Title 37—Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights--Volume 1
PART 202—PREREGISTRATION AND REGISTRATION OF CLAIMS TO COPYRIGHT
§ 202.1   Material not subject to copyright.
The following are examples of works not subject to copyright and applications for registration of such works cannot be entertained:
(a) Words and short phrases such as names, titles, and slogans; familiar symbols or designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering or coloring; mere listing of ingredients or contents;
(b) Ideas, plans, methods, systems, or devices, as distinguished from the particular manner in which they are expressed or described in a writing;
(c) Blank forms, such as time cards, graph paper, account books, diaries, bank checks, scorecards, address books, report forms, order forms and the like, which are designed for recording information and do not in themselves convey information;
(d) Works consisting entirely of information that is common property containing no original authorship, such as, for example: Standard calendars, height and weight charts, tape measures and rulers, schedules of sporting events, and lists or tables taken from public documents or other common sources.
(e) Typeface as typeface.
§ 202.2   Copyright notice.
(a) General. (1) With respect to a work published before January 1, 1978, copyright was secured, or the right to secure it was lost, except for works seeking ad interim copyright, at the date of publication, i.e. , the date on which copies are first placed on sale, sold, or publicly distributed, depending upon the adequacy of the notice of copyright on the work at that time. The adequacy of the copyright notice for such a work is determined by the copyright statute as it existed on the date of first publication.
(2) If before January 1, 1978, publication occurred by distribution of copies or in some other manner, without the statutory notice or with an inadequate notice, as determined by the copyright statute as it existed on the date of first publication, the right to secure copyright was lost. In such cases, copyright cannot be secured by adding the notice to copies distributed at a later date.
(3) Works first published abroad before January 1, 1978, other than works for which ad interim copyright has been obtained, must have borne an adequate copyright notice. The adequacy of the copyright notice for such works is determined by the copyright statute as it existed on the date of first publication abroad.
(b) Defects in notice. Where the copyright notice on a work published before January 1, 1978, does not meet the requirements of title 17 of the United States Code as it existed on December 31, 1977, the Copyright Office will reject an application for copyright registration. Common defects in the notice include, among others the following:
(1) The notice lacks one or more of the necessary elements ( i.e. , the word “Copyright,” the abbreviation “Copr.”, or the symbol ©, or, in the case of a sound recording, the symbol ℗ ; the name of the copyright proprietor, or, in the case of a sound recording, the name, a recognizable abbreviation of the name, or a generally known alternative designation, of the copyright owner; and, when required, the year date of publication);
(2) The elements of the notice are so dispersed that a necessary element is not identified as a part of the notice; in the case of a sound recording, however, if the producer is named on the label or container, and if no other name appears in conjunction with the notice, the producer's name will be considered a part of the notice;
(3) The notice is not in one of the positions prescribed by law;
(4) The notice is in a foreign language;
(5) The name in the notice is that of someone who had no authority to secure copyright in that person's name;
(6)(i) The year date in the copyright notice is later than the date of the year in which copyright was actually secured, including the following cases:
(A) Where the year date in the notice is later than the date of actual publication;
(B) Where copyright was first secured by registration of a work in unpublished form, and copies of the same work as later published without change in substance bear a copyright notice containing a year date later than the year of unpublished registration; or
(C) Where a book or periodical published abroad, for which ad interim copyright has been obtained, is later published in the United States without change in substance and contains a year date in the copyright notice later than the year of first publication abroad.
(ii) Provided, however, that in each of the three types of cases described in paragraphs (b)(6)(i)(A) through (C) of this section, if the copyright was actually secured not more than one year earlier than the year date in the notice, registration may be considered as a doubtful case;
(7) A notice is permanently covered so that it cannot be seen without tearing the work apart;
(8) A notice is illegible or so small that it cannot be read without the aid of a magnifying glass: Provided, however, That where the work itself requires magnification for its ordinary use (e.g., a microfilm, microcard or motion picture) a notice which will be readable when so magnified, will not constitute a reason for rejection of the claim;
(9) A notice is on a detachable tag and will eventually be detached and discarded when the work is put in use;
(10) A notice is on the wrapper or container which is not a part of the work and which will eventually be removed and discarded when the work is put to use; the notice may be on a container which is designed and can be expected to remain with the work; and
(11) The notice is restricted or limited exclusively to an uncopyrightable element, either by virtue of its position on the work, by the use of asterisks, or by other means.
(c) Methods of affixation and positions of the copyright notice on various types of works —(1) General. (i) This paragraph specifies examples of methods of affixation and positions of the copyright notice on various types of works that will satisfy the notice requirement of section 401(c) of title 17 of the United States Code, as amended by Public Law 94-553. A notice considered “acceptable” under this regulation shall be considered to satisfy the requirement of that section that it be “affixed to the copies in such manner and location as to give reasonable notice of the claim of copyright.” As provided by that section, the examples specified in this regulation shall not be considered exhaustive of methods of affixation and positions giving reasonable notice of the claim of copyright.
(ii) The provisions of this paragraph are applicable to copies publicly distributed on or after December 1, 1981. This paragraph does not establish any rules concerning the form of the notice or the legal sufficiency of particular notices, except with respect to methods of affixation and positions of notice. The adequacy or legal sufficiency of a copyright notice is determined by the law in effect at the time of first publication of the work.
(2) Definitions. For the purposes of this paragraph:
(i) In the case of a work consisting preponderantly of leaves on which the work is printed or otherwise reproduced on both sides, a “page” is one side of a leaf; where the preponderance of the leaves are printed on one side only, the terms “page” and “leaf” mean the same.
(ii) A work is published in book form if the copies embodying it consist of multiple leaves bound, fastened, or assembled in a predetermined order, as, for example, a volume, booklet, pamphlet, or multipage folder. For the purpose of this paragraph, a work need not consist of textual matter in order to be considered published in “book form.”
(iii) A title page is a page, or two consecutive pages facing each other, appearing at or near the front of the copies of a work published in book form, on which the complete title of the work is prominently stated and on which the names of the author or authors, the name of the publisher, the place of publication, or some combination of them, are given.
(iv) The meaning of the terms front, back, first, last, and following, when used in connection with works published in book form, will vary in relation to the physical form of the copies, depending upon the particular language in which the work is written.
(v) In the case of a work published in book form with a hard or soft cover, the front page and back page of the copies are the outsides of the front and back covers; where there is no cover, the “front page,” and “back page” are the pages visible at the front and back of the copies before they are opened.
(vi) A masthead is a body of information appearing in approximately the same location in most issues of a newspaper, magazine, journal, review, or other periodical or serial, typically containing the title of the periodical or serial, information about the staff, periodicity of issues, operation, and subscription and editorial policies, of the publication.
(vii) A single-leaf work is a work published in copies consisting of a single leaf, including copies on which the work is printed or otherwise reproduced on either one side or on both sides of the leaf, and also folders which, without cutting or tearing the copies, can be opened out to form a single leaf. For the purpose of this paragraph, a work need not consist of textual matter in order to be considered a “single-leaf work.”
(viii) A machine-readable copy is a copy from which the work cannot ordinarily be visually perceived except with the aid of a machine or device, such as magnetic tapes or disks, punched cards, or the like. Works published in a form requiring the use of a machine or device for purposes of optical enlargement (such as film, filmstrips, slide films, and works published in any variety of microform) and works published in visually perceptible form but used in connection with optical scanning devices, are not within this category.
(3) Manner of affixation and position generally. (i) In all cases dealt with in this paragraph, the acceptability of a notice depends upon its being permanently legible to an ordinary user of the work under normal conditions of use, and affixed to the copies in such manner and position that, when affixed, it is not concealed from view upon reasonable examination.
(ii) Where, in a particular case, a notice does not appear in one of the precise locations prescribed in this paragraph but a person looking in one of those locations would be reasonably certain to find a notice in another somewhat different location, that notice will be acceptable under this paragraph.
(4) Works published in book form. In the case of works published in book form, a notice reproduced on the copies in any of the following positions is acceptable:
(i) The title page, if any;
(ii) The page immediately following the title page, if any;
(iii) Either side of the front cover, if any; or, if there is no front cover, either side of the front leaf of the copies;
(iv) Either side of the back cover, if any; or, if there is no back cover, either side of the back leaf of the copies;
(v) The first page of the main body of the work;
(vi) The last page of the main body of the work;
(vii) Any page between the front page and the first page of the main body of the work, if:
(A) There are no more than ten pages between the front page and the first page of the main body of the work; and
(B) The notice is reproduced prominently and is set apart from other matter on the page where it appears;
(viii) Any page between the last page of the main body of the work and back page, if:
(A) There are no more than ten pages between the last page of the main body of the work and the back page; and
(B) The notice is reproduced prominently and is set apart from the other matter on the page where it appears.
(ix) In the case of a work published as an issue of a periodical or serial, in addition to any of the locations listed in paragraphs (c)(4)(i) through (viii) of this section, a notice is acceptable if it is located:
(A) As a part of, or adjacent to, the masthead;
(B) On the page containing the masthead if the notice is reproduced prominently and is set apart from the other matter appearing on the page; or
(C) Adjacent to a prominent heading, appearing at or near the front of the issue, containing the title of the periodical or serial and any combination of the volume and issue number and date of the issue.
(x) In the case of a musical work, in addition to any of the locations listed in paragraphs (c)(4)(i) through (ix) of this section, a notice is acceptable if it is located on the first page of music.
(5) Single-leaf works. In the case of single-leaf works, a notice reproduced on the copies anywhere on the front or back of the leaf is acceptable.
(6) Contributions to collective works. For a separate contribution to a collective work to be considered to “bear its own notice of copyright,” as provided by 17 U.S.C. 404, a notice reproduced on the copies in any of the following positions is acceptable:
(i) Where the separate contribution is reproduced on a single page, a notice is acceptable if it appears:
(A) Under the title of the contribution on that page;
(B) Adjacent to the contribution; or
(C) On the same page if, through format, wording, or both, the application of the notice to the particular contribution is made clear;
(ii) Where the separate contribution is reproduced on more than one page of the collective work, a notice is acceptable if it appears:
(A) Under a title appearing at or near the beginning of the contribution;
(B) On the first page of the main body of the contribution;
(C) Immediately following the end of the contribution; or
(D) On any of the pages where the contribution appears, if:
( 1 ) The contribution is reproduced on no more than twenty pages of the collective work;
( 2 ) The notice is reproduced prominently and is set apart from other matter on the page where it appears; and
( 3 ) Through format, wording, or both, the application of the notice to the particular contribution is made clear;
(iii) Where the separate contribution is a musical work, in addition to any of the locations listed in paragraphs (c)(6)(i) and (ii) of this section, a notice is acceptable if it is located on the first page of music of the contribution;
(iv) As an alternative to placing the notice on one of the pages where a separate contribution itself appears, the contribution is considered to “bear its own notice” if the notice appears clearly in juxtaposition with a separate listing of the contribution by title, or if the contribution is untitled, by a description reasonably identifying the contribution:
(A) On the page bearing the copyright notice for the collective work as a whole, if any; or
(B) In a clearly identified and readily-accessible table of contents or listing of acknowledgements appearing near the front or back of the collective work as a whole.
(7) Works reproduced in machine-readable copies. For works reproduced in machine-readable copies, each of the following constitutes an example of acceptable methods of affixation and position of notice:
(i) A notice embodied in the copies in machine-readable form in such a manner that on visually perceptible printouts it appears either with or near the title, or at the end of the work;
(ii) A notice that is displayed at the user's terminal at sign on;
(iii) A notice that is continuously on terminal display; or
(iv) A legible notice reproduced durably, so as to withstand normal use, on a gummed or other label securely affixed to the copies or to a box, reel, cartridge, cassette, or other container used as a permanent receptacle for the copies.
(8) Motion pictures and other audiovisual works. (i) The following constitute examples of acceptable methods of affixation and positions of the copyright notice on motion pictures and other audiovisual works: A notice that is embodied in the copies by a photomechanical or electronic process, in such a position that it ordinarily would appear whenever the work is performed in its entirety, and that is located:
(A) With or near the title;
(B) With the cast, credits, and similar information;
(C) At or immediately following the beginning of the work; or
(D) At or immediately preceding the end of the work.
(ii) In the case of an untitled motion picture or other audiovisual work whose duration is sixty seconds or less, in addition to any of the locations listed in paragraph (c)(8)(i) of this section, a notice that is embodied in the copies by a photomechanical or electronic process, in such a position that it ordinarily would appear to the projectionist or broadcaster when preparing the work for performance, is acceptable if it is located on the leader of the film or tape immediately preceding the beginning of the work.
(iii) In the case of a motion picture or other audiovisual work that is distributed to the public for private use, the notice may be affixed, in addition to the locations specified in paragraph (c)(8)(i) of this section, on the housing or container, if it is a permanent receptacle for the work.
(9) Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works. The following constitute examples of acceptable methods of affixation and positions of the copyright notice on various forms of pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works:
(i) Where a work is reproduced in two-dimensional copies, a notice affixed directly or by means of a label cemented, sewn, or otherwise attached durably, so as to withstand normal use, of the front or back of the copies, or to any backing, mounting, matting, framing, or other material to which the copies are durably attached, so as to withstand normal use, or in which they are permanently housed, is acceptable.
(ii) Where a work is reproduced in three-dimensional copies, a notice affixed directly or by means of a label cemented, sewn, or otherwise attached durably, so as to withstand normal use, to any visible portion of the work, or to any base, mounting, framing, or other material on which the copies are durably attached, so as to withstand normal use, or in which they are permanently housed, is acceptable.
(iii) Where, because of the size or physical characteristics of the material in which the work is reproduced in copies, it is impossible or extremely impracticable to affix a notice to the copies directly or by means of a durable label, a notice is acceptable if it appears on a tag that is of durable material, so as to withstand normal use, and that is attached to the copy with sufficient durability that it will remain with the copy while it is passing through its normal channels of commerce.
(iv) Where a work is reproduced in copies consisting of sheet-like or strip material bearing multiple or continuous reproductions of the work, the notice may be applied:
(A) To the reproduction itself;
(B) To the margin, selvage, or reverse side of the material at frequent and regular intervals; or
(C) If the material contains neither a selvage nor a reverse side, to tags or labels, attached to the copies and to any spools, reels, or containers housing them in such a way that a notice is visible while the copies are passing through their normal channels of commerce.
(v) If the work is permanently housed in a container, such as a game or puzzle box, a notice reproduced on the permanent container is acceptable.
§ 202.3   Registration of copyright.
(a) General. (1) This section prescribes conditions for the registration of copyright, and the application to be made for registration under sections 408 and 409 of title 17 of the United States Code.
(2) For the purposes of this section, the terms audiovisual work , compilation , copy , derivative work , device , fixation , literary work , motion picture , phonorecord , pictorial, graphic and sculptural works , process , sound recording , and their variant forms, have the meanings set forth in section 101 of title 17. The term author includes an employer or other person for whom a work is “made for hire” under section 101 of title 17.
(3) For the purposes of this section, a copyright claimant is either:
(i) The author of a work;
(ii) A person or organization that has obtained ownership of all rights under the copyright initially belonging to the author. 1
1 This category includes a person or organization that has obtained, from the author or from an entity that has obtained ownership of all rights under the copyright initially belonging to the author, the contractual right to claim legal title to the copyright in an application for copyright registration.
(b) Administrative classification and application forms —(1) Classes of works. For the purpose of registration, the Register of Copyrights has prescribed the classes of works in which copyright may be claimed. These classes, and examples of works which they include, are as follows:
(i) Class TX: Nondramatic literary works. This class includes all published and unpublished nondramatic literary works. Examples: Fiction; nonfiction; poetry; textbooks; reference works; directories; catalogs; advertising copy; and compilations of information.
(ii) Class PA: Works of the performing arts. This class includes all published and unpublished works prepared for the purpose of being performed directly before an audience or indirectly by means of a device or process. Examples: Musical works, including any accompanying words; dramatic works, including any accompanying music; pantomimes and choreographic works; and motion pictures and other audiovisual works.
(iii) Class VA: Works of the visual arts. This class includes all published and unpublished pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works. Examples: Two dimensional and three dimensional works of the fine, graphic, and applied arts; photographs; prints and art reproductions; maps, globes, and charts; technical drawings, diagrams, and models; and pictorial or graphic labels and advertisements. This class also includes published and unpublished architectural works.
(iv) Class SR: Sound recordings. This class includes all published and unpublished sound recordings fixed on and after February 15, 1972. Claims to copyright in literary, dramatic, and musical works embodied in phonorecords may also be registered in this class under paragraph (b)(4) of this section if:
(A) Registration is sought on the same application for both a recorded literary, dramatic, or musical work and a sound recording;
(B) The recorded literary, dramatic, or musical work and the sound recording are embodied in the same phonorecord; and
(C) The same claimant is seeking registration of both the recorded literary, dramatic, or musical work and the sound recording.
(v) Class SE: Serials. A serial is a work issued or intended to be issued in successive parts bearing numerical or chronological designations and intended to be continued indefinitely. This class includes periodicals (including newspapers); annuals; and the journals, proceedings, transactions, etc. of societies.
(2) Submission of application for registration. For purposes of registration, an applicant may submit an application for registration of individual works and certain groups of works electronically through the Copyright Office's website, or by using the printed forms prescribed by the Register of Copyrights.
(i) Online applications. An applicant may submit a claim through the Office's electronic registration system using the Standard Application, the Single Application, or the applications designated in § 202.4.
(A) The Standard Application may be used to register a work under sections 408(a) and 409 of title 17, including a work by one author, a joint work, a work made for hire, a derivative work, a collective work, or a compilation. The Standard Application may also be used to register a unit of publication under paragraph (b)(4) of this section, or a sound recording and a literary, dramatic, or musical work under paragraphs (b)(1)(iv)(A) through (C) of this section.
(B)( 1 ) The Single Application may be used only to register one work by one author. All of the content appearing in the work must be created by the same individual. The work must be owned by the author who created it, and the author and the claimant must be the same individual.
( 2 ) The Single Application may be used to register one sound recording and one musical work, dramatic work, or literary work if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (b)(1)(iv)(A) through (C) and (b)(2)(i)(B)( 1 ) of this section have been met.
( 3 ) The following categories of works may not be registered using the Single Application: collective works, databases, websites, architectural works, choreographic works, works made for hire, works by more than one author, works with more than one owner, or works eligible for registration under § 202.4 or paragraph (b)(4) or (5) of this section.
(C) Deposit materials in support of an online application may be submitted electronically in a digital format (if eligible) along with the application and filing fee, or an applicant may send physical copies or phonorecords as necessary to satisfy the best edition requirements, by mail to the Copyright Office, using the required shipping slip generated during the online registration process.
(ii) Paper applications. (A) An applicant may submit an application using one of the printed forms prescribed by the Register of Copyrights. Each form corresponds to one of the administrative classes set forth in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. These forms are designated “Form TX,” “Form PA,” “Form VA,” “Form SR,” and “Form SE.” These forms may be used to register a work under sections 408(a) and 409 of title 17, including a work by one author, a joint work, a work made for hire, a derivative work, a collective work, or a compilation.
(B) Copies of the printed forms are available on the Copyright Office's website ( www.copyright.gov ) and upon request to the Copyright Public Information Office, Library of Congress. Printed form applications may be completed and submitted by completing a printed version or using a PDF version of the applicable Copyright Office application form and mailing it together with the other required elements, i.e., physically tangible deposit copies and/or materials, and the required filing fee, all elements being placed in the same package and sent by mail or hand-delivered to the Copyright Office.
(C) A continuation sheet (Form CON) is appropriate only in the case when a printed form application is used and where additional space is needed by the applicant to provide all relevant information concerning a claim to copyright. An application may include more than one continuation sheet.
(iii) Application class. Applications should be submitted in the class most appropriate to the nature of the authorship in which copyright is claimed. In the case of contributions to collective works, applications should be submitted in the class representing the copyrightable authorship in the contribution. In the case of derivative works, applications should be submitted in the class most appropriately representing the copyrightable authorship involved in recasting, transforming, adapting, or otherwise modifying the preexisting work. In cases where a work contains elements of authorship in which copyright is claimed that fall into two or more classes, the application should be submitted in the class most appropriate to the predominant type of authorship in the work as a whole. However, in any case where registration is sought for a work consisting of or including a sound recording in which copyright is claimed, the application shall be submitted for registration in Class SR.
(3) [Reserved]
(4) Registration as one work. For the purpose of registration on one application and upon the payment of one filing fee, the following shall be considered one work: In the case of published works, all copyrightable elements that are otherwise recognizable as self-contained works, that are included in the same unit of publication, and in which the copyright claimant is the same.
(5) Group registration of related works: Automated databases. (i) Pursuant to the authority granted by section 408(c)(1) of title 17 of the United States Code, the Register of Copyrights has determined that, on the basis of one application, deposit, and filing fee, a group registration may be made for automated databases and their updates or other derivative versions that are original works of authorship, if, where a database (or updates or other revisions thereof), if unpublished, is (or are) fixed, or if published is (or are) published only in the form of machine-readable copies, all of the following conditions are met:
(A) All of the updates or other revisions are owned by the same copyright claimant;
(B) All of the updates or other revisions have the same general title;
(C) All of the updates or other revisions are similar in their general content, including their subject;
(D) All of the updates or other revisions are similar in their organization;
(E) Each of the updates or other revisions as a whole, if published before March 1, 1989, bears a statutory copyright notice as first published and the name of the owner of copyright in each work (or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner) was the same in each notice;
(F) Each of the updates or other revisions if published was first published, or if unpublished was first created, within a three-month period in the same calendar year; and
(G) The deposit accompanying the application complies with § 202.20(c)(2)(vii)(D).
(ii) A group registration may be made on one application for both a database published on one date, or if unpublished, created on one date, and also for its copyrightable revisions, including updates covering a three-month period in the same calendar year. An application for group registration of automated databases under section 408(c)(1) of title 17 and this subsection shall consist of:
(A) A form that best reflects the subject matter of the material in the database as set forth in paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) of this section, completed in accordance with the instructions provided by the Copyright Office on its website or in materials published by the Office. Applications for group registration of an automated database consisting predominantly of photographs may be submitted electronically only after consultation and with the permission and under the direction of the Visual Arts Division.
(B) The appropriate filing fee, as required in § 201.3(c); and
(C) The deposit required by § 202.20(c)(2)(vii)(D).
(6)-(10) [Reserved]
(11) One registration per work. As a general rule only one copyright registration can be made for the same version of a particular work. However:
(i) Where a work has been registered as unpublished, another registration may be made for the first published edition of the work, even if it does not represent a new version;
(ii) Where someone other than the author is identified as copyright claimant in a registration, another registration for the same version may be made by the author in his or her own name as copyright claimant; 2
2 An author includes an employer or other person for whom a work is “made for hire” under 17 U.S.C. 101. This paragraph does not permit an employee or other person working “for hire” under that section to make a later registration in his or her own name. In the case of authors of a joint work, this paragraph does permit a later registration by one author in his or her own name as copyright claimant, where an earlier registration identifies only another author as claimant.
(iii) Where an applicant for registration alleges that an earlier registration for the same version is unauthorized and legally invalid, a registration may be made by that applicant.
(c) Application for registration. (1) As a general rule, an application for copyright registration may be submitted by any author or other copyright claimant of a work, the owner of any exclusive right in a work, or the duly authorized agent of any such author, other claimant, or owner. A Single Application, however, may be submitted only by the author/claimant or by a duly authorized agent of the author/claimant, provided that the agent is identified in the application as the correspondent.
(2) All applications shall include the information required by the particular form, and shall be accompanied by the appropriate filing fee, as required in § 201.3(c) of this chapter, and the deposit required under 17 U.S.C. 408 and § 202.20, § 202.21, or § 202.4, as appropriate.
(3) All applications submitted for registration shall include a certification.
(i) As a general rule, the application may be certified by an author, claimant, an owner of exclusive rights, or a duly authorized agent of the author, claimant, or owner of exclusive rights. A Single Application, however, may be certified only by the author/claimant or by a duly authorized agent of the author/claimant.
(ii) For online applications, the certification shall include the typed name of a party identified in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section. For paper applications, the certification shall include the typed, printed, or handwritten signature of a party identified in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section, and if the signature is handwritten it shall be accompanied by the typed or printed name of that party.
(iii) The declaration shall state that the information provided within the application is correct to the best of the certifying party's knowledge.
(iv) For online applications, the date of the certification shall be automatically assigned by the electronic registration system on the date the application is received by the Copyright Office. For paper applications, the certification shall include the month, day, and year that the certification was signed by the certifying party.
(v) An application for registration of a published work will not be accepted if the date of certification is earlier than the date of publication given in the application.
(4) In the case of applications for registration made under paragraphs (b)(4) through (5) of this section or under § 202.4, the “year of creation,” “year of completion,” or “year in which creation of this work was completed” means the latest year in which the creation of any copyrightable element was completed.
§ 202.4   Group registration.
(a) General. This section prescribes conditions for issuing a registration for a group of related works under section 408(c) of title 17 of the United States Code.
(b) Definitions. (1) For purposes of this section, unless otherwise specified, the terms used have the meanings set forth in §§ 202.3, 202.13, and 202.20.
(2) For purposes of this section, the term Library means the Library of Congress.
(3) For purposes of this section, a periodical is a collective work that is issued or intended to be issued on an established schedule in successive issues that are intended to be continued indefinitely. In most cases, each issue will bear the same title, as well as numerical or chronological designations.
(c) Group registration of unpublished works. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of unpublished works may be registered in Class TX, PA, VA, or SR with one application, the required deposit, and the filing fee required by § 201.3(c) of this chapter, if the following conditions are met:
(1) All the works in the group must be unpublished, and they must be registered in the same administrative class.
(2) Generally, the applicant may include up to ten works in the group. If the conditions set forth in § 202.3(b)(1)(iv)(A) through (C) have been met, the applicant may include up to ten sound recordings and ten musical works, literary works, or dramatic works in the group.
(3) The group may include individual works, joint works, or derivative works, but may not include compilations, collective works, databases, or websites.
(4) The applicant must provide a title for each work in the group.
(5) All the works must be created by the same author or the same joint authors, and the author and claimant information for each work must be the same.
(6) The works may be registered as anonymous works, pseudonymous works, or works made for hire if they are identified in the application as such.
(7) The applicant must identify the authorship that each author or joint author contributed to the works, and the authorship statement for each author or joint author must be the same. Claims in the selection, coordination, or arrangement of the group as a whole will not be permitted on the application.
(8) The applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for a group of unpublished works. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(9) The applicant must submit one complete copy or phonorecord of each work. Each work must be contained in a separate electronic file that complies with § 202.20(b)(2)(iii). The files must be submitted in one of the electronic formats approved by the Office, they must be assembled in an orderly form, and they must be uploaded to the electronic registration system. The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes; the files may be compressed to comply with this requirement.
(10) In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (c)(8) of this section or may grant special relief from the deposit requirement under § 202.20(d), subject to such conditions as the Associate Register and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(d) Group registration of serials. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of serial issues may be registered with one application, the required deposit, and the filing fee required by § 201.3(c) of this chapter, if the following conditions are met:
(1) Eligible works. (i) All the issues in the group must be serials.
(ii) The group must include at least two issues.
(iii) Each issue in the group must be an all-new collective work that has not been previously published, each issue must be fixed and distributed as a discrete, self-contained collective work, and the claim in each issue must be limited to the collective work.
(iv) Each issue in the group must be a work made for hire, and the author and claimant for each issue must be the same person or organization.
(v) The serial generally must be published at intervals of a week or longer. All of the issues must be published within three months, under the same continuing title, within the same calendar year, and the applicant must specify the date of publication for each issue in the group.
(2) Application. The applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for a group of serial issues. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(3) Deposit. The applicant must submit one complete copy of each issue that is included in the group. Copies submitted under this paragraph (d)(3) will be considered solely for the purpose of registration under 17 U.S.C. 408, and will not satisfy the mandatory deposit requirement under 17 U.S.C. 407. The issues must be submitted in digital form, and each issue must be contained in a separate electronic file. The applicant must use the file-naming convention and submit digital files in accordance with instructions specified on the Copyright Office's website. The files must be submitted in Portable Document Format (PDF), they must be assembled in an orderly form, and they must be uploaded to the electronic registration system as individual electronic files ( i.e., not .zip files). The files must be viewable and searchable, contain embedded fonts, and be free from any access restrictions (such as those implemented through digital rights management) that prevent the viewing and examination of the work. The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes, but files may be compressed to comply with the requirement in this paragraph (d)(3).
(4) Exceptional cases. In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (d)(2) of this section or may grant special relief from the deposit requirement under § 202.20(d), subject to such conditions as the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(e) Group registration of newspapers. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of newspaper issues may be registered with one application, the required deposit, and the filing fee required by § 201.3(c) of this chapter, if the following conditions are met:
(1) Issues must be newspapers. All the issues in the group must be newspapers. For purposes of this section, a newspaper is a periodical (as defined in paragraph (b)(3) of this section) that is mainly designed to be a primary source of written information on current events, either local, national, or international in scope. A newspaper contains a broad range of news on all subjects and activities and is not limited to any specific subject matter. Newspapers are intended either for the general public or for a particular ethnic, cultural, or national group.
(2) Requirements for newspaper issues. Each issue in the group must be an all-new collective work that has not been previously published (except where earlier editions of the same newspaper are included in the deposit together with the final edition), each issue must be fixed and distributed as a discrete, self-contained collective work, and the claim in each issue must be limited to the collective work.
(3) Author and claimant. Each issue in the group must be a work made for hire, and the author and claimant for each issue must be the same person or organization.
(4) Time period covered. All the issues in the group must be published under the same continuing title, and they must be published within the same calendar month and bear issue dates within that month. The applicant must identify the earliest and latest date that the issues were published.
(5) Application. The applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for a group of newspaper issues. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(6) Deposit. (i) The applicant must submit one complete copy of the final edition of each issue published in the calendar month designated in the application. Each submission may also include earlier editions of the same newspaper issue, provided that they were published on the same date as the final edition. Each submission may also include local editions of the newspaper issue that were published within the same metropolitan area, but may not include national or regional editions that were distributed outside that metropolitan area.
(ii) The issues must be submitted in a digital form, and each issue must be contained in a separate electronic file. The applicant must use the file-naming convention and submit digital files in accordance with instructions specified on the Copyright Office's website. The files must be submitted in Portable Document Format (PDF), they must be assembled in an orderly form, and they must be uploaded to the electronic registration system as individual electronic files ( i.e., not .zip files). The files must be viewable and searchable, contain embedded fonts, and be free from any access restrictions (such as those implemented through Digital Rights Management (DRM)). The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes, but files may be compressed to comply with this requirement.
(f) Group registration of newsletters. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of newsletter issues may be registered with one application, the required deposit, and the filing fee required by § 201.3(c) of this chapter, if the following conditions are met:
(1) Eligible works. (i) All the issues in the group must be newsletters. For purposes of this section, a newsletter is a serial that is published and distributed by mail, electronic media, or other medium, including paper, email, or download. The newsletter must contain news or information that is chiefly of interest to a special group, such as trade and professional associations, colleges, schools, or churches. Newsletters are typically distributed through subscriptions, but are not distributed through newsstands or other retail outlets.
(ii) The group must include at least two issues.
(iii) Each issue in the group must be an all-new issue or an all-new collective work that has not been previously published, and each issue must be fixed and distributed as a discrete, self-contained work.
(iv) The author and claimant for each issue must be the same person or organization.
(v) All the issues in the group must be published under the same continuing title, they must be published within the same calendar month and bear issue dates within that month, and the applicant must identify the earliest and latest date that the issues were published during that month.
(2) Application. The applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for a group of newsletter issues. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(3) Deposit. The applicant must submit one complete copy of each issue that is included in the group. The issues must be submitted in digital form, and each issue must be contained in a separate electronic file. The applicant must use the file-naming convention and submit digital files in accordance with instructions specified on the Copyright Office's website. The files must be submitted in Portable Document Format (PDF), they must be assembled in an orderly form, and they must be uploaded to the electronic registration system as individual electronic files ( i.e., not .zip files). The files must be viewable and searchable, contain embedded fonts, and be free from any access restrictions (such as those implemented through digital rights management) that prevent the viewing and examination of the work. The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes, but files may be compressed to comply with this requirement. Copies submitted under this paragraph will be considered solely for the purpose of registration under 17 U.S.C. 408, and will not satisfy the mandatory deposit requirement under 17 U.S.C. 407.
(4) Exceptional cases. In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (f)(2) of this section or may grant special relief from the deposit requirement under § 202.20(d), subject to such conditions as the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(g) Group registration of contributions to periodicals. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(2), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of contributions to periodicals may be registered in Class TX or Class VA with one application, one filing fee, and the required deposit, if the following conditions are met:
(1) All the contributions in the group must be created by the same individual.
(2) The copyright claimant must be the same person or organization for all the contributions.
(3) The contributions must not be works made for hire.
(4) Each work must be first published as a contribution to a periodical, and all the contributions must be first published within a twelve-month period (e.g., January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015; February 1, 2015 through January 31, 2016).
(5) If any of the contributions were first published before March 1, 1989, those works must bear a separate copyright notice, the notice must contain the copyright owner's name (or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation for the owner), and the name that appears in each notice must be the same.
(6) The applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for a group of contributions to periodicals. The application must identify each contribution that is included in the group, including the date of publication for each contribution and the periodical in which it was first published. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1). The application should be filed in Class TX if a majority of the contributions predominantly consist of text, and the application should be filed in Class VA if a majority of the contributions predominantly consist of photographs, illustrations, artwork, or other works of the visual arts.
(7) The appropriate filing fee, as required by § 201.3(c) of this chapter, must be included with the application or charged to an active deposit account.
(8) The applicant must submit one copy of each contribution that is included in the group, either by submitting the entire issue of the periodical where the contribution was first published, the entire section of the newspaper where it was first published, or the specific page(s) from the periodical where the contribution was first published. The contributions must be contained in separate electronic files that comply with § 202.20(b)(2)(iii). The files must be submitted in a PDF, JPG, or other electronic format approved by the Office, and they must be uploaded to the electronic registration system, preferably in a .zip file containing all the files. The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes; the files may be compressed to comply with this requirement.
(9) In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (g)(6) of this section or may grant special relief from the deposit requirement under § 202.20(d), subject to such conditions as the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(h) Group registration of unpublished photographs. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of unpublished photographs may be registered in Class VA with one application, the required deposit, and the filing fee required by § 201.3(c) of this chapter, if the following conditions are met:
(1) All the works in the group must be photographs.
(2) The group must include no more than 750 photographs, and the application must specify the total number of photographs that are included in the group.
(3) All the photographs must be created by the same author.
(4) The copyright claimant for all the photographs must be the same person or organization.
(5) The photographs may be registered as works made for hire if all the photographs are identified in the application as such.
(6) All the photographs must be unpublished.
(7) The applicant must provide a title for the group as a whole
(8) The applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for a group of unpublished photographs. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(9) The applicant must submit one copy of each photograph in one of the following formats: JPEG, GIF, or TIFF. The photographs may be uploaded to the electronic registration system together with the required numbered list, preferably in a .zip file containing all the photographs. The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes; the photographs may be compressed to comply with this requirement. Alternatively, the photographs and the required numbered list may be saved on a physical storage device, such as a flash drive, CD-R, or DVD-R, and delivered to the Copyright Office together with the required shipping slip generated by the electronic registration system.
(10) The applicant must submit a sequentially numbered list containing a title and file name for each photograph in the group (matching the corresponding file names for each photograph specified in paragraph (h)(9) of this section). The title and file name for a particular photograph may be the same. The numbered list must be contained in an electronic file in Excel format (.xls), Portable Document Format (PDF), or other electronic format approved by the Office, and the file name for the list must contain the title of the group and the case number assigned to the application by the electronic registration system (e.g., “Title Of Group Case Number 16283927239.xls”).
(11) In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (h)(8) of this section or may grant special relief from the deposit requirement under § 202.20(d), subject to such conditions as the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(i) Group registration of published photographs. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of published photographs may be registered in Class VA with one application, the required deposit, and the filing fee required by § 201.3(c) of this chapter, if the following conditions are met:
(1) All the works in the group must be photographs.
(2) The group must include no more than 750 photographs, and the application must specify the total number of photographs that are included in the group.
(3) All the photographs must be created by the same author.
(4) The copyright claimant for all the photographs must be the same person or organization.
(5) The photographs may be registered as works made for hire if all the photographs are identified in the application as such.
(6) All the photographs must be published within the same calendar year, and the applicant must specify the earliest and latest date that the photographs were published during the year.
(7) The applicant must provide a title for the group as a whole.
(8) The applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for a group of published photographs. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(9) The applicant must submit one copy of each photograph in one of the following formats: JPEG, GIF, or TIFF. The photographs may be uploaded to the electronic registration system together with the required numbered list, preferably in a .zip file containing all the photographs. The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes; the photographs may be compressed to comply with this requirement. Alternatively, the photographs and the required numbered list may be saved on a physical storage device, such as a flash drive, CD-R, or DVD-R, and delivered to the Copyright Office together with the required shipping slip generated by the electronic registration system.
(10) The applicant must submit a sequentially numbered list containing the title, file name, and month and year of publication for each photograph in the group (matching the corresponding file names for each photograph specified in paragraph (i)(9) of this section). The title and file name for a particular photograph may be the same. The numbered list must be contained in an electronic file in Excel format (.xls), Portable Document Format (PDF), or other electronic format approved by the Office, and the file name for the list must contain the title of the group and the case number assigned to the application by the electronic registration system (e.g., “Title Of Group Case Number 16283927239.xls”).
(11) In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (i)(8) of this section or may grant special relief from the deposit requirement under § 202.20(d), subject to such conditions as the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(j) Group registration of short online literary works. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(2), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of literary works may be registered in Class TX with one application, the required deposit, and the filing fee required by § 201.3(c) if the following conditions are met:
(1) The group may include up to 50 short online literary works, and the application must specify the total number of short online literary works that are included in the group. For purposes of this section, a short online literary work is a work consisting of text that contains at least 50 words and no more than 17,500 words, such as a poem, short story, article, essay, column, blog entry, or social media post. The work must be published as part of a website or online platform, including online newspapers, social media websites, and social networking platforms. The group may not include computer programs, audiobooks, podcasts, or emails. Claims in any form of authorship other than “text” or claims in the selection, coordination, or arrangement of the group as a whole will not be permitted on the application.
(2) All of the works must be published within a three-calendar-month period, and the application must identify the earliest and latest date that the works were published.
(3) All the works must be created by the same individual, or jointly by the same individuals, and each creator must be named as the copyright claimant or claimants for each work in the group.
(4) The works must not be works made for hire.
(5) The applicant must provide a title for each work and a title for the group as a whole.
(6) The applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for a group of short online literary works. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(7) The applicant must submit one complete copy of each work. The works must be assembled in an orderly form with each work in a separate digital file. The file name for each work must match the title as submitted on the application. All of the works must be submitted in one of the electronic formats approved by the Office, and must be uploaded to the electronic registration system in a .ZIP file. The file size for each uploaded .ZIP file must not exceed 500 megabytes.
(8) The applicant must submit a sequentially numbered list containing a title/file name for each work in the group. The list must also include the publication date and word count for each work. The numbered list must be contained in an electronic file in Excel format (.xls), Portable Document Format (PDF), or other electronic format approved by the Office, and the file name for the list must contain the title of the group and the case number assigned to the application by the electronic registration system ( e.g., “Title Of Group Case Number 16283927239.xls”).
(9) In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (j)(6) of this section or may grant special relief from the deposit requirement under § 202.20(d), subject to such conditions as the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(k) Group registration of works on an album. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of two or more musical works, or two or more sound recordings and any associated literary, pictorial, or graphic works, may be registered with one application, the required deposit, and the filing fee required by § 201.3 of this chapter, if the following conditions are met:
(1) Eligible works. (i) All of the works in the group must be contained on the same album. For the purposes of this section, an album is a single physical or electronic unit of distribution containing at least two musical works and/or sound recordings embodied in a phonorecord, including any associated literary, pictorial, or graphic works distributed with the unit.
(ii) The group may include:
(A) Up to twenty musical works; or
(B) Up to twenty sound recordings and any associated literary, pictorial, or graphic works included with the same album.
(iii) The applicant must provide a title for the album and a title for each musical work or sound recording claimed in the group.
(iv) All of the works in the group must be created by the same author or the works must have a common joint author, and the copyright claimant or co-claimants for each work must all be the same person(s) or organization. The works may be registered as works made for hire if they are identified in the application as such.
(v) As a general rule, all of the works must be first published on the same album, the date and nation of publication for each work must be specified in the application, and the nation of publication for each work must be the same. A musical work or sound recording that was previously published as an individual work only ( e.g., as a single) may be included in the claim if the date of first publication for that work is listed separately in the application.
(2) Application. If the group consists of sound recordings and, as applicable, any associated literary, pictorial, or graphic works, the applicant must complete and submit the application designated for “sound recordings from an album.” If the group consists of musical works, the applicant must complete and submit the application designated for “musical works from an album.” The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(3) Deposit. (i) For claims in works first published in the United States submitted with the application for “sound recordings from an album,” the applicant must submit two complete phonorecords containing the best edition of each recording, and two complete copies of any associated literary, pictorial, or graphic works that are included in the group. For claims in works first published outside the United States submitted with this application, the applicant must submit one complete phonorecord of the work either as first published or of the best edition. A phonorecord will be considered complete if it satisfies the requirements set forth in § 202.19(b)(2). The deposit may be submitted in a digital form if the album has been distributed solely in a digital format, and if the requirements set forth in paragraph (k)(3)(iii) of this section have been met.
(ii) For claims submitted with the application for “musical works from an album,” the applicant must submit one complete phonorecord of each musical work that is included in the group.
(iii) The deposit may be submitted in a digital form if the following requirements have been met. Each work must be contained in a separate electronic file. The files must be assembled in an orderly form, they must be submitted in one of the electronic formats approved by the Office, and they must be uploaded to the electronic registration system as individual electronic files (not .zip files). The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes; the files may be compressed to comply with this requirement. The file name for each work must match the title as submitted on the application.
(4) Special relief. In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (k)(2) of this section or may grant special relief from the deposit requirement under § 202.20(d), subject to such conditions as the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(l) [Reserved]
(m) Group registration of updates to a news website. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of updates to a news website may be registered with one application, the required deposit, and the filing fee required by § 201.3 of this chapter, with each update being registered as a collective work, if the following conditions are met:
(1) Definitions. For the purposes of this paragraph (m):
(i) News website means a website that is designed to be a primary source of written information on current events, either local, national, or international in scope, that contains a broad range of news on all subjects and activities and is not limited to any specific subject matter.
(ii) Website means a web page or set of interconnected web pages that are accessed using a uniform resource locator (“URL”) organized under a particular domain name.
(2) Requirements for collective works. Each update to the website must be a collective work, and the claim must be limited to the collective work.
(3) Author and claimant. Each collective work in the group must be a work made for hire, and the author and claimant for each collective work must be the same person or organization.
(4) Updates must be from one news website; time period covered. Each collective work in the group must be published on the same news website under the same URL, and they must be published within the same calendar month. The applicant must identify the earliest and latest date that the collective works were published.
(5) Application. The applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for a group of updates to a news website. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(6) Deposit. (i) For each collective work within the group, the applicant must submit identifying material from the news website. For these purposes “ identifying material ” shall mean separate Portable Document Format (PDF) files that each contain a complete copy of the home page of the website. In case a complete copy is technically unfeasible due to the size or continuous nature of the home page, the applicant may submit the first 25 pages of the home page that demonstrates updates from the previous deposit copy. Each PDF must show how the home page appeared at a specific point during each day of the calendar month when new updates were published on the website.
(ii) The identifying material must demonstrate that the home page contains sufficient selection, coordination, and arrangement authorship to be registered as a collective work. If the home page does not demonstrate sufficient compilation authorship, the deposit should include as many additional pages as necessary to demonstrate that the updates to the news website can be registered as a collective work.
(iii) The identifying material must be submitted through the electronic registration system, and all of the identifying material that was published on a particular date must be contained in the same electronic file. The files must be submitted in PDF format, they must be assembled in an orderly form, and each file must be uploaded to the electronic registration system as an individual electronic file ( i.e., not .zip files). The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes, but files may be compressed to comply with this requirement.
(7) Special relief. In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (m)(5) of this section or may grant special relief from the deposit requirement under § 202.20(d) of this chapter, subject to such conditions as the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(n) [Reserved]
(o) Secure test items. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a group of test items may be registered in Class TX with one application, one filing fee, and identifying material, if the conditions set forth in § 202.13(c) and (d) have been met.
(p) Refusal to register. The Copyright Office may refuse registration if the applicant fails to satisfy the requirements for registering a group of related works under this section or § 202.3(b)(5).
(q) Cancellation. If the Copyright Office issues a registration for a group of related works and subsequently determines that the requirements for that group option have not been met, and if the claimant fails to cure the deficiency after being notified by the Office, the registration may be cancelled in accordance with § 201.7 of this chapter.
(r) The scope of a group registration. When the Office issues a group registration under paragraph (d), (e), or (f) of this section, the registration covers each issue in the group and each issue is registered as a separate work or a separate collective work (as the case may be). When the Office issues a group registration under paragraphs (c), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), or (o) of this section, the registration covers each work in the group and each work is registered as a separate work. When the Office issues a group registration under paragraph (m) of this section, the registration covers each update in the group, and each update is registered as a separate collective work. For purposes of registration, the group as a whole is not considered a compilation, a collective work, or a derivative work under section 101, 103(b), or 504(c)(1) of title 17 of the United States Code.
§ 202.5   Reconsideration Procedure for Refusals to Register.
(a) General. This section prescribes rules pertaining to procedures for administrative review of the Copyright Office's refusal to register a claim to copyright, a mask work, or a vessel design upon a finding by the Office that the application for registration does not satisfy the legal requirements of title 17 of the United States Code. If an applicant's initial claim is refused, the applicant is entitled to request that the initial refusal to register be reconsidered.
(b) First reconsideration. Upon receiving a written notification from the Registration Program explaining the reasons for a refusal to register, an applicant may request that the Registration Program reconsider its initial decision to refuse registration, subject to the following requirements:
(1) An applicant must request in writing that the Registration Program reconsider its decision. A request for reconsideration must include the reasons the applicant believes registration was improperly refused, including any legal arguments in support of those reasons and any supplementary information. The Registration Program will base its decision on the applicant's written submissions.
(2) The fee set forth in § 201.3(d) of this chapter must accompany the first request for reconsideration.
(3) The first request for reconsideration and the applicable fee must be postmarked, dispatched by a commercial carrier, courier, or messenger, or otherwise received by the Office, no later than three months from the date that appears in the written notice from the Registration Program of its decision to refuse registration. When the ending date for the three-month time period falls on a weekend or a Federal holiday, the ending day of the three-month period shall be extended to the next Federal work day.
(4) If the Registration Program decides to register an applicant's work in response to the first request for reconsideration, it will notify the applicant in writing of the decision and the work will be registered. However, if the Registration Program again refuses to register the work, it will send the applicant a written notification stating the reasons for refusal within four months of the date on which the first request for reconsideration is received by the Registration Program. When the ending date for the four-month time period falls on a weekend or a Federal holiday, the ending day of the four-month period shall be extended to the next Federal work day. Failure by the Registration Program to send the written notification within the four-month period shall not result in registration of the applicant's work.
(c) Second reconsideration. Upon receiving written notification of the Registration Program's decision to refuse registration in response to the first request for reconsideration, an applicant may request that the Review Board reconsider the Registration Program's refusal to register, subject to the following requirements:
(1) An applicant must request in writing that the Review Board reconsider the Registration Program's decision to refuse registration. The second request for reconsideration must include the reasons the applicant believes registration was improperly refused, including any legal arguments in support of those reasons and any supplementary information, and must address the reasons stated by the Registration Program for refusing registration upon first reconsideration. The Board will base its decision on the applicant's written submissions.
(2) The fee set forth in § 201.3(d) of this chapter must accompany the second request for reconsideration.
(3) The second request for reconsideration and the applicable fee must be postmarked, dispatched by a commercial carrier, courier, or messenger, or otherwise received by the Office no later than three months from the date that appears in the Registration Program's written notice of its decision to refuse registration after the first request for reconsideration. When the ending date for the three-month time period falls on a weekend or a Federal holiday, the ending day of the three-month period shall be extended to the next Federal work day.
(4) If the Review Board decides to register an applicant's work in response to a second request for reconsideration, it will notify the applicant in writing of the decision and the work will be registered. If the Review Board upholds the refusal to register the work, it will send the applicant a written notification stating the reasons for refusal.
(d) Submission of reconsiderations. (1) All submissions for reconsideration should be mailed to the address specified in § 201.1(c) of this chapter.
(2) The first page of the written request must contain the Copyright Office control number and clearly indicate either “FIRST RECONSIDERATION” or “SECOND RECONSIDERATION,” as appropriate, on the subject line.
(e) Suspension or waiver of time requirements. For any particular request for reconsideration, the provisions relating to the time requirements for submitting a request under this section may be suspended or waived, in whole or in part, by the Register of Copyrights upon a showing of good cause. Such suspension or waiver shall apply only to the request at issue and shall not be relevant with respect to any other request for reconsideration from that applicant or any other applicant.
(f) Composition of the Review Board. The Review Board shall consist of three members; the first two members are the Register of Copyrights and the General Counsel or their respective designees. The third member will be designated by the Register.
(g) Final agency action. A decision by the Review Board in response to a second request for reconsideration constitutes final agency action.
§ 202.6   Supplementary registration.
(a) General. This section prescribes conditions relating to the filing of an application for supplementary registration under section 408(d) of title 17 of the United States Code to correct an error in a copyright registration or to amplify the information given in a registration. No correction or amplification of the information in a basic registration will be made except pursuant to the provisions of this section. As an exception, where it is discovered that a basic registration contains an error caused by the Copyright Office's own action, the Office will take appropriate measures to rectify its mistake.
(b) Definitions. (1) A basic registration means any of the following:
(i) A copyright registration made under sections 408, 409, and 410 of title 17 of the United States Code;
(ii) A renewal registration made under section 304 of title 17 of the United States Code; or
(iii) A copyright registration or a renewal registration made under title 17 of the United States Code as it existed before January 1, 1978.
(2) A supplementary registration means a registration issued under section 408(d) of title 17 of the United States Code and the provisions of this section.
(c) Persons entitled to file an application for supplementary registration. Supplementary registration can be made only if a basic copyright registration for the same work has already been completed. After a basic registration has been completed, any author or other copyright claimant of the work, or the owner of any exclusive right in the work, or the duly authorized agent of any such author, other claimant, or owner, who wishes to correct or amplify the information given in the basic registration for the work may file an application for supplementary registration.
(d) Basis for issuing a supplementary registration. (1) Supplementary registration may be made either to correct or to amplify the information in a basic registration.
(2) A correction is appropriate if information in the basic registration was incorrect at the time that basic registration was made.
(3) An amplification is appropriate:
(i) To supplement or clarify the information that was required by the application for the basic registration and should have been provided, such as the identity of a co-author or co-claimant, but was omitted at the time the basic registration was made; or
(ii) To reflect changes in facts, other than those relating to transfer, license, or ownership of rights in the work, that occurred since the basic registration was made.
(4) Supplementary registration is not appropriate:
(i) To reflect a change in ownership that occurred on or after the effective date of the basic registration or to reflect the division, allocation, licensing, or transfer of rights in a work;
(ii) To correct errors in statements or notices on the copies or phonorecords of a work, or to reflect changes in the content of a work; or
(iii) To correct or amplify the information set forth in a basic registration that has been cancelled under § 201.7 of this chapter.
(5) If an error or omission in a basic renewal registration is extremely minor, and does not involve the identity of the renewal claimant or the legal basis of the claim, supplementary registration may be made at any time. In an exceptional case, however, supplementary registration may be made to correct the name of the renewal claimant and the legal basis of the claim if clear, convincing, and objective documentation is submitted to the Copyright Office which proves that an inadvertent error was made in failing to designate the correct living statutory renewal claimant in the basic renewal registration.
(6) In general, the Copyright Office will not issue a supplementary registration for a basic registration made under title 17 of the United States Code as it existed before January 1, 1978. In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may issue a supplementary registration for such a registration, if the correction or amplification is supported by clear, convincing, and objective documentation.
(e) Application for supplementary registration. (1) To seek a supplementary registration for a work registered in Class TX, PA, VA, SR, or SE, an unpublished collection, or a unit of publication registered under § 202.3, or a group of related works registered under § 202.4, an applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for supplementary registration.
(2) To seek a supplementary registration for a group of unpublished works registered under § 202.4(c), a group of short online literary works registered under § 202.4(j), or a group of works published on the same album registered under § 202.4(k), an applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for supplementary registration after consultation with and under the direction of the Office of Registration Policy & Practice.
(3) To seek a supplementary registration for a database that consists predominantly of photographs registered under § 202.3(b)(5), an applicant must complete and submit the online application designated for supplementary registration after consultation with and under the direction of the Visual Arts Division.
(4) To seek a supplementary registration for a restored work registered under § 202.12, a database that does not consist predominantly of photographs registered under § 202.3(b)(5), or a renewal registration, an applicant must complete and submit an application using Form CA.
(5) Before submitting the application, the applicant must sign a certification stating that the applicant reviewed a copy of the certificate of registration for the basic registration that will be corrected or amplified by the supplementary registration. To obtain a copy of the certificate, the applicant may submit a written request to the Records Research and Certification Section using the procedure set forth in Chapter 2400 of the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition.
(6) The appropriate filing fee, as required by § 201.3(c) of this chapter, must be included with the application or charged to an active deposit account. At the Office's discretion, the applicant may be required to pay an additional fee to make a copy of the certificate of registration for the basic registration that will be corrected or amplified by the supplementary registration.
(7) Copies, phonorecords, or supporting documents cannot be made part of the record for a supplementary registration and should not be submitted with the application.
(8) In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the requirements set forth in paragraph (e)(1) or (2)of this section, subject to such conditions as the Associate Register and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(f) Effect of supplementary registration. (1) When the Copyright Office completes a supplementary registration, it will issue a certificate of supplementary registration bearing a new registration number in the appropriate class. The Office will cross-reference the records for the basic registration and the supplementary registration by placing a note in each record that identifies the registration number and effective date of registration for the related registration.
(2) As provided in section 408(d) of title 17 of the United States Code, the information contained in a supplementary registration augments but does not supersede that contained in the basic registration. The basic registration will not be expunged or cancelled.
§§ 202.7-202.9   [Reserved]
§ 202.10   Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.
(a) In order to be acceptable as a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work, the work must embody some creative authorship in its delineation or form. The registrability of such a work is not affected by the intention of the author as to the use of the work or the number of copies reproduced. The availability of protection or grant of protection under the law for a utility or design patent will not affect the registrability of a claim in an original work of pictorial, graphic, or sculptural authorship.
(b) A claim to copyright cannot be registered in a print or label consisting solely of trademark subject matter and lacking copyrightable matter. While the Copyright Office will not investigate whether the matter has been or can be registered at the Patent and Trademark Office, it will register a properly filed copyright claim in a print or label that contains the requisite qualifications for copyright even though there is a trademark on it. However, registration of a claim to copyright does not give the claimant rights available by trademark registrations at the Patent and Trademark Office.
§ 202.11   Architectural works.
(a) General. This section prescribes rules pertaining to the registration of architectural works.
(b) Definitions. (1) For the purposes of this section, the term building means humanly habitable structures that are intended to be both permanent and stationary, such as houses and office buildings, and other permanent and stationary structures designed for human occupancy, including but not limited to churches, museums, gazebos, and garden pavilions.
(2) Unless otherwise specified, all other terms have the meanings set forth in §§ 202.3 and 202.20.
(c) Registration —(1) Original design. In general, an original design of a building embodied in any tangible medium of expression, including a building, architectural plans, or drawings, may be registered as an architectural work.
(2) Publication. Publication of an architectural work occurs when underlying plans or drawings of the building or other copies of the building design are distributed or made available to the general public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending. Construction of a building does not itself constitute publication for purposes of registration, unless multiple copies are constructed.
(3) Registration limited to one architectural work. For published and unpublished architectural works, an application may cover only one architectural work. Multiple architectural works may not be registered using one application. For works such as tract housing, one house model constitutes one work, including all accompanying floor plan options, elevations, and styles that are applicable to that particular model. Where dual copyright claims exist in technical drawings and the architectural work depicted in the drawings, any claims with respect to the technical drawings and architectural work must be registered separately.
(4) Online application. (i) The applicant must complete and submit the Standard Application. The application should identify the title of the building. If the architectural work was embodied in unpublished plans or drawings on or before December 1, 1990, and if the building was constructed before January 1, 2003, the application should also provide the date that the construction was completed.
(ii) In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the online filing requirement set forth in paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section, subject to such conditions as the Associate Register and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(5) Deposit requirements. (i) For designs of constructed or unconstructed buildings, the applicant must submit one complete copy in visually perceptible form of the most finished form of an architectural drawing showing the overall form of the building ( i.e., exterior elevations of the building when viewed from the front, rear, and sides), and any interior arrangements of spaces and/or design elements in which copyright is claimed ( i.e., walls or other permanent structures that divide the interior into separate rooms and spaces). The deposit should disclose the name(s) of the architect(s) and draftsperson(s) and the building site, if known. For designs of constructed buildings, the applicant also must submit identifying material in the form of photographs complying with § 202.21, which clearly show several exterior and interior views of the architectural work being registered.
(ii) The deposit may be submitted in any form that allows the Copyright Office to access, perceive, and examine the entire copyrightable content of the work being registered, including by uploading the complete copy and identifying material in an acceptable file format to the Office's electronic registration system. Deposits uploaded to the electronic registration system will be considered solely for the purpose of registration under section 408 of title 17 of the United States Code, and will not satisfy the mandatory deposit requirement under section 407 of title 17 of the United States Code.
(d) Works excluded. The following structures, features, or works cannot be registered:
(1) Structures other than buildings. Structures other than buildings, such as bridges, cloverleafs, dams, walkways, tents, recreational vehicles, mobile homes, and boats.
(2) Standard features. Standard configurations of spaces, and individual standard features, such as windows, doors, and other staple building components.
(3) Pre-December 1, 1990 building designs —(i) Published building designs. The designs of buildings where the plans or drawings of the building were published before December 1, 1990, or the buildings were constructed or otherwise published before December 1, 1990.
(ii) Unpublished building designs. The designs of buildings that were unconstructed and embodied in unpublished plans or drawings on December 1, 1990, and remained unconstructed on December 31, 2002.
§ 202.12   Restored copyrights.
(a) General. This section prescribes rules pertaining to the registration of foreign copyright claims which have been restored to copyright protection under section 104A of 17 U.S.C., as amended by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, Public Law 103-465.
(b) Definitions. (1) For the purposes of this section, restored work and source country , have the definition given in 17 U.S.C. 104(A)(g)(6) and (8) and § 201.33(b) of this chapter.
(2) Descriptive statement for a work embodied solely in machine-readable format is a separate written statement giving the title of the work, nature of the work (for example: computer program, database, videogame, etc.), plus a brief description of the contents or subject matter of the work.
(c) Registration —(1) Application. Applications for registration for single works restored to copyright protection under the URAA should be made on Form GATT. Copies of this form may be obtained from the Office's website or by contacting the Public Information Office at (202) 707-3000. Applicants should submit the completed application with the appropriate filing fee and deposit copies and materials required by paragraph (c)(3) of this section in the same package by mail or electronically, in accordance with instructions for submission and payment provided on the Office's website or Form GATT itself.
(2) Fee. The filing fee for registering a copyright claim in a restored work is prescribed in § 201.3(c) of this chapter.
(3) Deposit —(i) General. The deposit for a work registered as a restored work under 17 U.S.C. 104A, except for those works listed in paragraphs (c)(3)(ii) through (iv) of this section, should consist of one copy or phonorecord which best represents the copyrightable content of the restored work. In descending order of preference, the deposit should be:
(A) The work as first published;
(B) A reprint or re-release of the work as first published;
(C) A photocopy or identical reproduction of the work as first published; or
(D) A revised version which includes a substantial amount of the copyrightable content of the restored work with an indication in writing of the percentage of the restored work appearing in the revision.
(ii) Previously registered works. No deposit is needed for works previously registered in the Copyright Office.
(iii) Works embodied solely in machine-readable format. For works embodied only in machine-readable formats, the deposit requirements are as follows:
(A) One machine-readable copy and a descriptive statement of the work; or
(B) Representative excerpts of the work, such as printouts; or, if the claim extends to audiovisual elements in the work, a videotape of what appears on the screen.
(iv) Pictorial, graphic and sculptural works. With the exception of 3-dimensional works of art, the general deposit preferences specified under paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section shall govern. For 3-dimensional works of art, the preferred deposit is one or more photographs of the work, preferably in color.
(v) Special relief. An applicant who is unable to submit any of the preferred deposits may submit an alternative deposit under a grant of special relief under § 202.20(d). In such a case, the applicant should indicate in writing why the deposit preferences cannot be met, and submit alternative identifying materials clearly showing some portion of the copyrightable contents of the restored work which is the subject of registration.
(vi) Motion pictures. If the deposit is a film print (16 or 35 mm), the applicant should contact the Performing Arts Division of the Registration Program for delivery instructions. The telephone number is: (202) 707-6040; the fax number is: (202) 707-1236.
(d) Works excluded. Works which are not copyrightable subject matter under title 17 of the U.S. Code, other than sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, shall not be registered as restored works.
§ 202.13   Secure tests.
(a) General. This section prescribes rules pertaining to the registration of secure tests or a group of test items prepared for use in a secure test.
(b) Definitions. For purposes of this section—
(1) A secure test is a nonmarketed test administered under supervision at specified centers on scheduled dates, all copies of which are accounted for and either destroyed or returned to restricted locked storage or secure electronic storage following each administration. A test otherwise meeting the requirements of this paragraph shall be considered a secure test if it was normally administered at specified centers prior to May 8, 2020, but is now being administered online, provided the test administrator employs measures to maintain the security and integrity of the test that it reasonably determines to be substantially equivalent to the security and integrity provided by in-person proctors.
(2) A test is nonmarketed if copies of the test are not sold, but instead are distributed and used in such a manner that the test sponsor or publisher retains ownership and control of the copies.
(3) A test is administered under supervision if test proctors or the equivalent supervise the administration of the test.
(4) A specified center is a place where test takers are physically assembled at the same time.
(5) A test item is comprised of a question (or “stem”), the correct answer to that question, any incorrect answer choices (or “distractors”), and any associated material, such as a narrative passage or diagram, and each item shall be considered one work. A single narrative, diagram, or other prefatory material, followed by multiple sets of related questions and correct or incorrect answers shall together be considered one item.
(c) Deposit requirements. Pursuant to the authority granted by 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(1), the Register of Copyrights has determined that a secure test or a group of test items prepared for use in a secure test may be registered with identifying material, and the filing and examination fees required by § 201.3(c) and (d), if the following conditions are met:
(1) The applicant must complete and submit a Standard Application. The application may be submitted by any of the parties listed in § 202.3(c)(1).
(2) In case of a secure test, the applicant must submit a redacted copy of the entire test. In the case of a group of test items prepared for use in a secure test, the applicant must submit a redacted copy of each test item. In all cases the redacted copy must contain a sufficient amount of visible content to reasonably identify the work(s). In addition, the applicant must complete and submit the secure test questionnaire that is posted on the Copyright Office's website. The questionnaire and the redacted copy must be contained in separate electronic files, and each file must be uploaded to the electronic registration system in Portable Document Format (PDF). The Copyright Office will review these materials to determine if the work(s) qualify for an examination under secure conditions. If they appear to be eligible, the Copyright Office will contact the applicant to schedule an appointment to examine an unredacted copy of the work(s). The examination may be conducted in-person or through remote access as directed by the instructions provided on the Office's website.
(3) On the appointed date, the applicant must provide the following materials to the Copyright Office:
(i) A copy of the completed application.
(ii) The appropriate examination fee, as required by § 201.3(d) of this chapter.
(iii) A copy of the redacted version of the work(s) that was uploaded to the electronic registration system.
(iv) A signed declaration confirming that the redacted copy specified in paragraph (c)(3)(iii) of this section is identical to the redacted copy that was uploaded to the electronic registration system.
(v) In the case of a secure test, the applicant must provide an unredacted copy of the entire test. In the case of a group of test items prepared for use in a secure test, the applicant must provide an unredacted copy of all the test items. The applicant shall include the following information in the metadata of an unredacted electronic file:
(A) The date of the examination; and
(B) The service request number generated by the electronic registration system.
(4) The Copyright Office will examine the copies specified in paragraphs (c)(3)(iii) and (v) of this section under secure conditions. The Office will retain the signed declaration and the redacted copy that was uploaded to the electronic registration system. If the examination is conducted in-person, the Office will stamp the date of the appointment on the copies and will return them to the applicant when the examination is complete.
(d) Group registration requirements. The Copyright Office may register a group of test items if the following conditions have been met:
(1) All the test items must be prepared for use in a secure test, and the name of the secure test must be identified in the title of the group.
(2) The group may contain an unlimited amount of works, but the applicant must identify the individual works included within the group by numbering each test item in the deposit.
(3) The applicant must provide a title for the group as a whole, and must append the term “GRSTQ” to the beginning of the title.
(4) The group must contain only unpublished works, or works published within the same three-calendar-month period and the application must identify the earliest date that the works were published.
(5) All the works in the group must have the same author or authors, and the copyright claimant for each work must be the same. Claims in the selection, coordination, or arrangement of the group as a whole will not be permitted on the application. Each item in the group must be separately copyrightable or must be excluded from the group.
§§ 202.14-202.15   [Reserved]
§ 202.16   Preregistration of copyrights.
(a) General. This section prescribes rules pertaining to the preregistration of copyright claims in works eligible for preregistration under 17 U.S.C. 408(f).
(b) Definitions. For the purposes of this section—
(1) A work is in a class of works that the Register of Copyrights has determined has had a history of infringement prior to authorized commercial release if it falls within one of the following classes of works:
(i) Motion pictures;
(ii) Sound recordings;
(iii) Musical compositions;
(iv) Literary works being prepared for publication in book form;
(v) Computer programs (including videogames); or
(vi) Advertising or marketing photographs.
(2) A work is being prepared for commercial distribution if:
(i) The claimant, in a statement certified by the authorized preregistering party, has a reasonable expectation that the work will be commercially distributed to the public; and
(ii) Preparation of the work has commenced and at least some portion of the work has been fixed in a tangible medium of expression, as follows:
(A) For a motion picture, filming of the motion picture must have commenced;
(B) For a sound recording, recording of the sounds must have commenced;
(C) For a musical composition, at least some of the musical composition must have been fixed either in the form of musical notation or in a copy or phonorecord embodying a performance of some or all of the work;
(D) For a literary work being prepared for publication in book form, the actual writing of the text of the work must have commenced;
(E) For a computer program, at least some of the computer code (either source code or object code) must have been fixed; and
(F) For an advertising or marketing photograph, the photograph (or, in the case of a group of photographs intended for simultaneous publication, at least one of the photographs) must have been taken.
(3) A work eligible for preregistration is a work that is:
(i) Unpublished;
(ii) Being prepared for commercial distribution; and
(iii) In a class of works that the Register of Copyrights has determined has had a history of infringement prior to authorized commercial release.
(c) Preregistration —(1) General. A work eligible for preregistration may be preregistered by submitting an application and fee to the Copyright Office pursuant to the requirements set forth in this section.
(2) Works excluded. Works that are not copyrightable subject matter under title 17 of the U.S. Code may not be preregistered in the Copyright Office.
(3) Application. An application for preregistration must be submitted electronically on the Copyright Office website at: http://www.copyright.gov.
(4) Unit of publication. For the purpose of preregistration on one application and upon payment of one filing fee, all copyrightable elements that are otherwise recognizable as self-contained works, that are to be included and first published in the same unit of publication, and in which the copyright claimant is the same, shall be considered one work eligible for preregistration.
(5) Fee. The filing fee for preregistration is prescribed in § 201.3(c) of this chapter.
(ii) Method of payment —(A) Copyright Office deposit account. The Copyright Office maintains a system of Deposit Accounts for the convenience of those who frequently use its services and for those who file applications electronically. The system allows an individual or firm to establish a Deposit Account in the Copyright Office and to make advance deposits in that account. Deposit Account holders can charge preregistration fees against the balance in their accounts instead of using credit cards for each request of service. For information on Deposit Accounts, please download a copy of Circular 5, “How to Open and Maintain a Deposit Account in the Copyright Office,” or write the Register of Copyrights, Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20559.
(B) Credit cards, debit cards and electronic funds transfer. The online preregistration filing system will provide options for payment by means of credit or debit cards and by means of electronic funds transfers. Applicants will be redirected to the Department of Treasury's Pay.gov website to make payments with credit or debit cards, or directly from their bank accounts by means of ACH debit transactions.
(C) No refunds. The preregistration filing fee is not refundable.
(6) Description. No deposit of the work being preregistered should be submitted with an application for preregistration. The preregistration applicant should submit a detailed description, of not more than 2,000 characters (approximately 330 words), of the work as part of the application. The description should be based on information available at the time of the application sufficient to reasonably identify the work. Generally, the Copyright Office will not review descriptions for adequacy, but in an action for infringement of a preregistered work, the court may evaluate the adequacy of the description to determine whether the preregistration actually describes the work that is alleged to be infringed, taking into account the information available to the applicant at the time of preregistration and taking into account the legitimate interest of the applicant in protecting confidential information.
(i) For motion pictures, the identifying description should include the following information to the extent known at the time of filing: The subject matter, a summary or outline, the director, the primary actors, the principal location of filming, and any other information that would assist in identifying the particular work being preregistered.
(ii) For sound recordings, the identifying description should include the following information to the extent known at the time of filing: the subject matter of the work or works recorded, the performer or performing group, the genre of the work recorded (e.g., classical, pop, musical comedy, soft rock, heavy metal, gospel, rap, hip-hop, blues, jazz), the titles of the musical compositions being recorded, the principal recording location, the composer(s) of the recorded musical compositions embodied on the sound recording, and any other information that would assist in identifying the particular work being preregistered.
(iii) For musical compositions, the identifying description should include the following information to the extent known at the time of filing: The subject matter of the lyrics, if any; the genre of the work ( e.g., classical, pop, musical comedy, soft rock, heavy metal, gospel, rap, hip-hop, blues, jazz); the performer, principal recording location, record label, motion picture, or other information relating to any sound recordings or motion pictures that are being prepared for commercial distribution and will include the musical composition; and any other detail or characteristic that may assist in identifying the particular musical composition.
(iv) For literary works in book form, the identifying description should include to the extent known at the time of filing: The genre of the book ( e.g., biography, novel, history, etc.), and should include a brief summary of the work including, the subject matter ( e.g., a biography of President Bush, a history of the war in Iraq, a fantasy novel); a description (where applicable) of the plot, primary characters, events, or other key elements of the content of the work; and any other salient characteristics of the book ( e.g., whether it is a later edition or revision of a previous work, as well as any other detail which may assist in identifying the literary work in book form).
(v) For computer programs (including videogames), the identifying description should include to the extent known at the time of filing: The nature, purpose and function of the computer program, including the programming language in which it is written and any particular organization or structure in which the program has been created; the form in which it is expected to be published ( e.g., as an online-only product; whether there have been previous versions and identification of such previous versions); the identities of persons involved in the creation of the computer program; and, if the work is a videogame, also the subject matter of the videogame and the overall object, goal, or purpose of the game, its characters, if any, and the general setting and surrounding found in the game.
(vi) For advertising or marketing photographs, the description should include the subject matter depicted in the photograph or photographs, including information such as the particular product, event, public figure, or other item or occurrence which the photograph is intended to advertise or market. To the extent possible and applicable, the description for photographs should give additional details which will assist in identifying the particular photographs, such as the party for whom such advertising photographs are taken; the approximate time periods during which the photographs are taken; the approximate number of photos which may be included in the grouping; any events associated with the photographs; and the location and physical setting or surrounding depicted in the photographs. The description may also explain the general presentation ( e.g., the lighting, background scenery, positioning of elements of the subject matter as it is seen in the photographs), and should provide any locations and events, if applicable, associated with the photographs.
(7) Review of preregistration information. The Copyright Office will conduct a limited review of applications for preregistration, in order to ascertain whether the application describes a work that is in a class of works that the Register of Copyrights has determined has had a history of infringement prior to authorized commercial release. However, a work will not be preregistered unless an applicant has provided all of the information requested on the application and has certified that all of the information provided on the application is correct to the best of the applicant's knowledge.
(8) Certification. The person submitting an application for preregistration must certify on the application that he or she is the author, copyright claimant, or owner of exclusive rights, or the authorized agent of the author, copyright claimant, or owner of exclusive rights, of the work submitted for this preregistration; that the information given in this application is correct to the best of his or her knowledge; that the work is being prepared for commercial distribution; and that he or she has a reasonable expectation that the work will be commercially distributed to the public.
(9) Effective date of preregistration. The effective date of a preregistration is the day on which an application and fee for preregistration of a work, which the Copyright Office later notifies the claimant has been preregistered or which a court of competent jurisdiction has concluded was acceptable for preregistration, have been received in the Copyright Office.
(10) Notification of preregistration. Upon completion of the preregistration, the Copyright Office will email an official notification of the preregistration to the person who submitted the application.
(11) Certification of preregistration. A certified copy of the official notification may be obtained in physical form from the Records Research and Certification Section of the Office of Public Information and Education at the address specified in § 201.1 of this chapter.
(12) Public record of preregistration. The preregistration record also will be made available to the public on the Copyright Office website at: http://www.copyright.gov.
(13) Effect of preregistration. Preregistration of a work offers certain advantages to a copyright owner pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 408(f), 411 and 412. However, preregistration of a work does not constitute prima facie evidence of the validity of the copyright or of the facts stated in the application for preregistration or in the preregistration record. The fact that a work has been preregistered does not create any presumption that the Copyright Office will register the work upon submission of an application for registration.
(14) Petition for recognition of a new class of works. At any time an interested party may petition the Register of Copyrights for a determination as to whether a particular class of works has had a history of copyright infringement prior to authorized release that would justify inclusion of that class of works among the classes of works eligible for preregistration.
§ 202.17   Renewals.
(a) General. (1) This section concerns renewal for copyrights originally secured from January 1, 1964, through December 31, 1977, either by publication with the required copyright notice or by registration as an unpublished work. Renewal registration for these works is optional. As provided in Pub. L. No. 102-307, 106 Stat. 264, enacted June 26, 1992, renewal registration made during the last year of the original 28-year term of copyright differs in legal effect from renewal registration made during the 67-year extended renewal term. In the latter instance, the copyright is renewed automatically at the expiration of the original 28-year term. In the former instance, renewal by registration during the last year of the original 28-year term vested the renewal copyright in the statutory claimant living on the date of registration.
(2) Works for which copyright was secured before 1964 are governed by the provisions of 17 U.S.C. 304(a) in effect prior to the 1992 date of enactment of Pub. L. No. 102-307. The copyrights in such works could have been renewed by registration only within the last calendar year of the original 28-year term of copyright protection. If renewal registration was not made during that period of time, copyright protection was lost when the original term of copyright expired and cannot be regained.
(3) Works restored to copyright by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act are governed in their copyright term of protection by Pub. L. No. 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809, 4976 (December 8, 1994). Under 17 U.S.C. 104A(a)(1)(A) and (B), as amended, any work in which copyright is restored subsists for the remainder of the term of copyright that the work would have been otherwise granted in the United States. Such term includes the remainder of any applicable renewal term.
(4) Automatic restoration of copyright in certain foreign works that were in the public domain in the United States may have occurred under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and may be protected by copyright or neighboring rights in their “source country,” as defined at 17 U.S.C. 104A(h)(8).
(b) Definitions. (1) For purposes of this section, the terms assignee and successor, as they pertain to 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(3)(A)(ii), refer to a party which has acquired the renewal copyright in a work by assignment or by other means of legal succession from the statutory claimant (as that claimant is defined in 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(1)(B) and (C)) in whom the renewal copyright vested but in whose name no renewal registration was previously made.
(2) For purposes of this section, a work has been copyrighted when it has been published with a proper copyright notice or, in the case of an unpublished work, when it has been registered for copyright.
(3) For purposes of this section, the term posthumous work means a work that was unpublished on the date of the death of the author and with respect to which no copyright assignment or other contract for exploitation of the work occurred during the author's lifetime.
(4) For purposes of this section, the term statutory claimant means:
(i) A party who was entitled to claim copyright for the renewal term at the time renewal registration was made either as a proprietary claimant, 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(2)(A)(i), or as a personal claimant, 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(2)(B)(i), if registration was made during the original term of copyright; or
(ii) If the original copyright term expired, a party who was entitled to claim copyright for the renewal term as of the last day of the original term of copyright as either a proprietary or a personal claimant, 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(2)(A)(ii) and (a)(2)(B)(ii).
(5) For purposes of this section, the term to vest means to give a fixed, non-contingent right of present or future enjoyment of the renewal copyright in a work. If renewal registration was made during the 28th year of the original term of copyright, the renewal copyright vested in the party or parties entitled to claim such copyright at the time of registration as provided by 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(1)(B) and (C). Although the vested right may have been determined by registration during the 28th year of the original term, the exercise of such right did not commence until the beginning of the renewal term, as provided in 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(2). If renewal registration was not made during the 28th year, the renewal copyright automatically vested upon the beginning of the renewal term in the party or parties entitled to claim such copyright on the last day of the original term as provided by 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(2)(A)(ii) and (B)(ii).
(c) Time limits: original term and renewal term registration. (1) Under 17 U.S.C. 304(a), prior to its amendment of June 26, 1992, a registration for the original term of copyright must have been made during the 28 years of that original term, and a renewal registration must also have been made during the 28th year of that term. Pub. L. No. 102-307, 106 Stat. 264 (June 26, 1992) amended section 304(a) for works originally copyrighted from January 1, 1964, through December 31, 1977, and provided for optional original-term registration and optional renewal registration. 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(2), (a)(3) and 409(11). For such works, claims to renewal copyright could have been registered during the last year of the original term but such registration was not required in order to enjoy statutory protection during the renewal term. 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(3)(B).
(2) A renewal registration can be made at any time during the renewal term. 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(3)(A)(ii). If no original-term registration was made, renewal registration remains possible; but the Register may request information, under 17 U.S.C. 409(10), regarding the original term of copyright. Such information must demonstrate that the work complies with all requirements of the 1909 Act with respect to the existence, ownership, or duration of the copyright for the original term of the work. The Form RE/Addendum is used to provide this information.
(3) Renewal registration is currently available for works copyrighted from January 1, 1964, through December 31, 1977. Under the provisions of 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(3)(A)(ii), renewal registration may be made any time during the 67-year renewal term for such works according to the procedure indicated in paragraph (h) of this section. Such renewal registration is optional and is not a condition of the subsistence of the copyright for the 67-year renewal term. 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(3)(B). In the case of such works for which no registration was made during the original term of copyright, renewal registration may be made by submission of a Form RE/Addendum. The Addendum, an adjunct to the renewal form, concerns the facts of first publication for a work and assures the Copyright Office that the work as it existed in its original term of copyright was in compliance with the 1909 copyright law, 17 U.S.C. 1, et. seq. (1909 Act, in effect through December 31, 1977), whose provisions govern such works.
(d) Benefits of 28th-year renewal registration. Prior to January 1, 2006, renewal registration was available during the 28th year of the original term of copyright for works copyrighted from January 1, 1964, through December 31, 1977. As provided in Pub. L. No. 102-307, 106 Stat. 264, registration made during the 28th year of the original term of copyright provided the following benefits to the registrant:
(1) The certificate of registration constituted prima facie evidence as to the validity of the copyright during its renewal term and of the facts stated in the certificate. 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(4)(B).
(2) A derivative work prepared under the authority of a grant of a transfer or license of copyright in a work made before the expiration of the original term of copyright could not continue to be used under the terms of the grant during the renewal term without the authority of the owner of the renewal copyright. 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(4)(A).
(3) The renewal copyright vested upon the beginning of the renewal term in the party entitled to claim the renewal of copyright at the time the application was made as provided under 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(2)(A)(i) and (B)(i).
(e) Statutory parties entitled to claim copyright for the renewal term under section 304(a). (1) Renewal claims must be registered in the name of the party or parties entitled to claim copyright for the renewal term as provided in paragraphs (e)(2) through (4) of this section and as specified in 17 U.S.C. 304(a). If a work was a new version of a previously published or registered work, renewal registration may be claimed only in the new matter.
(2) If the renewal claim was submitted during the last, i.e. , the 28th, year of the original term of copyright, the claim had to be registered in the name(s) of the statutory claimant(s) entitled to claim the renewal copyright on the date on which the claim was submitted to the Copyright Office. If the renewal claim is submitted during the 67-year extended renewal term, the renewal claim can be registered only in the name(s) of the statutory claimant(s) entitled to claim the renewal on the last day (December 31) of the original term of copyright. These eligible renewal claimants are listed below:
(i) The person who, on the applicable day, was the copyright proprietor is the appropriate renewal claimant in any posthumous work or any periodical, encyclopedia, or other composite work upon which the copyright was originally secured by the proprietor;
(ii) The person who, on the applicable day, was the copyright proprietor is the appropriate claimant in any work copyrighted by a corporate body (otherwise than as assignees or licensees of the individual author), or by an employer for whom such work was made for hire;
(iii) For any other copyrighted work, including a contribution by an individual author to a periodical or to a cyclopedic or other composite work, the appropriate claimants, in descending order of eligibility, are the person who, on the applicable day, was:
(A) The author(s) of the work, if still living;
(B) The widow(er) and/or child(ren) of the author, if the author was deceased on the applicable day;
(C) The author's executor(s), if still acting in that capacity on the applicable day, provided the author had a will and neither the author, nor any widow(er) or child of the author is still living; or
(D) The author's next of kin, in the absence of a will and if neither the author nor any widow, widower or child of the author is living.
(3) The provisions of paragraphs (e)(1) and (2) of this section are subject to the following qualification: Notwithstanding the definition of “posthumous work” in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, a renewal claim may be registered in the name of the proprietor of a work, as well as in the name of the appropriate claimant under paragraph (e)(2)(iii) of this section, in any case in which a contract for exploitation of the work but no copyright assignment in the work has occurred during the author's lifetime. However, registration by the Copyright Office in this case should not be interpreted as evidencing the validity of either claim.
(4) The provisions of paragraphs (e)(2)(iii)(C) and (D) of this section are subject to the following qualifications:
(i) In any case where:
(A) The author has left a will which names no executor;
(B) The author has left a will which names an executor who cannot or will not serve in that capacity; or
(C) The author has left a will which names an executor who has been discharged upon settlement of the estate, removed before the estate has been completely administered, or is deceased at the time of the renewal registration submission, the renewal claim may be registered either in the name of an administrator cum testamento annexo (administrator c.t.a.) or an administrator de bonis non cum testamento annexo (administrator d.b.n.c.t.a.) so appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(ii) In any case described in paragraph (e) of this section, except in the case where the author has left a will without naming an executor and a court-appointed administrator c.t.a. or administrator d.b.n.c.t.a. is in existence at the time of renewal registration, the renewal claim also may be registered in the name of the author's next of kin. However, registration by the Copyright Office of conflicting renewal claims in such a case should not be interpreted as evidencing the validity of either claim.
(f) Successors/assignees entitled to file an application for the renewal term under Section 304(a). The provisions of paragraph (e) of this section are subject to the following qualifications:
(1) Where no renewal registration has been made in the name of a person or entity identified in paragraphs (e)(2)(i), (ii) and (iii) of this section, a renewal application may be filed at any time during the renewal term by any successor or assignee of such person or entity.
(2) In such cases described in paragraph (f)(1) of this section, the renewal application must identify the party in whom the renewal copyright vested; must indicate the basis upon which copyright for the renewal term vested in that party; must identify the party who is the successor or assignee of the statutory claimant under 17 U.S.C. 304(a)(3); and, must give the manner by which such successor/assignee secured the renewal copyright.
(3) When such a claim has been filed by a successor or assignee in the name of the statutory claimant as described in paragraph (e)(2)(i), (ii) and (iii) of this section, generally no subsequent claims may be filed by other successors or assignees whose rights are derived from the same statutory claimant. If a public record of renewal ownership is sought by other successors or assignees of the same statutory claimant, the document of transfer of the renewal copyright, either the renewal in its entirety or in part, may be recorded in the Copyright Office.
(4) Where a successor or assignee claims the renewal right from the same statutory claimant as does another successor or assignee, the Copyright Office may inquire concerning the situation and, if appropriate, may allow adverse renewal claims from the successors/assignees to be placed on the public record. In such cases, correspondence between the parties filing competing renewal claims and the Copyright Office will be, as always, maintained within Office records and subject to public inspection according to regulations found at 37 CFR 201.2.
(g) Application for renewal registration for a work registered in its original 28-year term. (1) Each application for renewal registration shall be submitted on Form RE. All forms are available free of charge via the Internet by accessing the Copyright Office website at: http://www.copyright.gov . Copies of Form RE are also available free upon request. Requests should be sent in the manner prescribed in § 201.1(b) of this chapter.
(2)(i) An application for renewal registration may be submitted by any eligible statutory renewal claimant as specified in paragraph (e) of this section or by the duly authorized agent of such claimant, or by the successor or assignee of such claimant as provided under paragraph (f) of this section or by the duly authorized agent of such successor or assignee.
(ii) An application for renewal registration shall be accompanied by the required fee as set forth in 37 CFR 201.3. The application shall contain the information required by the form and its accompanying instructions, and shall include a certification. The certification shall consist of:
(A) A designation of whether the applicant is the renewal claimant, or a successor or assignee, or the duly authorized agent of such claimant or of such successor or assignee (whose identity shall also be given);
(B) The typed, printed, or handwritten signature of such claimant, successor or assignee, or agent, accompanied by the typed or printed name of that person if the signature is handwritten;
(C) A declaration that the statements made in the application are correct to the best of that person's knowledge; and
(D) The date of certification.
(3) Once a renewal registration has been made, the Copyright Office will not accept another application for renewal registration on behalf of the same renewal claimant.
(h) Renewal with addendum registration for an unregistered work —(1) General. For published works copyrighted from January 1, 1964, through December 31, 1977, where no registration was made during the original term of copyright and where renewal registration is sought during the 67-year renewal term, the Form RE/Addendum must be used to provide information concerning the original term of copyright. The Form RE/Addendum requires a separate fee and the deposit of one copy or phonorecord of the work as first published (or identifying material in lieu of a copy or phonorecord). The effective date of registration for a renewal claim submitted on a Form RE/Addendum is the date the Copyright Office receives an acceptable completed application, the required fees, and an acceptable deposit for the work.
(2) Time Limits. A renewal claim accompanied by an Addendum to Form RE may be filed at any time during the 67-year renewal term.
(3) Content. The Form RE/Addendum must contain the following information:
(i) The title of the work;
(ii) The name of the author(s);
(iii) The date of first publication of the work;
(iv) The nation of first publication of the work;
(v) The citizenship of the author(s) on the date of first publication of the work;
(vi) The domicile of the author(s) on the date of first publication of the work;
(vii) An averment that, at the time of first publication, and thereafter until March 1, 1989 (effective date of the Berne Implementation Act of 1988), all the copies or phonorecords of the work, including reprints of the work, published, i.e. , publicly distributed in the United States or elsewhere, under the authority of the author or other copyright proprietor, bore the copyright notice required by the Copyright Act of 1909 and that United States copyright subsists in the work;
(viii) For works of United States origin which were subject to the manufacturing provisions of section 16 of the Copyright Act of 1909 as it existed at the time the work was published, the Form RE/Addendum must also contain information about the country of manufacture and the manufacturing processes; and
(ix) The handwritten signature of the renewal claimant or successor or assignee, or the duly authorized agent of the claimant or of the successor or assignee. The signature shall be accompanied by the printed or typewritten name of the person signing the Addendum and by the date of the signature; and shall be immediately preceded by a declaration that the statements made in the application are correct to the best of that person's knowledge.
(4) Fees. Form RE and Form RE/Addendum must be accompanied by the required fee for each form as required in 37 CFR 201.3.
(5) Deposit requirement. One copy or phonorecord or identifying material of the work as first published in accordance with the deposit requirements set out in 37 CFR 202.20 and 202.21 is required.
(6) Waiver of the deposit requirement. Where the renewal applicant asserts that it is either impossible or otherwise an undue hardship to satisfy the deposit requirements of 37 CFR 202.20 and 202.21, the Copyright Office, at its discretion, may, upon receipt of an acceptable explanation of the inability to submit such copy or identifying material, permit the deposit of the following in descending order of preference. In every case, however, proof of the copyright notice showing the content and location of the notice as it appeared on copies or phonorecords of the work as first published must be included.
(i) A reproduction of the entire work as first published (e.g., photocopy, videotape, audiotape, CD-ROM, DVD are examples of physical media which may hold reproductions of a work as first published). If the work is a contribution to a periodical, a reproduction of only the contribution (including the relevant copyright notice) will suffice.
(ii) A reprint of the work (e.g., a later edition, a later release of a phonorecord, or the like). The reprint must show the copyright notice as it appeared in the same location within the first published copy of the work as well as the exact content of the copyright notice appearing in the first published edition. If the copyrightable content of the reprint differs from that of the first published edition, an explanation of the differences between the two editions is required.
(iii) Identifying material including a reproduction of the greatest feasible portion of the copyrightable content of a work including a photocopy or photograph of the title page, title screen, record label or the like, as first published, and a photocopy or photograph showing the copyright notice content and location as first published. The Copyright Office may request deposit of additional material if the initial submission is inadequate for examination purposes.
§ 202.18   Access to electronic works.
(a) Access to electronic works received under § 202.4(e) and § 202.19, and transferred into the Library of Congress's collections, will be available only to authorized users at Library of Congress premises in accordance with the policies listed below. Library staff may access such content off-site as part of their assigned duties via a secure connection.
(b) Access to each individual electronic work received under § 202.4(e) and § 202.19 will be limited, at any one time, to two Library of Congress authorized users via a secure server over a secure network that serves Library of Congress premises.
(c) The Library of Congress will not make electronic works received under § 202.4(e) and § 202.19 available to the public over the internet without rightsholders' permissions.
(d) “Authorized user” means Library of Congress staff, contractors, and registered researchers, and Members, staff and officers of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for the purposes of this section.
(e) “Library of Congress premises” means all Library of Congress premises in Washington, DC, and the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation in Culpeper, VA.
(f) Except as provided under special relief agreements entered into pursuant to § 202.19(e) or § 202.20(d), electronic works will be transferred to the Library of Congress for its collections and made available only under the conditions specified by this section.
§ 202.19   Deposit of published copies or phonorecords for the Library of Congress.
(a) General. This section prescribes rules pertaining to the deposit of copies and phonorecords of published works for the Library of Congress under section 407 of title 17 of the United States Code. The provisions of this section are not applicable to the deposit of copies and phonorecords for purposes of copyright registration under section 408 of title 17, except as expressly adopted in § 202.20.
(b) Definitions. For the purposes of this section:
(1)(i) The best edition of a work is the edition, published in the United States at any time before the date of deposit, that the Library of Congress determines to be most suitable for its purposes. The “best edition” requirement is described in detail at Appendix B to this part.
(ii) Criteria for selection of the “best edition” from among two or more published editions of the same version of the same work are set forth in the statement entitled “Best Edition of Published Copyrighted Works for the Collections of the Library of Congress” (hereafter referred to as the “Best Edition Statement”) in effect at the time of deposit.
(iii) Where no specific criteria for the selection of the “best edition” are established in the Best Edition Statement, that edition which, in the judgment of the Library of Congress, represents the highest quality for its purposes shall be considered the “best edition.” In such cases:
(A) When the Copyright Office is aware that two or more editions of a work have been published it will consult with other appropriate officials of the Library of Congress to obtain instructions as to the “best edition” and (except in cases for which special relief is granted) will require deposit of that edition; and
(B) When a potential depositor is uncertain which of two or more published editions comprises the “best edition”, inquiry should be made to Acquisitions and Deposits.
(iv) Where differences between two or more “editions” of a work represent variations in copyrightable content, each edition is considered a separate version, and hence a different work, for the purpose of this section, and criteria of “best edition” based on such differences do not apply.
(2) A complete copy includes all elements comprising the unit of publication of the best edition of the work, including elements that, if considered separately, would not be copyrightable subject matter or would otherwise be exempt from the mandatory deposit requirement under paragraph (c) of this section.
(i) In the case of sound recordings, a “complete” phonorecord includes the phonorecord, together with any printed or other visually perceptible material published with such phonorecord (such as textual or pictorial matter appearing on record sleeves or album covers, or embodied in leaflets or booklets included in a sleeve, album, or other container).
(ii) In the case of a musical composition published in copies only, or in both copies and phonorecords:
(A) If the only publication of copies in the United States took place by the rental, lease, or lending of a full score and parts, a full score is a “complete” copy; and
(B) If the only publication of copies in the United States took place by the rental, lease, or lending of a conductor's score and parts, a conductor's score is a “complete” copy.
(iii) In the case of a motion picture, a copy is “complete” if the reproduction of all of the visual and aural elements comprising the copyrightable subject matter in the work is clean, undamaged, undeteriorated, and free of splices, and if the copy itself and its physical housing are free of any defects that would interfere with the performance of the work or that would cause mechanical, visual, or audible defects or distortions.
(iv) In the case of an electronic work published in the United States and available only online, a copy is “complete” if it includes all elements constituting the work in its published form, i.e., the complete work as published, including metadata and formatting codes otherwise exempt from mandatory deposit.
(3) The terms architectural works , copies , collective work , device , fixed , literary work , machine , motion picture, phonorecord , publication , sound recording , useful article , and their variant forms, have the meanings given to them in 17 U.S.C. 101.
(4) For purposes of paragraph (c)(5) of this section:
(i) An electronic-only serial is a serial as defined in § 202.3(b)(1)(v) that is published in electronic form in the United States and available only online.
(ii) An electronic-only book is an electronic literary work published in one volume or a finite number of volumes published in the United States and available only online. This class excludes literary works distributed solely in phonorecords (e.g., audiobooks), serials (as defined in § 202.3(b)(1)(v)), computer programs, websites, blogs, emails, and short online literary works such as social media posts.
(iii) A work shall be deemed to be available only online even if copies have been made available to individual consumers or other end users to print on demand, so long as the work is otherwise available only online. A work also shall be deemed to be available only online even if copies have been loaded onto electronic devices, such as tablets or e-readers, in advance of sale to individual consumers, so long as the work is otherwise available only online.
(5) The term literary monograph means a literary work published in one volume or a finite number of volumes. This category does not include serials, nor does it include legal publications that are published in one volume or a finite number of volumes that contain legislative enactments, judicial decisions, or other edicts of government.
(c) Exemptions from deposit requirements. The following categories of material are exempt from the deposit requirements of section 407(a) of title 17:
(1) Diagrams and models illustrating scientific or technical works or formulating scientific or technical information in linear or three-dimensional form, such as an architectural or engineering blueprint, plan, or design, a mechanical drawing, or an anatomical model.
(2) Greeting cards, picture postcards, and stationery.
(3) Lectures, sermons, speeches, and addresses when published individually and not as a collection of the works of one or more authors.
(4) Literary, dramatic, and musical works published only as embodied in phonorecords. This category does not exempt the owner of copyright, or of the exclusive right of publication, in a sound recording resulting from the fixation of such works in a phonorecord from the applicable deposit requirements for the sound recording.
(5) Electronic works published in the United States and available only online. This exemption includes electronic-only books and electronic serials available only online only until such time as a demand is issued by the Copyright Office under the regulations set forth in § 202.24. This exemption does not apply to works that are published in both online, electronic formats and in physical formats, which remain subject to the appropriate mandatory deposit requirements.
(6) Three-dimensional sculptural works, and any works published only as reproduced in or on jewelry, dolls, toys, games, plaques, floor coverings, wallpaper and similar commercial wall coverings, textiles and other fabrics, packaging material, or any useful article. Globes, relief models, and similar cartographic representations of area are not within this category and are subject to the applicable deposit requirements.
(7) Prints, labels, and other advertising matter, including catalogs, published in connection with the rental lease, lending, licensing, or sale of articles of merchandise, works of authorship, or services.
(8) Tests, and answer material for tests when published separately from other literary works.
(9) Works first published as individual contributions to collective works. This category does not exempt the owner of copyright, or of the exclusive right of publication, in the collective work as a whole, from the applicable deposit requirements for the collective work.
(10) Works first published outside the United States and later published in the United States without change in copyrightable content, if:
(i) Registration for the work was made under 17 U.S.C. 408 before the work was published in the United States; or
(ii) Registration for the work was made under 17 U.S.C. 408 after the work was published in the United States but before a demand for deposit is made under 17 U.S.C. 407(d).
(11) Works published only as embodied in a soundtrack that is an integral part of a motion picture. This category does not exempt the owner of copyright, or of the exclusive right of publication, in the motion picture, from the applicable deposit requirements for the motion picture.
(12) Motion pictures that consist of television transmission programs and that have been published, if at all, only by reason of a license or other grant to a nonprofit institution of the right to make a fixation of such programs directly from a transmission to the public, with or without the right to make further uses of such fixations.
(d) Nature of required deposit. (1) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the deposit required to satisfy the provisions of section 407(a) of title 17 shall consist of:
(i) In the case of published works other than sound recordings, two complete copies of the best edition; and
(ii) In the case of published sound recordings, two complete phonorecords of the best edition.
(2) In the case of certain published works not exempt from deposit requirements under paragraph (c) of this section, the following special provisions shall apply:
(i) In the case of published three-dimensional cartographic representations of area, such as globes and relief models, the deposit of one complete copy of the best edition of the work will suffice in lieu of the two copies required by paragraph (d)(1) of this section.
(ii) In the case of published motion pictures, the deposit of one complete copy of the best edition of the work will suffice in lieu of the two copies required by paragraph (d)(1) of this section. Any deposit of a published motion picture must be accompanied by a separate description of its contents, such as a continuity, pressbook, or synopsis. The Library of Congress may, at its sole discretion, enter into an agreement permitting the return of copies of published motion pictures to the depositor under certain conditions and establishing certain rights and obligations of the Library with respect to such copies. In the event of termination of such an agreement by the Library it shall not be subject to reinstatement, nor shall the depositor or any successor in interest of the depositor be entitled to any similar or subsequent agreement with the Library, unless at the sole discretion of the Library it would be in the best interests of the Library to reinstate the agreement or enter into a new agreement.
(iii) In the case of any published work deposited in the form of a hologram, the deposit shall be accompanied by:
(A) Two sets of precise instructions for displaying the image fixed in the hologram; and
(B) Two sets of identifying material in compliance with § 202.21 and clearly showing the displayed image.
(iv) In any case where an individual author is the owner of copyright in a published pictorial or graphic work and:
(A) Less than five copies of the work have been published; or
(B) The work has been published and sold or offered for sale in a limited edition consisting of no more than three hundred numbered copies, the deposit of one complete copy of the best edition of the work or, alternatively, the deposit of photographs or other identifying material in compliance with § 202.21, will suffice in lieu of the two copies required by paragraph (d)(1) of this section.
(v) In the case of a musical composition published solely in copies, or in both copies and phonorecords, the deposit of one complete copy of the best edition will suffice in lieu of the two copies required by paragraph (d)(1) of this section.
(vi) In the case of published multimedia kits that include literary works, audiovisual works, sound recordings, or any combination of such works, the deposit of one complete copy of the best edition will suffice in lieu of the two copies required by paragraph (d)(1) of this section.
(vii) In the case of published computer programs and published computerized information works, such as statistical compendia, serials, and reference works that are not copy-protected, the deposit of one complete copy of the best edition as specified in the current Library of Congress Best Edition Statement will suffice in lieu of the two copies required by paragraph (d)(1) of this section. If the works are copy-protected, two copies of the best edition are required.
(viii) In the case of published architectural works, the deposit shall consist of the most finished form of presentation drawings in the following descending order of preference:
(A) Original format, or best quality form of reproduction, including offset or silk screen printing;
(B) Xerographic or photographic copies on good quality paper;
(C) Positive photostat or photodirect positive;
(D) Blue line copies (diazo or ozalid process). If photographs are submitted, they should be 8 × 10 inches and should clearly show several exterior and interior views. The deposit should disclose the name(s) of the architect(s) and draftsperson(s) and the building site.
(ix) In the case of published literary monographs, the deposit of one complete copy of the best edition of the work will suffice in lieu of the two copies required by paragraph (d)(1) of this section, unless the Copyright Office issues a demand for a second copy pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 407(d).
(x) In the case of published newspapers, a deposit submitted pursuant to and in compliance with the group registration option under § 202.4(e) shall be deemed to satisfy the mandatory deposit obligation under this section.
(xi) In the case of serials (as defined in § 202.3(b)(1)(v), but excluding newspapers) published in the United States in a physical format, or in both a physical and an electronic format, the copyright owner or the owner of the exclusive right of publication must provide the Library of Congress with two complimentary subscriptions to the serial, unless Acquisitions and Deposits informs the owner that the serial is not needed for the Library's collections. Subscription copies must be physically mailed to the Copyright Office, at the address for mandatory deposit copies specified in § 201.1(c) of this chapter, promptly after the publication of each issue, and the subscription(s) must be maintained on an ongoing basis. The owner may cancel the subscription(s) if the serial is no longer published by the owner, if the serial is no longer published in the United States in a physical format, or if Acquisitions and Deposits informs the owner that the serial is no longer needed for the Library's collections. In addition, prior to commencing the subscriptions, the owner must send a letter to Acquisitions and Deposits at the address specified in § 201.1(b) of this chapter confirming that the owner will provide the requested number of subscriptions for the Library of Congress. The letter must include the name of the publisher, the title of the serial, the International Standard Serial Number (“ISSN”) that has been assigned to the serial (if any), and the issue date and the numerical or chronological designations that appear on the first issue that will be provided under the subscriptions.
(e) Special relief. (1) In the case of any published work not exempt from deposit under paragraph (c) of this section, the Register of Copyrights may, after consultation with other appropriate officials of the Library of Congress and upon such conditions as the Register may determine after such consultation:
(i) Grant an exemption from the deposit requirements of section 407(a) of title 17 on an individual basis for single works or series or groups of works; or
(ii) Permit the deposit of one copy or phonorecord, or alternative identifying material, in lieu of the two copies or phonorecords required by paragraph (d)(1) of this section; or
(iii) Permit the deposit of incomplete copies or phonorecords, or copies or phonorecords other than those normally comprising the best edition; or
(iv) Permit the deposit of identifying material which does not comply with § 202.21.
(2) Any decision as to whether to grant such special relief, and the conditions under which special relief is to be granted, shall be made by the Register of Copyrights after consultation with other appropriate officials of the Library of Congress, and shall be based upon the acquisition policies of the Library of Congress then in force.
(3) Requests for special relief under this paragraph shall be made in writing to the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice, shall be signed by or on behalf of the owner of copyright or of the exclusive right of publication in the work, and shall set forth specific reasons why the request should be granted.
(4) The Register of Copyrights may, after consultation with other appropriate officials of the Library of Congress, terminate any ongoing or continuous grant of special relief. Notice of termination shall be given in writing and shall be sent to the individual person or organization to whom the grant of special relief had been given, at the last address shown in the records of the Copyright Office. A notice of termination may be given at any time, but it shall state a specific date of termination that is at least 30 days later than the date the notice is mailed. Termination shall not affect the validity of any deposit made earlier under the grant of special relief.
(f) Submission and receipt of copies and phonorecords. (1) All copies and phonorecords deposited in the Copyright Office will be considered to be deposited only in compliance with section 407 of title 17 unless they are accompanied by an application for registration of a claim to copyright in the work represented by the deposit, and either a registration fee or a deposit account number. Copies or phonorecords deposited without such an accompanying application and either a fee or a deposit account notation will not be connected with or held for receipt of separate applications, and will not satisfy the deposit provisions of section 408 of title 17 or § 202.20.
(2) All copies and phonorecords deposited in the Copyright Office under section 407 of title 17, unless accompanied by written instructions to the contrary, will be considered to be deposited by the person or persons named in the copyright notice on the work.
(3) Upon request by the depositor made at the time of the deposit, the Copyright Office will issue a certificate of receipt for the deposit of copies or phonorecords of a work under this section. Certificates of receipt will be issued in response to requests made after the date of deposit only if the requesting party is identified in the records of the Copyright Office as having made the deposit. In either case, requests for a certificate of receipt must be in writing and accompanied by the appropriate fee, as required in § 201.3(c). A certificate of receipt will include identification of the depositor, the work deposited, and the nature and format of the copy or phonorecord deposited, together with the date of receipt.
§ 202.20   Deposit of copies and phonorecords for copyright registration.
(a) General. This section prescribes rules pertaining to the deposit of copies and phonorecords of published and unpublished works for the purpose of copyright registration under section 408 of title 17 of the United States Code. The provisions of this section are not applicable to the deposit of copies and phonorecords for the Library of Congress under section 407 of title 17, except as expressly adopted in § 202.19.
(b) Definitions. For the purposes of this section:
(1) The best edition of a work has the meaning set forth in § 202.19(b)(1). For purposes of this section, if a work is first published in both hard copy, i.e. , in a physically tangible format, and also in an electronic format, the current Library of Congress Best Edition Statement requirements pertaining to the hard copy format apply.
(2) A complete copy or phonorecord means the following:
(i) Unpublished works. Subject to the requirements of paragraph (b)(2)(vii) of this section, a “complete” copy or phonorecord of an unpublished work is a copy or phonorecord representing the entire copyrightable content of the work for which registration is sought;
(ii) Published works. Subject to the requirements of paragraphs (b)(2)(iv) through (vii) of this section, a “complete” copy or phonorecord of a published work includes all elements comprising the applicable unit of publication of the work, including elements that, if considered separately, would not be copyrightable subject matter. However, even where certain physically separable elements included in the applicable unit of publication are missing from the deposit, a copy or phonorecord will be considered “complete” for purposes of registration where:
(A) The copy or phonorecord deposited contains all parts of the work for which copyright registration is sought; and
(B) The removal of the missing elements did not physically damage the copy or phonorecord or garble its contents; and
(C) The work is exempt from the mandatory deposit requirements under section 407 of title 17 of the United States Code and § 202.19(c) of these regulations, or the copy deposited consists entirely of a container, wrapper, or holder, such as an envelope, sleeve, jacket, slipcase, box, bag, folder, binder, or other receptacle acceptable for deposit under paragraph (c)(2) of this section;
(iii) Works submitted for registration in digital formats. A “complete” electronically filed work is one which is embodied in a digital file which contains:
(A) If the work is unpublished, all authorship elements for which registration is sought; and
(B) If the work is published solely in an electronic format, all elements constituting the work in its published form, i.e., the complete work as published, including metadata and authorship for which registration is not sought. Publication in an electronic only format requires submission of the digital file(s) in exact first-publication form and content.
(C) For works submitted electronically, any of the following file formats are acceptable for registration: PDF, TXT, WPD, DOC, TIF, SVG, JPG, XML, HTML, WAV, and MPEG family of formats, including MP3. This list of file formats is non-exhaustive and it may change, or be added to periodically. Changes will be noted in the list of acceptable formats on the Copyright Office website.
(D) Contact with the registration applicant may be necessary if the Copyright Office cannot access, view, or examine the content of any particular digital file that has been submitted for the registration of a work. For purposes of 17 U.S.C. 410(d), a deposit has not been received in the Copyright Office until a copy that can be reviewed by the Office is received.
(iv) Contributions to collective works. In the case of a published contribution to a collective work, a “complete” copy is one complete copy of the best edition of the entire collective work, the complete section containing the contribution if published in a newspaper, the contribution cut from the paper in which it appeared, or a photocopy of the contribution itself as it was published in the collective work.
(v) Sound recordings. In the case of published sound recordings, a “complete” phonorecord has the meaning set forth in § 202.19(b)(2)(i).
(vi) Musical scores. In the case of a musical composition published in copies only, or in both copies and phonorecords:
(A) If the only publication of copies took place by the rental, lease, or lending of a full score and parts, a full score is a “complete” copy; and
(B) If the only publication of copies took place by the rental, lease, or lending of a conductor's score and parts, a conductor's score is a “complete” copy.
(vii) Motion pictures. In the case of a published or unpublished motion picture, a copy is “complete” if the reproduction of all of the visual and aural elements comprising the copyrightable subject matter in the work is clean, undamaged, undeteriorated, and free of splices, and if the copy itself and its physical housing are free of any defects that would interfere with the performance of the work or that would cause mechanical, visual, or audible defects or distortions.
(3) The terms secure test and literary monograph have the meanings set forth in §§ 202.13(b) and 202.19(b)(5).
(4) For the purposes of determining the applicable deposit requirements under this section only, the following shall be considered unpublished motion pictures: motion pictures that consist of television transmission programs and that have been published, if at all, only by reason of a license or other grant to a nonprofit institution of the right to make a fixation of such programs directly from a transmission to the public, with or without the right to make further uses of such fixations.
(c) Nature of required deposit. (1) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the deposit required to accompany an application for registration of claim to copyright under section 408 of title 17 shall consist of:
(i) In the case of unpublished works, one complete copy or phonorecord.
(ii) In the case of works first published in the United States before January 1, 1978, two complete copies or phonorecords of the work as first published.
(iii) In the case of works first published in the United States on or after January 1, 1978, two complete copies or phonorecords of the best edition.
(iv) In the case of works first published outside of the United States, one complete copy or phonorecord of the work either as first published or of the best edition. For purposes of this section, any works simultaneously first published within and outside of the United States shall be considered to be first published in the United States.
(2) In the case of certain works, the special provisions set forth in this clause shall apply. In any case where this clause specifies that one copy or phonorecord may be submitted, that copy or phonorecord shall represent the best edition, or the work as first published, as set forth in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, unless stated otherwise.
(i) General. In the following cases the deposit of one complete copy or phonorecord will suffice in lieu of two copies or phonorecords:
(A) Published three-dimensional cartographic representations of area, such as globes and relief models.
(B) Published diagrams illustrating scientific or technical works or formulating scientific or technical information in linear or other two-dimensional form, such as an architectural or engineering blueprint, or a mechanical drawing.
(C) Published greeting cards, picture postcards, and stationery.
(D) Lectures, sermons, speeches, and addresses published individually and not as a collection of the works of one or more authors.
(E) Musical compositions published solely in copies or in both copies and phonorecords, provided that one complete copy (rather than a phonorecord) is deposited.
(F) Published multimedia kits or any part thereof.
(G) Works exempted from the requirement of depositing identifying material under paragraph (c)(2)(xi)(B) of this section.
(H) Literary, dramatic, and musical works published only as embodied in phonorecords, although this category does not exempt the owner of copyright in a sound recording.
(I) Choreographic works, pantomimes, literary, dramatic, and musical works published only as embodied in motion pictures.
(J) Published works in the form of two-dimensional games, decals, fabric patches or emblems, calendars, instructions for needle work, needle work and craft kits.
(K) Works reproduced on three-dimensional containers such as boxes, cases, and cartons.
(L) Published literary monographs.
(M) Architectural works, for which the deposit must comply with the requirements set forth in § 202.11.
(N) A single issue of a serial publication, for which the deposit may comply with the requirements set forth in paragraphs (b)(2)(iii)(B) or (c)(2)(i)(N)( 1 ) or ( 2 ) of this section.
( 1 ) If the issue was published in a physical format, the applicant may upload a digital copy to the electronic registration system provided that the following requirements have been met. The file must be submitted in Portable Document Format (PDF), it must be assembled in an orderly form, and it must be uploaded as one electronic file ( i.e., not in a .zip file). The file must be viewable and searchable, contain embedded fonts, and be free from any access or copy restrictions (such as those implemented through digital rights management) that prevent the viewing, storage, or examination of the issue. The file size for the upload must not exceed 500 megabytes, but the file may be compressed to comply with this requirement, consistent with instructions on the Office's website. Applicants are encouraged to use the file-naming convention specified on the Copyright Office's website.
( 2 ) Alternatively, the applicant may submit a single physical copy of the issue. If the claim is submitted with the Standard Application, the copy must be accompanied by the required shipping slip generated by the electronic registration system, the shipping slip must be attached to the copy, the copy and the shipping slip must be included in the same package, and the package must be sent to the address specified on the shipping slip.
(ii) Motion pictures. In the case of published or unpublished motion pictures, the deposit of one complete copy will suffice. The deposit of a copy or copies for any published or unpublished motion picture must be accompanied by a separate description of its contents, such as a continuity, pressbook, or synopsis. In any case where the deposit copy or copies required for registration of a motion picture cannot be viewed for examining purposes on equipment in the Registration Program of the Copyright Office, the description accompanying the deposit must comply with § 202.21(h). The Library of Congress may, at its sole discretion, enter into an agreement permitting the return of copies of published motion pictures to the depositor under certain conditions and establishing certain rights and obligations of the Library of Congress with respect to such copies. In the event of termination of such an agreement by the Library, it shall not be subject to reinstatement, nor shall the depositor or any successor in interest of the depositor be entitled to any similar or subsequent agreement with the Library, unless at the sole discretion of the Library it would be in the best interests of the Library to reinstate the agreement or enter into a new agreement. In the case of unpublished motion pictures (including television transmission programs that have been fixed and transmitted to the public, but have not been published), the deposit of identifying material in compliance with § 202.21 may be made and will suffice in lieu of an actual copy. In the case of colorized versions of motion pictures made from pre-existing black and white motion pictures, in addition to the deposit of one complete copy of the colorized motion picture and the separate description of its contents as specified above, the deposit shall consist of one complete print of the black and white version of the motion picture from which the colorized version was prepared. If special relief from this requirement is requested and granted, the claimant shall make a good faith effort to deposit the best available, near-archival quality black and white print, as a condition of any grant of special relief.
(iii) Holograms. In the case of any work deposited in the form of a three-dimensional hologram, the copy or copies shall be accompanied by:
(A) Precise instructions for displaying the image fixed in the hologram; and
(B) Photographs or other identifying material complying with § 202.21 and clearly showing the displayed image.
(iv) Certain pictorial and graphic works. In the case of any unpublished pictorial or graphic work, deposit of identifying material in compliance with § 202.21 may be made and will suffice in lieu of deposit of an actual copy. In the case of a published pictorial or graphic work, deposit of one complete copy, or of identifying material in compliance with § 202.21 , may be made and will suffice in lieu of deposit of two actual copies where an individual author is the owner of copyright, and either:
(A) Less than five copies of the work have been published; or
(B) The work has been published and sold or offered for sale in a limited edition consisting of no more than 300 numbered copies.
(v) Commercial prints and labels. In the case of prints, labels, and other advertising matter, including catalogs, published in connection with the rental, lease, lending, licensing, or sale of articles of merchandise, works of authorship, or services, the deposit of one complete copy will suffice in lieu of two copies. Where the print or label is published in a larger work, such as a newspaper or other periodical, one copy of the entire page or pages upon which it appears may be submitted in lieu of the entire larger work. In the case of prints or labels physically inseparable from a three-dimensional object, identifying material complying with § 202.21 must be submitted rather than an actual copy or copies except under the conditions of paragraph (c)(2)(xi)(B)( 4 ) of this section.
(vi) Tests. In the case of tests, and answer material for tests, published separately from other literary works, the deposit of one complete copy will suffice in lieu of two copies. In the case of any secure test the applicant may submit identifying material in lieu of one complete copy if the conditions set forth in § 202.13(c) have been met.
(vii) Computer programs and databases embodied in machine-readable copies other than CD-ROM format. In cases where a computer program, database, compilation, statistical compendium, or the like, if unpublished is fixed, or if published is published only in the form of machine-readable copies (such as magnetic tape or disks, punched cards, semiconductor chip products, or the like) other than a CD-ROM format, from which the work cannot ordinarily be perceived except with the aid of a machine or device, the deposit shall consist of:
(A) For published or unpublished computer programs, one copy of identifying portions of the program, reproduced in a form visually perceptible without the aid of a machine or device, either on paper or in microform. For these purposes “identifying portions” shall mean one of the following:
( 1 ) The first and last 25 pages or equivalent units of the source code if reproduced on paper, or at least the first and last 25 pages or equivalent units of the source code if reproduced in microform, together with the page or equivalent unit containing the copyright notice, if any. If the program is 50 pages or less, the required deposit will be the entire source code. In the case of revised versions of computer programs, if the revisions occur throughout the entire program, the deposit of the page containing the copyright notice and the first and last 25 pages of source code will suffice; if the revisions do not occur in the first and last 25 pages, the deposit should consist of the page containing the copyright notice and any 50 pages of source code representative of the revised material; or
( 2 ) Where the program contains trade secret material, the page or equivalent unit containing the copyright notice, if any, plus one of the following: the first and last 25 pages or equivalent units of source code with portions of the source code containing trade secrets blocked-out, provided that the blocked-out portions are proportionately less than the material remaining, and the deposit reveals an appreciable amount of original computer code; or the first and last 10 pages or equivalent units of source code alone with no blocked-out portions; or the first and last 25 pages of object code, together with any 10 or more consecutive pages of source code with no blocked-out portions; or for programs consisting of, or less than, 50 pages or equivalent units, the entire source code with the trade secret portions blocked-out, provided that the blocked-out portions are proportionately less than the material remaining, and the remaining portion reveals an appreciable amount of original computer code. If the copyright claim is in a revision not contained in the first and last 25 pages, the deposit shall consist of either 20 pages of source code representative of the revised material with no blocked-out portions, or any 50 pages of source code representative of the revised material with portions of the source code containing trade secrets blocked-out, provided that the blocked-out portions are proportionately less than the material remaining and the deposit reveals an appreciable amount of original computer code. Whatever method is used to block out trade secret material, at least an appreciable amount of original computer code must remain visible.
(B) Where registration of a program containing trade secrets is made on the basis of an object code deposit the Copyright Office will make registration under its rule of doubt and warn that no determination has been made concerning the existence of copyrightable authorship.
(C) Where the application to claim copyright in a computer program includes a specific claim in related computer screen displays, the deposit, in addition to the identifying portions specified in paragraph (c)(2)(vii)(A) of this section, shall consist of:
( 1 ) Visual reproductions of the copyrightable expression in the form of printouts, photographs, or drawings no smaller than 3 × 3 inches and no larger than 9 × 12 inches; or
( 2 ) If the authorship in the work is predominantly audiovisual, a one-half inch VHS format videotape reproducing the copyrightable expression, except that printouts, photographs, or drawings no smaller than 3 × 3 inches and no larger than 9 × 12 inches must be deposited in lieu of videotape where the computer screen material simply constitutes a demonstration of the functioning of the computer program.
(D) For published and unpublished automated databases, compilations, statistical compendia, and the like, so fixed or published, one copy of identifying portions of the work, reproduced in a form visually perceptible without the aid of a machine or device, either on paper or in microform. For these purposes:
( 1 ) Identifying portions shall generally mean either the first and last 25 pages or equivalent units of the work if reproduced on paper or in microform.
( 2 ) Datafile and file shall mean a group of data records pertaining to a common subject matter regardless of their size or the number of data items in them.
( 3 ) In the case of individual registration of a revised version of the works identified in paragraph (c)(2)(vii)(D) of this section, the identifying portions deposited shall contain 50 representative pages or data records which have been added or modified.
( 4 ) If the work is an automated database comprising multiple separate or distinct data files, “identifying portions” shall instead consist of 50 complete data records from each data file or the entire data file, whichever is less, and the descriptive statement required by paragraph (c)(2)(vii)(D)(5) of this section.
( 5 ) In the case of group registration for revised or updated versions of a database, the claimant shall deposit identifying portions that contain 50 representative pages or equivalent units, or representative data records which have been marked to disclose (or do in fact disclose solely) the new material added on one representative publication date if published, or on one representative creation date, if unpublished or in the case of applications for automated databases that predominantly consist of photographs, the claimant shall deposit identifying portions that comply with (D)(8) of this section; the claimant shall, also deposit a brief typed or printed descriptive statement containing the notice of copyright information required under paragraphs (c)(2)(vii)(D)(6) or (7) of this section, if the work bears a notice, and;
( i ) The title of the database;
( ii ) A subtitle, date of creation or publication, or other information, to distinguish any separate or distinct data files for cataloging purposes;
( iii ) The name and address of the copyright claimant;
( iv ) For each separate file, its name and content, including its subject, the origin(s) of the data, and the approximate number of data records it contains; and
( v ) In the case of revised or updated versions of an automated database, information as to the nature and frequency of changes in the database and some identification of the location within the database or the separate data files of the revisions.
( 6 ) For a copyright notice embodied in machine-readable form, the statement shall describe exactly the visually perceptible content of the notice which appears in or with the database, and the manner and frequency with which it is displayed (e.g., at user's terminal only at sign-on, or continuously on terminal display, or on printouts, etc.).
( 7 ) If a visually perceptible copyright notice is placed on any copies of the work (or on magnetic tape reels or containers therefor), a sample of such notice must also accompany the statement.
( 8 ) In the case of an application for registration of a database that consists predominantly of photographs (including a group registration for revised or updated versions of such a database), “identifying portions” shall instead consist of all individual photographs included in the claim. Photographs must be submitted in digital form in one of the following formats: JPEG, GIF, or TIFF. In addition, the applicant must submit a sequentially numbered list containing the title and file name—and if the photographs have been published, the month and year of publication—for each photograph in the group. The numbered list must be contained in an electronic file in Excel format (.xls), Portable Document Format (PDF), or other electronic format approved by the Office. The file name for the list must contain the title of the database, and the case number assigned to the application by the electronic registration system, if any (e.g., “Title Of Database Case Number 162883927239.xls”). The photographs and the numbered list may be uploaded to the electronic registration system with the permission and under the direction of the Visual Arts Division, preferably in a .zip file containing these materials. The file size for each uploaded file must not exceed 500 megabytes; the photographs may be compressed to comply with this requirement. Alternatively, the photographs and the numbered list may be saved on a physical storage device, such as a flash drive, CD-R, or DVD-R, and delivered to the Copyright Office together with the required shipping slip generated by the electronic registration system or with a paper application submitted on Form VA.
(viii) Machine-readable copies of works other than computer programs, databases, and works fixed in a CD-ROM format. Where a literary, musical, pictorial, graphic, or audiovisual work, or a sound recording, except for works fixed in a CD-ROM format and literary works which are computer programs, databases, compilations, statistical compendia or the like, if unpublished has been fixed or, if published, has been published only in machine-readable form, the deposit must consist of identifying material. The type of identifying material submitted should generally be appropriate to the type of work embodied in machine-readable form, but in all cases should be that which best represents the copyrightable content of the work. In all cases the identifying material must include the title of the work. A synopsis may also be requested in addition to the other deposit materials as appropriate in the discretion of the Copyright Office. In the case of any published work subject to this section, the identifying material must include a representation of the copyright notice, if one exists. Identifying material requirements for certain types of works are specified below. In the case of the types of works listed below, the requirements specified shall apply except that, in any case where the specific requirements are not appropriate for a given work the form of the identifying material required will be determined by the Copyright Office in consultation with the applicant, but the Copyright Office will make the final determination of the acceptability of the identifying material.
(A) For pictorial or graphic works, the deposit shall consist of identifying material in compliance with § 202.21.
(B) For audiovisual works, the deposit shall consist of either a videotape of the work depicting representative portions of the copyrightable content, or a series of photographs or drawings, depicting representative portions of the work, plus in all cases a separate synopsis of the work.
(C) For musical compositions, the deposit shall consist of a transcription of the entire work such as a score, or a reproduction of the entire work on a phonorecord.
(D) For sound recordings, the deposit shall consist of a reproduction of the entire work on a phonorecord.
(E) For literary works, the deposit shall consist of a transcription of representative portions of the work including the first and last 25 pages or equivalent units, and five or more pages indicative of the remainder.
(ix) Copies containing both visually-perceptible and machine-readable material other than a CD-ROM format. Where a published literary work is embodied in copies containing both visually-perceptible and machine-readable material, except in the case of a CD-ROM format, the deposit shall consist of the visually-perceptible material and identifying portions of the machine-readable material.
(x) Works reproduced in or on sheetlike materials. In the case of any unpublished work that is fixed, or any published work that is published, only in the form of a two-dimensional reproduction on sheetlike materials such as textiles and other fabrics, wallpaper and similar commercial wall coverings, carpeting, floor tile, and similar commercial floor coverings, and wrapping paper and similar packaging material, the deposit shall consist of one copy in the form of an actual swatch or piece of such material sufficient to show all elements of the work in which copyright is claimed and the copyright notice appearing on the work, if any. If the work consists of a repeated pictorial or graphic design, the complete design and at least part of one repetition must be shown. If the sheetlike material in or on which a published work has been reproduced has been embodied in or attached to a three-dimensional object, such as furniture, or any other three-dimensional manufactured article, and the work has been published only in that form, the deposit must consist of identifying material complying with § 202.21 instead of a copy. If the sheet-like material in or on which a published work has been reproduced has been embodied in or attached to a two-dimensional object such as wearing apparel, bed linen, or a similar item, and the work has been published only in that form, the deposit must consist of identifying material complying with § 202.21 instead of a copy unless the copy can be folded for storage in a form that does not exceed four inches in thickness.
(xi) Works reproduced in or on three-dimensional objects. (A) In the following cases the deposit must consist of identifying material complying with § 201.21 of this chapter instead of a copy or copies:
( 1 ) Any three-dimensional sculptural work, including any illustration or formulation of artistic expression or information in three-dimensional form. Examples of such works include statues, carvings, ceramics, moldings, constructions, models, and maquettes; and
( 2 ) Any two-dimensional or three-dimensional work that, if unpublished, has been fixed, or, if published, has been published only in or on jewelry, dolls, toys, games, except as provided in paragraph (c)(2)(xi)(B)( 3 ) of this section, or any three-dimensional useful article.
(B) In the following cases the requirements of paragraph (c)(2)(xi)(A) of this section for the deposit of identifying material shall not apply:
( 1 ) Three-dimensional cartographic representations of area, such as globes and relief models;
( 2 ) Works that have been fixed or published in or on a useful article that comprises one of the elements of the unit of publication of an educational or instructional kit which also includes a literary or audiovisual work, a sound recording, or any combination of such works;
( 3 ) Published games consisting of multiple parts that are packaged and published in a box or similar container with flat sides and with dimensions of no more than 12 × 24 × 6 inches;
( 4 ) Works reproduced on three-dimensional containers or holders such as boxes, cases, and cartons, where the container or holder can be readily opened out, unfolded, slit at the corners, or in some other way made adaptable for flat storage, and the copy, when flattened, does not exceed 96 inches in any dimension; or
( 5 ) Any three-dimensional sculptural work that, if unpublished, has been fixed, or, if published, has been published only in the form of jewelry cast in base metal which does not exceed four inches in any dimension.
(xii) Soundtracks. For separate registration of an unpublished work that is fixed, or a published work that is published, only as embodied in a soundtrack that is an integral part of a motion picture, the deposit of identifying material in compliance with § 202.21 will suffice in lieu of an actual copy of the motion picture.
(xiii) Oversize deposits. In any case where the deposit otherwise required by this section exceeds 96 inches in any dimension, identifying material complying with § 202.21 must be submitted instead of an actual copy or copies.
(xiv) Pictorial advertising material. In the case of published pictorial advertising material, except for advertising material published in connection with motion pictures, the deposit of either one copy as published or prepublication material consisting of camera-ready copy is acceptable.
(xv) Contributions to collective works. In the case of published contributions to collective works, the deposit of either one complete copy of the best edition of the entire collective work, the complete section containing the contribution if published in a newspaper, the entire page containing the contribution, the contribution cut from the paper in which it appeared, or a photocopy of the contribution itself as it was published in the collective work, will suffice in lieu of two complete copies of the entire collective work.
(xvi) Phonorecords. In any case where the phonorecord or phonorecords submitted for registration of a claim to copyright is inaudible on audio playback devices in the Registration Program of the Copyright Office, the Office will seek an appropriate deposit in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.
(xvii)-(xviii) [Reserved]
(xix) Works fixed in a CD-ROM format. (A) Where a work is fixed in a CD-ROM format, the deposit must consist of one complete copy of the entire CD-ROM package, including a complete copy of any accompanying operating software and instructional manual, and a printed version of the work embodied in the CD-ROM, if the work is fixed in print as well as a CD-ROM. A complete copy of a published CD-ROM package includes all of the elements comprising the applicable unit of publication, including elements that if considered separately would not be copyrightable subject matter or could be the subject of a separate registration.
(B) In any case where the work fixed in a CD-ROM package cannot be viewed on equipment available in the Registration Program of the Copyright Office, the Office will seek an appropriate deposit in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section, in addition to the deposit of the CD-ROM package.
(d) Special relief. (1) In any case the Register of Copyrights may, after consultation with other appropriate officials of the Library of Congress and upon such conditions as the Register may determine after such consultation:
(i) Permit the deposit of one copy or phonorecord, or alternative identifying material, in lieu of the one or two copies or phonorecords otherwise required by paragraph (c)(1) of this section or;
(ii) Permit the deposit of incomplete copies or phonorecords, or copies or phonorecords other than those normally comprising the best edition; or
(iii) Permit the deposit of an actual copy or copies, in lieu of the identifying material otherwise required by this section or § 202.4; or
(iv) Permit the deposit of identifying material which does not comply with § 202.4 or § 202.21.
(2) Any decision as to whether to grant such special relief, and the conditions under which special relief is to be granted, shall be made by the Register of Copyrights after consultation with other appropriate officials of the Library of Congress, and shall be based upon the acquisition policies of the Library of Congress then in force and the archival and examining requirements of the Copyright Office.
(3) Requests for special relief under this paragraph may be combined with requests for special relief under § 202.19(e). Whether so combined or made solely under this paragraph, such requests shall be made in writing to the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice, shall be signed by or on behalf of the person signing the application for registration, and shall set forth specific reasons why the request should be granted.
(4) The Register of Copyrights may, after consultation with other appropriate officials of the Library of Congress, terminate any ongoing or continuous grant of special relief. Notice of termination shall be given in writing and shall be sent to the individual person or organization to whom the grant of special relief had been given, at the last address shown in the records of the Copyright Office. A notice of termination may be given at any time, but it shall state a specific date of termination that is at least 30 days later than the date the notice is mailed. Termination shall not affect the validity of any deposit or registration made earlier under the grant of special relief.
(e) Use of copies and phonorecords deposited for the Library of Congress. Copies and phonorecords deposited for the Library of Congress under 17 U.S.C. 407 and § 202.19 may be used to satisfy the deposit provisions of this section if they are accompanied by an application for registration of a claim to copyright in the work represented by the deposit, and either a registration fee or a deposit account number.
§ 202.21   Deposit of identifying material instead of copies.
(a) General. Subject to the specific provisions of paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section, and §§ 202.19(e)(1)(iv) and 202.20(d)(1)(iv), in any case where the deposit of identifying material is permitted or required under § 202.19 or § 202.20 for published or unpublished works, the material shall consist of photographic prints, transparencies, photostats, drawings, or similar two-dimensional reproductions or renderings of the work, in a form visually perceivable without the aid of a machine or device. In the case of pictorial or graphic works, such material should reproduce the actual colors employed in the work. In all other cases, such material may be in black and white or may consist of a reproduction of the actual colors.
(b) Completeness; number of sets. As many pieces of identifying material as are necessary to show the entire copyrightable content in the ordinary case, but in no case less than an adequate representation of such content, of the work for which deposit is being made, or for which registration is being sought shall be submitted. Except in cases falling under the provisions of § 202.19(d)(2)(iii) or § 202.20(c)(2)(iii) with respect to holograms, only one set of such complete identifying material is required.
(c) Size. Photographic transparencies must be at least 35mm in size and, if such transparencies are 3 × 3 inches or less, must be fixed in cardboard, plastic, or similar mounts to facilitate identification, handling, and storage. The Copyright Office prefers that transparencies larger than 3 × 3 inches be mounted in a way that facilitates their handling and preservation, and reserves the right to require such mounting in particular cases. All types of identifying material other than photographic transparencies must be not less than 3 × 3 inches and not more than 9 × 12 inches, but preferably 8 × 10 inches. Except in the case of transparencies, the image of the work must be either lifesize or larger, or if less than lifesize must be large enough to show clearly the entire copyrightable content of the work.
(d) Title and dimensions. At least one piece of identifying material must, on its front, back, or mount, indicate the title of the work; and the indication of an exact measurement of one or more dimensions of the work is preferred.
(e) Copyright notice. In the case of works published with notice of copyright, the notice and its position on the work must be clearly shown on at least one piece of identifying material. Where necessary because of the size or position of the notice, a separate drawing or similar reproduction shall be submitted. Such reproduction shall be no smaller than 3 × 3 inches and no larger than 9 × 12 inches, and shall show the exact appearance and content of the notice, and its specific position on the work.
(f) For separate registration of an unpublished work that is fixed, or a published work that is published, only as embodied in a soundtrack that is an integral part of a motion picture, identifying material deposited in lieu of an actual copy of the motion picture shall consist of:
(1) A transcription of the entire work, or a reproduction of the entire work on a phonorecord; and
(2) Photographs or other reproductions from the motion picture showing the title of the motion picture, the soundtrack credits, and the copyright notice for the soundtrack, if any.
(g)(1) In the case of unpublished motion pictures (including transmission programs that have been fixed and transmitted to the public, but have not been published), identifying material deposited in lieu of an actual copy shall consist of either:
(i) An audio cassette or other phonorecord reproducing the entire soundtrack or other sound portion of the motion picture, and a description of the motion picture; or
(ii) A set consisting of one frame enlargement or similar visual reproduction from each 10-minute segment of the motion picture, and a description of the motion picture.
(2) In either case the “description” may be a continuity, a pressbook, or a synopsis but in all cases it must include:
(i) The title or continuing title of the work, and the episode title, if any;
(ii) The nature and general content of the program;
(iii) The date when the work was first fixed and whether or not fixation was simultaneous with first transmission;
(iv) The date of first transmission, if any;
(v) The running time; and
(vi) The credits appearing on the work, if any.
(3) The provisions of paragraphs (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section do not apply to identifying material submitted under this paragraph (g).
(h) In the case where the deposit copy or copies of a motion picture cannot be viewed for examining purposes on equipment in the Registration Program of the Copyright Office, the “description” required by § 202.20(c)(2)(ii) may be a continuity, a press-book, a synopsis, or a final shooting script but in all cases must be sufficient to indicate the copyrightable material in the work and include
(1) The continuing title of the work and the episode title, if any;
(2) The nature and general content of the program and of its dialogue or narration, if any;
(3) The running time; and
(4) All credits appearing on the work including the copyright notice, if any.