright Fees and Technical Amendments Act of 1989"), Pub. L. 101-318, 104 Stat. 287.
• Act of July 3, 1990, ("Copyright Royalty Tribunal Reform and Miscellaneous Pay Act of 1989"), Pub. L. 101-319, 104 Stat. 290.
• Act of November 15, 1990, ("Copyright Remedy Clarification Act"), Pub. L. 101-553, 104 Stat. 2749.
• Act of December 1, 1990, ("Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990"), being Title VI of the "Judicial Improvements Act of 1990," Pub. L. 101-650, 104 Stat. 5089, 5128.
• Act of December 1, 1990, ("Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act"), being Title VII of the "Judicial Improvements Act of 1990," Pub. L. 101-650, 104 Stat. 5089, 5133.
• Act of December 1, 1990, ("Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1990"), being Title VIII of the "Judicial Improvements Act of 1990," Pub. L. 101-650, 104 Stat. 5089, 5134.
• Act of June 26, 1992, ("Copyright Amendments Act of 1992," Title III of which repealed subsection 108(i), Title 17, US Code, in its entirety), Pub. L. 102-307, 106 Stat. 264, 272.
• Act of June 26, 1992, ("Copyright Renewal Act of 1992,"), being Title I of the "Copyright Amendments Act of 1992," Pub. L. 102-307, 106 Stat. 264.
• Act of October 24, 1992, (Amendment of section 107, Title 17, US Code, regarding unpublished works), Pub. L. 102-492, 106 Stat. 3145.
• Act of October 28, 1992, (Amendments of section 2319, Title 18, US Code, regarding criminal penalties for copyright infringement), Pub. L. 102-561, 106 Stat. 4233.
• Act of October 28, 1992, ("Audio Home Recording Act of 1992," amending Title 17, US Code, by the addition of a new chapter 10), Pub. L. 102-563, 106 Stat. 4237.
• Act of December 8, 1993, ("North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act," amending section 109 of the Copyright Act and adding a new section 104A to the same Act), Pub. L. 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057, 2114, and 2115.
• Act of December 17, 1993, ("Copyright Royalty Tribunal Reform Act of 1993," amending, inter alia, Chapter 8 of the Copyright Act), Pub. L. 103-198, 107 Stat. 2304.
• Act of December 8, 1994, ("Uruguay Round Agreements Act," Title V, Subtitle A of which amends section 104A of the Copyright Act, and, inter alia, adds a new Chapter 11 to the same Act), Pub. L. 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809, 4973. [See Appendix for the text of certain non-amendatory provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act of December 8, 1994.]
• Act of November 1, 1995, ("Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act of 1995," amending, inter alia, sections 114 and 115 of the Copyright Act), Pub. L. 104-39, 109 Stat. 336.
• Act of July 2, 1996, ("Anticounterfeiting Consumer Protection Act of 1996," amending section 603 (c) of Title 17 and section 2318 of Title 18, US Code), Pub. L. 104-153, 110 Stat. 1386, 1388.
• Act of September 16, 1996, ("Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1997," which, inter alia, added a new section 121 to Title 17, US Code, concerning the limitation on exclusive copyrights for literary works in specialized format for the blind and disabled), Pub. L. 104-197, 110 Stat. 2394, 2416.

Footnotes to the text refer to the amendments where they occur.

Note:

Title 17 of the United States Code was also amended by the Act of November 8, 1984, Pub. L. 98-620, 98 Stat. 3347, 3356, which added to Title 17 Chapter 9 thereof, entitled "Protection of Semiconductor Chip Products." The provisions of Chapter 9 are not a part of the Copyright Law. The amendatory Act states that it may be cited as the "Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984." Copies may be obtained free of charge from the Copyright Office.

Actions of the 105th Congress

P.L. 105-298 (S. 505) -- Copyright Term Extension and Music Licensing -- was passed by the House and Senate on 10/7/98 and was signed by the President on 10/27/98.

P.L. 105-304 (H.R. 2281)-- the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 -- was passed by the Senate on 10/8/98, passed by the House on 10/12/98, and signed by the President on 10/28/98.

Back to Main Document