Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/10/03/2016-20495/copyright-office-technical-amendments
Timestamp: 2018-07-17 04:56:56
Document Index: 631741301

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A Proposed Rule by the Copyright Office, Library of Congress on 10/03/2016
81 FR 67940
67940-67954 (15 pages)
2016-20495
COLC-2016-0008
I. Reorganization of the U.S. Copyright Office
II. Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices
III. Grammatical Amendments
IV. Updated Citations and Cross-References to the Copyright Act and the Code of Federal Regulations
V. Updated Terminology
VI. Improved Readability and Style
VII. Expired or Obsolete Provisions
PARTS 253, 255, 258, 260-263, and 270—[REMOVED AND RESERVED]
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2016-20495 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2016-20495
The Copyright Office is using the regulations.gov system for the submission and posting of public comments in this proceeding. All comments are therefore to be submitted electronically through regulations.gov. Specific instructions for submitting comments are available on the Copyright Office Web site at http://copyright.gov/​rulemaking/​2016technicalamendments/​index.html. If electronic submission of comments is not feasible, please contact the Office using the contact information below for special instructions.
Sarang V. Damle, General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights, sdam@loc.gov; Regan A. Smith, Associate General Counsel, resm@loc.gov; or Erik Bertin, Deputy Director of Registration Policy and Practice, ebertin@loc.gov. Each person can be reached by telephone at 202-707-8040.
The U.S. Copyright Office (the “Office”) is proposing to make a series of technical amendments (the proposed “Rule”) that address certain inconsistencies and inaccuracies in parts 201, 202, 203, 204, Start Printed Page 67941205, 210, 211, 212 and subchapter B of title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Specifically, the proposed rule makes technical changes to regulations governing registration, recordation, and licensing. These changes include the removal of expired or obsolete provisions that no longer serve any purpose, such as regulations issued under the now-defunct Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel system. It also proposes technical changes to the regulations for submitting requests under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act, the procedures for serving legal process on the Office, and the regulations governing the Office's general operations.
While the amendments are self-explanatory, for convenience, the Office has summarized them in seven categories below.
The Register of Copyrights has reorganized the administrative divisions of the Office in the last few years. The Register appointed a Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) to serve as her primary advisor on information technology, and a Director of the Copyright Technology Office, who supervises the day-to-day maintenance of the Office's registration and recordation systems.
The Register also divided the former Information and Records Division into the Office of Public Records and Repositories (“PRR”) and Office of Public Information and Education (“PIE”). PRR, headed by an expert in public administration, includes the Recordation Section, the Records Management Section, and the Records Research and Certification Section. PIE is headed by an Associate Register of Copyrights and includes the Publications Section and the Copyright Information Section.
The proposed rule reflects these developments by updating § 203.3 by providing titles of the Office's senior management and updated descriptions for each division within the Office, including the Office of the Register, the Office of the General Counsel, the Office of Policy and International Affairs, the Office of Registration Policy and Practice, the Office of Public Records and Repositories, the Office of Public Information and Education, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and the Office of the Chief of Operations (which includes the Receipt Analysis and Control Division, the Copyright Acquisitions Division, and the Licensing Division). It also provides updated mailing addresses as set forth in 37 CFR 201.1(b)(2) and (c). Additionally, when referring to the Office's Web site, the proposed rule replaces the term “homepage” with the term “Web site.”
In the interest of consistency, the proposed rule also removes the initials “U.S.” from certain provisions that refer to the “U.S. Copyright Office.” Finally, the proposed rule clarifies that checks, money orders, or other fees submitted to the Office should be made payable to the “U.S. Copyright Office,” rather than the “Register of Copyrights.” See, e.g., 37 CFR 201.6, 201.33(e)(2)(i), 201.39(g)(3)(i).
The Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition, published in December 2014, is the administrative manual of the Register of Copyrights concerning the statutory duties of the Copyright Office under title 17 of the United States Code. It serves as both a technical manual for the Office's staff and a guidebook for authors, copyright licensees, practitioners, scholars, the courts, and members of the general public.[1] The proposed rule clarifies the means for viewing and obtaining copies of the Third Edition, as well as prior editions of the Compendium, set forth in 37 CFR 201.2(b)(7).
The proposed rule corrects errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, spacing, and numbering, and addresses inconsistencies in the use of abbreviations, symbols, time periods, and italics. For example, the proposed rule revises 37 CFR 201.4 to reflect that registrations issued under the 1909 Act may contain a prefix consisting of one or two letters (e.g., E, EU, F, G, K, etc.) as opposed to “a two- or three-letter prefix,” and corrects the word “or” to “of” in the definition of “official certification.”
The proposed rule adopts the appropriate format for citing or cross-referencing other provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations, as recommended by the Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook. It also reserves §§ 201.15, 205.6 through 205.10, and 205.14 through 205.20 for future use.
In addition, the proposed rule revises erroneous cross-references to the Copyright Act and the Code of Federal Regulations. By way of example, the proposed rule corrects a cross-reference relating to the deposit requirements for certain sculptural works to make clear the Office's practice of allowing applicants, under certain circumstances, to submit a single copy of a board game (rather than two copies) instead of a photograph, as set forth in 37 CFR 202.20(c)(2)(i)(G) and (c)(2)(xi)(B).
The proposed rule reflects a number of changes in terminology. These changes replace outdated terms that are no longer used by the Office, but they do not represent a substantive change in policy. For example, the Office now uses the term “applicant” when referring to a person who submits an application for registration, and uses the term “remitter” when referring to a person who submits a document for recordation. The proposed rule adds these terms where they are missing from the regulations. The proposed rule also replaces the term “certificate of record” with “certificate of recordation,” “Visual Arts Regulatory Statements” with “Visual Arts Registry Statements,” “vessel hulls” with “vessel designs,” and “restored works” to “restored copyright.” It also removes references to information provided “on the application” for deposit accounts and the term “preregistration.” Finally, the proposed rule updates the name of Form SC from “Statement of Account for Secondary Transmissions by Satellite Carriers to Home Viewers” in § 201.11(d)(2) to “Statement of Account for Secondary Transmissions by Satellite Carriers of Distant Television Signals.”
Consistent with the Office's longstanding policy,[2] the proposed rule replaces gender-specific references with gender-neutral references. The proposed rule also improves readability by renumbering certain provisions, by rewriting awkward phrases or paragraphs, and by deleting redundant provisions that repeat what is stated elsewhere in the same provision. For example, the Office's regulations governing Freedom of Information Act policies in § 203.4(f) and (g) were rewritten without substantive change to improve readability. In all cases, these changes are intended to clarify the Start Printed Page 67942existing regulations, but do not represent a substantive change in policy.
The Office has identified a number of provisions that have expired or have become obsolete. Because these provisions no longer serve any purpose, the Office is removing them from its regulations.
Effective Date of Registration for Registrations Issued in 1991. The Copyright Fees and Technical Amendments Act of 1989 increased the filing fee for registering a claim to copyright from $10 to $20.[3] The proposed rule eliminates a provision in § 202.4 establishing a procedure for assigning an effective date of registration for claims received between January 3, 1991 and December 31, 1991 that were submitted with an insufficient filing fee, as these dates have passed.
Registration of Mask Works. The proposed rule removes language in § 211.4(b)(1) specifying that January 7, 1985 will be the effective date of registration for applications to register mask works received before that date [4] because any such applications have been processed by now.
Recordation of Statements of Intent to Enforce Filed Under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Because the deadline for filing a “Statement of Intent” to reclaim copyright protection for certain motion pictures fixed or published in Canada or Mexico that fell into the public domain in the United States due to a lack of a copyright notice under NAFTA expired on December 31, 1994,[5] and because the provision that authorized the Office to record these types of statements has been removed from the statute, the proposed rule removes the corresponding provision at 37 CFR 201.31 from the regulations.[6]
Registration of Restored Works. The proposed rule removes outdated language in § 201.31 related to a procedure for registering foreign works that were restored to copyright protection under section 104A of the Copyright Act (as amended by the URAA) [7] and describes the correct procedure for registering a restored work.
Recordation of Notices of Intent to Enforce a Restored Work Under the URAA. The proposed rule clarifies 37 CFR 201.33 and 201.34, which explain that a list of parties that filed a Notice of Intent to Enforce [8] a restored work under the URAA is available on the Office's Web site, by removing outdated instructions for logging onto the Office's Web site or for obtaining access to these records through terminals located in the Office and reflecting reliance upon email addresses rather than “telefax number[s].”
Recordation of Voluntary Agreements Between Copyright Owners and Public Broadcasters. In accordance with statutory changes that removed the prior section 118(b)(2) from the Copyright Act,[9] and gave the Copyright Royalty Judges rather than the Register of Copyrights authority over the statutory license in section 118,[10] the Office is removing the obsolete regulatory provision at 37 CFR 201.9 relating to recordation of voluntary agreements between copyright owners and public broadcasting entities [11] from the regulations.
IBM-PC Compatible Disks for Recording Documents Pertaining to Computer Shareware. The Office is updating its administrative procedure in 37 CFR 201.26(d)(4)for recording documents pertaining to computer shareware to no longer indicate that they be submitted on both paper and diskette; they will now be accepted without a diskette. The Office has recorded less than two dozen shareware documents since the final rule was adopted.
Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel Rules and Procedures. Subchapter B contains various regulations relating to the former Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel or “CARP,” including legacy royalty rates for past accounting periods, which certain regulations were phased out by the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004.[12] The successor entity to the CARP, the Copyright Royalty Board, has issued its own set of rules and procedures.[13] Accordingly, the Office is removing obsolete CARP regulations, while retaining parts 254 and 256 which contain information related to coin-operated phonorecord players and the cable compulsory license, respectively. However, the Office notes that these legacy rates and regulations will remain accessible via past editions of the Code of Federal Regulations for any who may have need to consult them. In addition, legacy regulations are available on the Government Publishing Office's Federal Digital System (“FDsys”) at www.gpo.gov/​fdsys.
Statements of Account covering compulsory licenses for secondary transmissions by cable systems. The Office is removing the portions of § 201.17(i) that relate to filings covering the accounting periods in 1983 that were affected by the 1982 cable rate adjustment,[14] as the Office does not expect to receive any additional filings covering these accounting periods. Similarly, the Office is removing § 201.17(m)(2)(iii), which applies only to statements for the 1978-1 accounting period, along with certain other references to pre-1978 activities in 201.17(e) and (f).
Verification of a Statement of Account for secondary transmissions made by cable systems and satellite carriers. Effective November 18, 2014, the Office implemented § 201.16, which sets forth procedures by which a copyright owner may audit a statement of account filed with the Office under 17 U.S.C. 111(d)(1) or 119(b)(1).[15] This regulation includes a provision outlining a procedure in the event the Office received a notice of intent to audit a statement of account prior to the effective date of the section. See 37 CFR 201.16(c)(7). Because the Office did not in fact receive any notice of intent to audit prior to the effective date of the section, that provision is now obsolete and may be removed.
Statements of Account for digital audio recording devices or media. Section 201.28(c)(3) includes provisions that solely concern Statements of Account filed for the period covering October 28, 1992 through the end of the first accounting year for importers/manufacturers of digital audio recording devices. Because the Office does not expect to receive any additional filings covering this accounting period, the Office is removing this language.Start Printed Page 67943
Forms on Copyright Office Web site. The proposed rule updates § 201.28 to reflect that forms relating to various statutory licenses are available on the Copyright Office Web site and removes references addressing requests by mail or facsimile.
Telegrams and Cablegrams. The existing regulations in §§ 201.13 and 201.22 allow copyright owners to serve certain types of notices required under sections 110(4)(B)(iii) [16] and 411(c) [17] by telegram or cablegram. The proposed rule updates these regulations to remove references to these obsolete forms of communication and instead allow for service of notices by email or fax.
Inspection of U.S. Copyright Office Records. The proposed rule removes § 201.2(b)(4)'s requirement that requests to inspect a pending application, deposit for a pending application,[18] or a document submitted for recordation[19] be limited to materials submitted within twelve months prior to the request, given that the processing time for a paper application may be longer than that in some cases.
Refunds. The proposed rule removes the reference to postage stamps in 37 CFR 201.6(c)(1) because in practice, the Office has never used this method of payment in issuing refunds.
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the U.S. Copyright Office proposes amending 37 CFR parts 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 210, 211, 212, 253, 255, 258, 260, 261, 262, 263, and 270 as follows:
a. In paragraph (a), remove “on-site deliveries from commercial and private couriers” and add in its place “direct deliveries from commercial couriers and messengers”.
b. In paragraph (b)(2), remove “20559” and add in its place “20559-6000”, remove the term “Hull” from the “Type of submission” column of the table, and remove the term “AD” from the “Code” column of the table and add in its place the term “CAD/AD”.
g. In paragraphs (c)(6) and (c)(7), remove “Section” and add in its place “section”.
d. Redesignate the introductory text of paragraph (b)(4) as paragraph (b)(4)(i), redesignate paragraphs (b)(4)(i) and (ii) as paragraphs (b)(4)(i)(A) and (B), and designate the undesignated text preceding paragraph (b)(5) as paragraph (b)(4)(ii).
e. In newly redesignated paragraph (b)(4)(i), remove the phrase “that were submitted within the twelve month period immediately preceding the request for access”.
(7) The Register of Copyrights has issued an administrative manual known as the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition. The Compendium explains many of the practices and procedures concerning the Office's mandate and statutory duties under title 17 of the United States Code. It is both a technical manual for the Copyright Office's staff, as well as a guidebook for authors, copyright licensees, practitioners, scholars, the courts, and members of the general public. The Third Edition and prior editions of the Compendium may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from the Office's Web site. They are also available for public inspection and copying in the Records Research and Certification Section.
e. In paragraph (d)(6), remove the period from the end of the term “Variable” in the “Fees ($)” column of the table. Start Printed Page 67944
f. In table heading of paragraph (e), remove “division” and add in its place “Division”.
a. In the introductory text of paragraph (a)(1), remove “, as amended by Public Law 94-553”.
b. In paragraph (a)(2), remove “, as amended by Public Law 94-553”.
c. In paragraph (a)(3)(ii), remove “or” and add in its place “of”.
d. In paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(D)( 4), remove “a two- or three-letter” and add in its place “a one-, two-, or three-letter”.
e. In paragraph (c)(4)(iii), add a period after “Public Catalog” and remove “and the remitter” and add in its place “The remitter”.
f. In paragraph (e), remove “record” and add in its place “recordation”.
a. In paragraphs (a)(1) introductory text, (a)(1)(i)(A) and (a)(1)(ii), remove “, as amended by Public Law 94-553”.
b. In paragraph (b)(2)(i), remove the semicolon from the end and add in its place a period.
a. In paragraphs (c)(1) introductory text paragraph and (c)(1)(i), remove “claimant” and add in its place “applicant” each place it appears.
h. In paragraph (d)(2), remove “section 203, section 304(c) or section 304(d) of title 17, U.S.C.” and add in its place “ 17 U.S.C. 203, 304(c), or 304(d)”.
i. In paragraph (d)(4), remove “section 203, section 304(c), or section 304(d) of title 17, U.S.C.” and add in its place “ 17 U.S.C. 203, 304(c), or 304(d)”.
j. In paragraph (e)(1), remove “section 203, section 304(c), or section 304(d) of title 17, U.S.C.” and add in its place “ 17 U.S.C. 203, section 304(c), or section 304(d)”.
k. In paragraph (d)(1), remove “first-class” and add in its place “first class”.
l. In paragraph (d)(3), remove “ reasonable investigation” and add in its place “reasonable investigation” and remove ” “reasonable investigation” ” and add in its place “reasonable investigation”.
a. In paragraph (a), remove “section 119(b)(1) and Section 122(a) of title 17 of the United States Code, as amended by Public Law 111-175” and add in its place “17 U.S.C. 119(b)(1), as amended by Public Law 111-175”, remove “that” and add in its place “for”, and add the term “to” after the phrase “private home viewing”.
b. In paragraph (b)(1), remove “and” and add in its place “and”, remove “Section 119(d) of title 17 of the United States Code, as amended by Public Law 111-175” and add in its place “17 U.S.C. 119(d), as amended by Public Law 111-175”.
d. In paragraph (d)(1), remove the term “U.S.”, and remove “free upon request. Requests may be mailed to the address specified in § 201.1” and add in its place “free from the Copyright Office Web site”.
Start Printed Page 67945
a. In paragraph (a), remove “section 111(e)(2) of title 17 of the United States Code as amended by Public Law 94-553” and add in its place “ 17 U.S.C. 111(e)(2)”.
a. In paragraph (a), remove “section 110(4) of title 17 of the United States Code as amended by Public Law 94-553” and add in its place “ 17 U.S.C. 110(4)”.
b. In paragraph (d)(3), remove “a telegram” and add in its place “an email, fax,” and remove “said paragraph (e)” and add in its place “paragraph (e) of this section”.
a. In paragraphs (a)(1) and (2), remove “as amended by Public Law 94-553”.
d. In paragraph (b)(5), remove “Section 111(f) of title 17 of the United States Code, as amended by Public Law 94-553, Public Law 103-369, and Public Law 111-175” and add in its place “17 U.S.C. 111(f), as amended by Public Laws 94-553, 103-369, and 111-175”.
h. In paragraph (d)(1), remove the term “U.S.”, and remove “upon request. Requests may be mailed to the address specified in § 201.1” and add in its place “from the Copyright Office Web site”.
j. Revise paragraph (e)(7)
p. In paragraph (m)(2)(i), remove “incomplete;” and add in its place “incomplete; or”.
q. In paragraph (m)(2)(ii), remove “low; or” and add in its place “low.”.
t. Remove paragraph (m)(4)(iii)(C).
u. In paragraph (m)(4)(iv)(A), remove the phrase “(except those filed under paragraph (m)(2)(iii) of this section)”.
v. In paragraph (m)(4)(iv)(B), remove the comma after the phrase “this paragraph (m)”.
(i) If the cable system maintains its revenue accounts on an accrual basis, gross receipts for any accounting period includes all such amounts accrued for secondary transmission service furnished during that period, regardless of when accrued:
(ii) By carriage of no more than the number of distant signals which was or would have been allotted to the cable system under the FCC's quota for importation of network and Start Printed Page 67946nonspecialty independent stations (47 CFR 76.59(b), 76.61 (b) and (c), and 76.63, referring to 76.61 (b) and (c), in effect on June 24, 1981).
b. In paragraph (a)(4) introductory text, remove “subparagraphs (ii) and (iii)” and add in its place “paragraphs (a)(4)(ii) and (iii) of this section”, and in paragraphs (a)(4)(i) and (ii), remove “that that” and add in its place “that” each place it appears.
c. In paragraph (a)(5), remove the phrase “ copyright owner,” and add in its place the phrase ” “copyright owner,” ”.
d. In paragraph (b), remove “paragraph (a)(4)” and add in its place “paragraph (a)(6)”, and remove “§ 210.11(e)” and add in its place “§ 210.16(g)”.
e. In paragraph (f)(3), remove the phrase “filed by being” from the fourth sentence.
f. In paragraph (f)(4), remove “paragraph (a)(4)” and add in its place “paragraph (b)” each place it appears.
b. In paragraph (b), remove “ Provided, That:” and add in its place “provided that:”.
a. In paragraph (b), remove “ Definitions-”and add in its place “Definitions. ”.
b. In paragraph (d), remove “ Documents-” and add in its place “documents. ”.
24. Amend § 201.27(b)(3) by removing the comma following the term “cassette”.
b. In paragraph (d)(1), remove “from the Licensing Division, Library of Congress” and add in its place “free from the Copyright Office Web site”, remove “Forms and other information may be requested from the Licensing Division by facsimile transmission (FAX), but copies” and add in its place “Copies” and remove “FAX” and add in its place “fax”.
b. In paragraph (h)(1), remove the parentheses from the around the phrase “of the manufacturing party or importing party”.
a. In paragraph (a), remove “automated database, which can be accessed over the Internet” from the last sentence and add in its place “Web site”.
b. In paragraph (b)(2)(iii), remove the phrase “the new” each place it appears.
c. In paragraph (b)(3)(iii)(A), remove “United States” and add in its place “U.S.”.
d. In paragraph (d)(3)(ii)(G), remove “Telefax number” and add in its place “Email address”.
e. In paragraph (e)(2)(i), remove “Register of Copyrights” and add in its place “U.S. Copyright Office”.
f. In paragraph (e)(2)(ii), remove “U.S.” from each place it appears in the paragraph heading and the paragraph body, and remove “§ 201.1” from the last sentence and add in its place “§ 201.1(b)”.
g. In paragraph (e)(2)(iii), remove “VISA, MasterCard and American Express” from the first sentence and add in its place “most major credit cards”.
h. Revise paragraph (f).
(f) Public access. Notices of Intent to Enforce filed with the Copyright Office are available for public inspection and copying in the Records Research and Certification Section. Some of the information contained in these records is available on the Office's Web site, including the title of the work or a brief description if the work is untitled and the name of the copyright owner or owner of an exclusive right.
to § 201.33 [Amended]
29. Amend Appendix A to § 201.33 by removing “Telefax” from item 13 and adding in its place “Fax”.
30. Amend § 201.34 as follows:
b. In paragraph (e), italicize “Fee—” in the paragraph heading.
31. Amend § 201.38 in paragraph (e) by removing “§ 201.1” from the first sentence and adding in its place “§ 201.1(c)(3)” and by removing the sentence “If mailed, the Interim Designation should be addressed to: Copyright GC/I&R, PO Box 70400, Washington, DC 20024.”.
Start Printed Page 67947
32. Amend § 201.39 as follows:
a. In paragraph (g)(1), italicize the paragraph heading “Method of filing.”.
c. In paragraph (g)(3)(ii), remove “U.S.” from each place it appears in the paragraph heading and the paragraph body and remove “§ 201.1” and add in its place “§ 201.1(b)”.
33. The authority citation for part 202 continues to read as follows:
34. Amend § 202.2 as follows:
c. Redesignate paragraphs (b)(6)(i) through (iii) as paragraphs (b)(6)(i)(A) through (C), respectively, redesignate the introductory text of paragraph (b)(6) as (b)(6)(i), and designate the undesignated text preceding paragraph (b)(7) as (b)(6)(ii).
d. In newly redesignated paragraph (b)(6)(i)(C), remove “ Provided, however, That” and add in its place “Provided, however, that” and remove “three foregoing types of cases” and add in its place “three types of cases described in paragraphs (b)(6)(i)(A) through (C) of this section”.
35. Amend § 202.3 as follows:
a. In paragraph (a)(1), remove the phrase “, as amended by Public Law 94-553”.
b. In paragraph (b)(1)(v), italicize the paragraph heading “Class SE: Serials.”.
c. In paragraph (b)(2)(i)(A), remove ” [ www.copyright.gov]” and add in its place “(www.copyright.gov)”.
d. In paragraph (b)(2)(i)(D), remove the phrase “a remitter” and add in its place the phrase “an applicant”.
e. In paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(C), remove “the type of authorship that predominates” from the fourth sentence and add in its place “the predominant type of authorship”.
f. In paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(D), remove ” [ www.copyright.gov]” and add in its place “(www.copyright.gov)”.
g. In paragraph (b)(6)(v), remove “under 408(c)(1) of title 17” and add in its place “under 17 U.S.C 408(c)(1)”.
h. In paragraph (b)(8)(i), remove the phrase “, as amended by Public Law 94-553”.
36. Remove and reserve § 202.4.
37. Amend § 202.5 as follows:
38. Amend § 202.12 as follows:
f. In newly redesignated paragraph (c)(2)(ii)(B), remove “U.S.” from each place it appears in the paragraph heading and the paragraph body.
g. In newly redesignated paragraph (c)(2)(ii)(C), remove “URAA” and add in its place “GATT” and remove “VISA, MasterCard, and American Express” and add in its place “most major credit cards”.
h. In newly redesignated paragraph (c)(3)(i), remove “the amended section 104A” and add in its place “ 17 U.S.C. 104A” and remove “paragraphs (c)(4) (ii)” and add in its place “paragraphs (c)(3)(ii)”.
(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 Web site 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.
39. Amend § 202.16 as follows:
c. In paragraph(c)(5)(ii)(A), italicize the paragraph heading “Copyright Office deposit account.”
d. In paragraph (c)(5)(ii)(B), italicize the paragraph heading “Credit cards, debit cards and electronic funds transfer.”
e. In paragraph (c)(5)(ii)(C), italicize the paragraph heading “No refunds.”
f. Revise paragraph (c)(6)(i) and paragraphs (c)(6)(iii) through (v).
(3) Application. An application for preregistration must be submitted electronically on the Copyright Office Web site at: http://www.copyright.gov.
(6) * * *Start Printed Page 67948
(12) Public record of preregistration. The preregistration record also will be made available to the public on the Copyright Office Web site at: http://www.copyright.gov.
40. Amend § 202.17 as follows:
g. In paragraph (g)(1), remove “U.S. Copyright Office homepage at http://www.copyright.gov from the second sentence and add in its place “Copyright Office Web site at: http://www.copyright.gov, remove “Request.” and add in its place “request.”, and remove “§ 201.1” and add in its place “§ 201.1(b)”.
41. Amend § 202.19 as follows:
a. In paragraph (a), remove “, as amended by Public Law 94-553” and remove “of these regulations”.
d. In paragraphs (c)(5) and (d)(2)(iii)(B), and (d)(2)(iv), remove “of these regulations” wherever it occurs.
(d) * * *Start Printed Page 67949
42. Amend § 202.20 as follows:
m. In paragraphs (c)(2)(xii) and (c)(2)(xiii), remove the phrase “of these regulations” each place it appears.
o. In paragraph (c)(2)(xviii)(A), add footnote 6 after the first sentence, and designate the undesignated text after paragraph (c)(2)(xviii)(A)( 4) as the text to footnote 6 with a superscript “6” preceding the text.
p. In paragraph (c)(2)(xviii)(B), remove the phrase “of these regulations” and add footnote 7 after the second sentence. Designate the undesignated text after paragraph (c)(2)(xviii)(B)(4) as the text to footnote 7 with a superscript “7” preceding the text.
q. In paragraphs (d)(1)(iv) and (d)(3), remove “of these regulations” each place it appears.
r. In paragraph (d)(3), remove “for Registration Program of the Copyright Office” and add in its place “of Copyrights and Director of the Office of Registration Policy and Practice”.
(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 Web site.
43. Amend § 202.21 as follows:
b. In paragraph (g)(1)(i), remove “and description” and add in its place “and a description”.
44. Amend § 202.22 in paragraph (f)(1)(i) by removing the phrase “not later than” and adding in its place the phrase “no later than”.
45. Amend § 202.23 as follows:
b. In paragraph (b)(2), remove “Chief, Information and Records Division of the Copyright Office,” add in its place “Director of the Office of Public Records and Repositories at the address specified in § 201.1(b)(1) of this chapter,”, and remove “(i)” and “(ii)”.
46. Amend § 202.24 as follows:
a. In paragraphs (a)(1), (c)(1), and (c)(2) by removing “of these regulations”.
47 Amend Appendix B to Part 202 as follows:
f. In paragraph VI.A.2., remove “ Instrumental music:” and add in its place “Instrumental music:”.Start Printed Page 67950
48. The authority citation for part 203 continues to read as follows:
49. Revise § 203.2 to read as follows:
50. Amend § 203.3 as follows:
a. Revise paragraphs (a) through (d).
b. Redesignate paragraphs (e) through (g) as paragraphs (i) through (k), respectively.
c. Add new paragraphs (e) through (g).
e. In newly redesignated paragraph (j), remove “Avenue, SE, Washington, DC” and add in its place “Avenue SE., Washington, DC”.
f. Add paragraph (l).
(b) The Office of the Chief of Operations is headed by the Chief of Operations (“COO”), who advises the Register on core business functions and coordinates and directs the day-to-day operations of the Copyright Office. The Office of the COO supervises financial controls, budget, human capital, statutory royalty investments, mandatory deposits and acquisitions, contracts, and strategic planning functions. This Office interacts with every other senior management office that reports to the Register and frequently coordinates and assesses institutional projects. The COO chairs the Copyright Office's operations committee. The following divisions fall under the oversight of the COO:
(f) The Office of Public Information and Education is headed by the Associate Register for Public Information and Education, who is an expert copyright attorney and one of four legal advisors to the Register. This Office informs and helps carry out the work of the Register and the Copyright Office in providing authoritative information about the copyright law to the public and establishing educational programs. The Office publishes the copyright law and other provisions of title 17 of the U.S.C.; maintains a robust and accurate public Web site; creates and distributes a variety of circulars, information sheets, and newsletters, including NewsNet; responds to public Start Printed Page 67951inquiries regarding provisions of the law, explaining registration policies, procedures, and other copyright-related topics upon request; plans and executes a variety of educational activities; and engages in outreach with various copyright community stakeholders.
(g) The Office of Public Records and Repositories is headed by the Director, who is an expert in public administration and one of the Register's top business advisors. This Office is responsible for carrying out major provisions of title 17 of the U.S.C., including establishing records policies; ensuring the storage and security of copyright deposits, both analog and digital; recording licenses and transfers of copyright ownership; preserving, maintaining, and servicing copyright-related records; researching and providing certified and non-certified reproductions of copyright deposits; and maintaining the official records of the Copyright Office. Additionally, the Office engages regularly in discussions with leaders in the private and public sectors regarding issues of metadata, interoperability, data management, and open government.
(l) The U.S. Copyright Office makes certain documents and records available to the public in electronic format pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2). Copyright Office records in machine-readable form cataloged from January 1, 1978, to the present, including information regarding registrations and recorded documents, are available on the Office's Web site. Frequently requested Copyright Office circulars, announcements, recently proposed regulations, as well as final regulations are also available on the Office's Web site. The address for the Office's Web site is www.copyright.gov.
51. Amend § 203.4 as follows:
(1) Limit the scope of the request so that it may be processed within 20 working days, or
52. Amend § 203.6 as follows:
b. In paragraph (e),
1. Form the first sentence, remove “amoun t” and add in its place “amount”, remove “praticable” and add in its place “practicable”, remove “his willingness” and add in its place “a willingness”,
2. From the last sentence, remove “offer him” and add in its place “offer the requester”, remove “his request” and add in its place “the request”, and remove the “his needs” and add in its place “the requester's needs”.
53. The authority citation continues to read as follows:
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702, 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
54. Amend § 204.4 as follows:
55. Amend § 204.5 as follows:
56. Amend § 204.7 as follows:
a. In paragraph (a), remove “Copyright Information Section, Copyright GC/IR” and add in its place “U.S. Copyright Office”, remove “20024” and add in its place “20024-0400” and remove Start Printed Page 67952“Avenue, SE” and add in its place “Avenue SE.”.
b. In paragraph (b), remove “for Office response” and add in its place “for the Office's response”, remove “section 408(d) of Public Law 94-553” and add in its place “ 17 U.S.C. 408(d)” and remove “, the Office response” and add in its place “, the Office's response”.
57. Revise § 204.8 to read as follows:
58. The authority citation for part 205 continues to read as follows:
59. Revise § 205.1 to read as follows:
60. Amend § 205.2 as follows:
61. Add and reserve §§ 205.6 through 205.10 to subpart A.
62. Amend § 205.11 in paragraph (a) by removing “Office response” from the fourth sentence and adding in its place “the Office's response”.
63. Amend § 205.13 by removing “, GC/IR, P.O. Box 70400, Washington, DC 20024-0400” and adding in its place “at the address specified in § 201.1(c)(1) of this chapter” and by removing the comma after “Avenue”.
64. Add and reserve §§ 205.14 through 205.20 to subpart B.
65. Amend § 205.22 as follows:
a. In paragraph (a)(2), remove “( e.g., 37 CFR, Chapter II; Compendium II, Compendium of Copyright Office Practices” and add in its place “(e.g., 37 CFR, Chapter II; Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition”, and remove “Copyright General Counsel” and add in its place “General Counsel of the Copyright Office”.
b. In paragraph (b), remove “Counsel, no” and add in its place “Counsel of the Copyright Office, no” and remove “Copyright General Counsel” and add in its place “General Counsel of the Copyright Office”.
c. In paragraph (c), remove “Copyright Office General Counsel” and add in its place “General Counsel of the Copyright Office” and remove “Copyright General Counsel” and add in its place “General Counsel”.
d. In paragraph (f), remove the colon from the end of the paragraph heading, add in its place a period, and wrap up the next paragraph (f)(1).
66. Amend § 205.23 as follows:
End Amendment Part Start Part Start Printed Page 67953
67. The authority citation for part 210 continues to read as follows:
68. Amend § 210.15 introductory text by removing the term “Permanently” and adding in its place the term “permanently”.
69. Amend § 210.17 as follows:
70. The authority citation for part 211 is revised to read as follows:
71. Amend § 211.1 in paragraph (a), by removing “shall be addressed to: Library of Congress, Department MW, Washington, DC 20540” and adding in its place “should be sent to the address specified in § 201.1(b) of this chapter”.
73. Amend § 211.4 by revising paragraph (b)(1), the introductory text of paragraph (d), and paragraph (d)(2) to read as follows:
(1) For purposes of registration of mask work claims, the Register of Copyrights has designated “Form MW” to be used for all applications. Copies of the form are available free from the Copyright Office Web site or upon request to the Copyright Information Section, U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20559-6000.
74. Amend § 211.5 as follows:
a. In paragraph (b), remove “of these regulations” and in paragraph (b)(2)(i), remove the space between “(b)(1)” and “(i)”.
b. Revise paragraphs (c)(1) and (2).
c. In paragraph (d), remove “granted.,” and add in its place “granted.” and remove “for Registration Program, Library of Congress, Copyright Office—RPO, 101 Independence Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20559-6200,” and add in its place “of Copyrights and Director of Registration Policy and Practice, P.O. Box 70400, Washington, DC 20024-0400,”.
(1) Mask works commercially exploited. For commercially exploited mask works no more than two layers of each five or more layers in the work. In lieu of the visually perceptible representations required under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, identifying portions of the withheld material must be submitted. For these purposes, “identifying portions” shall mean:
(ii) Visually perceptible representations in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section with those portions containing sensitive information maintained under a claim of trade secrecy blocked out, provided that the portions remaining are greater than those which are blocked out.
(2) Mask work not commercially exploited. (i) For mask works not commercially exploited falling under paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, any layer may be withheld. In lieu of the visually perceptible representations required under paragraph (b)(2) of this section, “identifying portions” shall mean:
(B) Visually perceptible representations in accordance with paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section with those portions containing sensitive information maintained under a claim of trade secrecy blocked out, provided that the portions remaining are greater than those which are blocked out.
75. The authority citation for part 212 continues to read as follows:
76. Revise the part heading as set forth above.
77. In part 212 remove the terms “hull” and “hulls” each place they appear.
78. Amend § 212.1 by removing “vessel” and adding in its place “vessels”.
79. Amend § 212.2 by removing “vessel” and adding in its place “vessels”.
80. Amend § 212.3 in paragraph (h) introductory text by removing “6” and adding in its place “six”.
81. In paragraph (a)(2), add “hull” after “vessel”.
82. Amend § 212.5 as follows:
83. Amend § 212.6 by removing “design protection of vessel” and adding in its place “the protection of vessel designs”.
84. Amend § 212.8 as follows:
a. In paragraph (c)(1)(iv), remove “designers of the vessel” and add in its place “designers of the vessel design”. Start Printed Page 67954
b. In paragraph (c)(2), remove “he” and add in its place “the” and remove the comma after “Avenue”.
85. Remove and reserve parts 253, 255, 258, 260, 261, 262, 263, and 270.
1. See The Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, 79 FR 78911 (Dec. 31, 2014).
2. Arthur Levine, Memories of Barbara Ringer, Copyright Notices, Apr. 2009, at 3, 6 (noting that Congress used male and female pronouns in the Copyright Act of 1976 at the request of Register of Copyrights Barbara Ringer), available at http://www.copyright.gov/​docs/​barabara-ringer-special-edition-2009-04.pdf.
3. Public Law 101-318, 104 Stat. 287, 287 (1990).
4. See Mask Work Protection; Implementation of the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984, 50 FR 263 (Jan. 3, 1985); Mask Work Protection; Implementation of the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984, 50 FR 26714 (June 28, 1985).
5. See Public Law 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057, 2115 (codified as 17 U.S.C. 104A (1993)); Public Law 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809, 4976-81 (1994).
6. See Procedures for Copyright Restoration of Certain Motion Pictures and their Contents in Accordance With the North American Free Trade Agreement, 59 FR 58789 (Nov. 15, 1994).
7. See Restoration of Certain Berne Works and WTO Works, 60 FR 50414 (Sept. 29, 1995); 17 U.S.C. 104A(e).
8. 17 U.S.C. 104A(e).
9. Public Law 106-44, 113 Stat. 221, 222 (1999).
10. Public Law 108-419, 118 Stat. 2341, 2365-67 (2004).
11. See Filing of Agreements Between Copyright Owners and Public Broadcasting Entities, 42 FR 16776 (Mar. 30, 1977).
12. See Public Law 108-419, 118 Stat. 2341 (2004).
13. See 37 CFR ch. III.
14. See Adjustment of the Royalty Rate for Cable Systems; Federal Communications Commission's Deregulation of the Cable Industry, 47 FR 52146 (Nov. 19, 1982).
15. See Verification of Statements of Account Submitted by Cable Operators and Satellite Carriers, 79 FR 68623 (Nov. 18, 2014).
16. 17 U.S.C. 110(4)(B)(ii) and (iii).
17. 17 U.S.C. 411(c)(1).
18. 37 CFR 201.2(b)(4)(i).
19. See Office Organization and Procedures in Providing Information, 50 FR 30169 (July 24, 1985).
[FR Doc. 2016-20495 Filed 9-30-16; 8:45 am]