Obtaining Access to and Copies of Copyright Records and Deposits

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U.S. Copyright Office Circulars › U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 6

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Text

Circular 6

2 6.0119

Obtaining Access to and

Copies of Copyright Office

Records and Deposits

The Copyright Office maintains records of and indexes to deposits, registrations,

recordations, and other items related to copyright registration. The Office’s

records and indexes are open to public inspection and can be copied. Under

certain limited conditions, Office staff members can copy or reproduce items

deposited with the Office and retained under its control. To assist with searches

to locate and copy material, the Office provides various fee-based services.

Alternatively, patrons can search certain records independently and copy them

for a fee on machines in the Office. Certified copies of certain records are also

available for a fee.

note: Copyright Office fees are subject to change. For current fees, see Circular 4,

the Office at (202) 707-3000 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free).

Fee-Based Services

If you want to inspect or request certified or uncertified copies of Copyright

Office records or deposits, other than Licensing Division records, contact

the Records Research and Certification Section. Only staff members of the

deposits. The Records Research and Certification Section is open to the public

between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, eastern time, Monday through Friday, except

federal holidays.

You can request copies of records or deposits, or ask to inspect copies of

records or deposits, by regular mail, email, or fax, or you can call in your

request.

P.O. Box 70400

Washington, DC 20024

tel: (202) 707-6787 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free)

fax: (202) 252-3519

copycerts@copyright.gov

Please provide your daytime telephone number.

Copies of Public Records Other Than Deposits

Upon request, the Copyright Office will prepare certified or uncertified copies

of certain public records

lar mail, email, or fax, or you can call in your

request.

P.O. Box 70400

Washington, DC 20024

tel: (202) 707-6787 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free)

fax: (202) 252-3519

copycerts@copyright.gov

Please provide your daytime telephone number.

Copies of Public Records Other Than Deposits

Upon request, the Copyright Office will prepare certified or uncertified copies

of certain public records. (See page 3 for details about requesting copies of

deposits.) To minimize the time needed for searches by the Copyright Office

staff, clearly specify the records you want. Doing so is important, because these

searches require payment of a fee in addition to the certification fee and the

Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits · 2

copying fee. But if you can provide a registration number or,

for recorded documents, a volume and document or page

number, no search fee is required.

Photocopies of the following copyright-related records

can be obtained: affidavits, registration applications, assign-

ments, contracts, licenses, and other documents that have

been recorded in the Copyright Office.

Written requests for copies of records should clearly

1 identify the type of records you want (for example,

additional certificates of registration, copies of correspon-

dence, copies of assignments);

2 specify whether you require certified or uncertified copies;

3 specify the records to be copied, including, if possible,

details about

a the type of work involved (for example, novel, lyrics, or

photograph);

b the registration number, including the letters repre-

senting the class in which the work was registered (for

example, TX000-000, A000) (required);

c the year or approximate year of registration (for example,

1985);

d the complete title of the work;

e the author(s), including any pseudonym by which the

author(s) may be known;

f the claimant(s); and

g for a copy of an assignment, contract, or other

recorded document, the volume and page number of

the Copyright Office record where inform

ered (for

example, TX000-000, A000) (required);

c the year or approximate year of registration (for example,

1985);

d the complete title of the work;

e the author(s), including any pseudonym by which the

author(s) may be known;

f the claimant(s); and

g for a copy of an assignment, contract, or other

recorded document, the volume and page number of

the Copyright Office record where information on the

recorded document can be found.

Written requests must also comply with any special

requirements outlined below for obtaining copies of certain

types of documents. If you request an additional certificate

of registration, include the relevant fee. (The Records

Research and Certification section will review requests for

copies of other items and quote fees for each.) Also include

your daytime telephone number, mailing and email

addresses, and fax number so a Copyright Office staff

member can contact you.

If you cannot provide a year of registration and title for a

work, Copyright Office records may have to be searched for

purposes of verification. There is a fee for this service. For

current fees, visit the Copyright Office website, write the

Office, or call (202) 707-6850 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free).

Additional Certificates of Registration

facts of a particular copyright. The copyright owner of an

original work of authorship or the owner’s agent can register

a claim to copyright. (See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, for

information on registration procedures.) After the claim to

that the claim should be registered, the Office will send the

owner of the copyright a certificate of registration under the

seal of the Copyright Office

original work of authorship or the owner’s agent can register

a claim to copyright. (See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, for

information on registration procedures.) After the claim to

that the claim should be registered, the Office will send the

owner of the copyright a certificate of registration under the

seal of the Copyright Office. If the registration of a work was

made before or within five years of first publication of the

work, the certificate of registration will serve as prima facie

evidence of the validity of the copyright and of the facts

stated in the certificate.

Anyone can request additional certificates of copyright

registration by writing to the Copyright Office. The addi-

tional certificate has the same legal or evidentiary effect as

the original certificate. Although the additional certificate

does not include the ribbon and blue backing of the original

certificate, it contains the seal and signature of the Register

of Copyrights and needs no further certification.

Your request for an additional certificate should include:

1 the title of the copyrighted work;

2 the registration number (see note below);

3 the year of registration or publication;

4 any other information needed to identify the registration;

and

5 the correct fee. For current fees, visit the Copyright Office

website, write the office, or call (202) 707-6787 or 1-877-

476-0778 (toll free).

note: If you don’t know the registration number of the copy-

righted work involved, request a search for the number before

requesting an additional certificate. Contact the Records

Research and Certification Section at (202) 707-6850 for fur-

ther information.

Certification of Copies

For a fee, Copyright Office records, including registrations,

preregistrations, and recordations, can be certified on a reg-

ular or expedited basis. Contact the Records Research and

Certification Section for additional information

requesting an additional certificate. Contact the Records

Research and Certification Section at (202) 707-6850 for fur-

ther information.

Certification of Copies

For a fee, Copyright Office records, including registrations,

preregistrations, and recordations, can be certified on a reg-

ular or expedited basis. Contact the Records Research and

Certification Section for additional information. When the

statement under the seal of the Copyright Office attesting

that the document is a true copy of the record in question.

Certified copies are often requested as evidence of the

authenticity of documents when litigation is involved. The

cost of certification is in addition to any other applicable

fees, such as search, retrieval, or duplication fees.

Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits · 3

Copies of Deposits

All requests for copies of deposits should be submitted to the

Records Research and Certification Section. The Copyright

Office does not retain all works deposited for copyright reg-

istration. The Office will provide certified or uncertified

copies of published or unpublished works deposited in con-

nection with a copyright registration and held in the Office’s

custody only when one of the following three conditions has

been met:

1 Written authorization is received from the copyright

claimant of record or the owner of any of the exclusive

rights in the copyright, as long as this ownership can be

demonstrated by written documentation of the transfer

of ownership.

If the transfer of the copyright is recorded in the

and page numbers and approximate year of recordation.

Without that information, a search of the Copyright Office

files will be necessary, and a search fee will be required

pyright, as long as this ownership can be

demonstrated by written documentation of the transfer

of ownership.

If the transfer of the copyright is recorded in the

and page numbers and approximate year of recordation.

Without that information, a search of the Copyright Office

files will be necessary, and a search fee will be required.

2 The Copyright Office Litigation Statement Form is

completed and received from an attorney or authorized

representative in connection with litigation, actual or pro-

spective, involving the copyrighted work. The following

information must be included in such a request: (a) the

names of all parties involved and the nature of the con-

troversy, and (b) the name of the court in which the actual

case is pending. In the case of a prospective proceeding,

the requestor must give a full statement of the facts of

controversy in which the copyrighted work is involved,

attach any letter or other document that supports the

claim that litigation may be instituted, and make satisfac-

tory assurance that the requested reproduction will be

used only in connection with the specified litigation.

Contact the Records Research and Certification Section

for a Litigation Statement Form. This form must be used.

No substitute will be permitted. The form must contain a

signature and all information requested for the Copyright

Office to process a request. The Office will accept either

handwritten or electronic signatures.

3 A court order is issued for a reproduction of a deposited

article, facsimile, or identifying portion of a work that is

the subject of litigation in its jurisdiction. The order must

be issued by a court having jurisdiction over a case in

which the copy is to be submitted as evidence.

A request for copies of works deposited in connection

with a copyright claim should be accompanied by whatever

material is necessary to show that one of the three conditions

given above has been met

ying portion of a work that is

the subject of litigation in its jurisdiction. The order must

be issued by a court having jurisdiction over a case in

which the copy is to be submitted as evidence.

A request for copies of works deposited in connection

with a copyright claim should be accompanied by whatever

material is necessary to show that one of the three conditions

given above has been met.

Nature of Deposit Copies

When you order a copy of a work deposited in connection

with a copyright claim, the Records Research and Certification

Section will supply a reproduction of one of the following,

depending upon the actual deposit:

1 the deposited work;

2 any identifying material submitted in lieu of the original

work; or

3 a reproduction of any facsimile that the Copyright Office

is required by law to retain when the deposited article has

been transferred to the Library of Congress.

If you request a reproduction of a deposit not retained

under the control of the Copyright Office, the Office will

inform you of this fact. In the event that a deposit was selected

for the Library of Congress collections, you can search the

collections at www.loc.gov or send an email inquiry to a

librarian at www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-contactus.html.

Copies of Phonorecord Deposits

If you request a reproduction of a phonorecord, such as an

audiotape, cassette, CD, or diskette, in which either a sound

recording or the underlying musical, dramatic, or literary

work is embodied, the Copyright Office will provide proxi-

mate reproduction. Because of the characteristics of available

sound reproduction, all frequencies contained in the original

phonorecord may not be reproduced.

The Copyright Office will provide the title and the regis-

tration number of the phonorecord. In response to a specific

request, the Copyright Office will provide reproductions of

any printed or other visually perceptible material deposited

with the phonorecord

of the characteristics of available

sound reproduction, all frequencies contained in the original

phonorecord may not be reproduced.

The Copyright Office will provide the title and the regis-

tration number of the phonorecord. In response to a specific

request, the Copyright Office will provide reproductions of

any printed or other visually perceptible material deposited

with the phonorecord.

Additional Searches and Records

The Records Research and Certification Section will also ini-

tiate in-process searches as well as searches in the correspon-

dence and unfinished business files of the Copyright Office

for material that may include original letters from authors

and publishers, uncataloged deposit copies (possibly unique

examples), and similar information. Because some of these

materials are not readily retrievable, consult section staff to

determine how long a search will take.

Inspection of Copyright Office Records

You can inspect (a) completed records and indexes related to

a registration or a recorded document and (b) copies or iden-

tifying material deposited in connection with a completed

registration or rejection in the Records Research and Certifi-

cation Section. Some of these materials are stored outside the

Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits · 3

long it will take to retrieve the requested materials. Inspec-

tion hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm,

eastern time, except federal holidays and are prearranged.

Expedited Services

The Records Research and Certification Section offers expe-

dited services with prior approval. Call (202) 707-6787 for

details.

Fees

Fees are cumulative. Certification fees are in addition to any

other applicable fees, such as search fees or photoduplication

fees

hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm,

eastern time, except federal holidays and are prearranged.

Expedited Services

The Records Research and Certification Section offers expe-

dited services with prior approval. Call (202) 707-6787 for

details.

Fees

Fees are cumulative. Certification fees are in addition to any

other applicable fees, such as search fees or photoduplication

fees. There is an additional charge for each hour or fraction

of an hour required to locate all Copyright Office records,

except where the requestor supplies the Copyright Office

with the registration number and year of registration. For

current fees, visit the Copyright Office website, write the

office, or call (202) 707-3000 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free).

Checks or money orders must be made payable to Register

of Copyrights. For information on deposit accounts, see

Circular 5, How to Open and Maintain a Copyright Office

Deposit Account. Credit card payments are accepted by phone

or in person but not by mail.

Based on the information you provide, the Copyright

Office will estimate your total fee. Address all requests for fee

estimates to the Records Research and Certification Section.

Payments in excess of the statutory fee will be refunded,

but refunds of $50 or less will be made only upon request. To

cover administrative and processing costs, fees received in

conjunction with requests for additional certificates of regis-

tration will not be refunded even if the additional certificates

cannot be provided, usually because no such registration

exists.

Accessing Records on Your Own

For details about doing research in the records of the Copy-

right Office, see Circular 22, How to Investigate the Copyright

Status of a Work, and Circular 23, The Copyright Card Cata-

log and the Online Files of the Copyright Office

is-

tration will not be refunded even if the additional certificates

cannot be provided, usually because no such registration

exists.

Accessing Records on Your Own

For details about doing research in the records of the Copy-

right Office, see Circular 22, How to Investigate the Copyright

Status of a Work, and Circular 23, The Copyright Card Cata-

log and the Online Files of the Copyright Office.

Public access to Copyright Office records in machine-

readable form cataloged from January 1, 1978, to the present,

including registration information and recorded documents,

is available online at www.copyright.gov . These records include

original and renewal registrations and recorded documents,

including Notices of Intent to Enforce a Restored Copyright

under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

The Copyright Card Catalog, which includes more than 35

million cards, indexes copyright registrations in the United

States from 1870 through 1977. It is open to public inspec-

tion in the Copyright Office.

The Catalog of Copyright Entries, published in book form

from July 1, 1891, through 1978 and in microfiche format

from 1979 through 1982, is available in many libraries

throughout the country and online at http://archive.org/

details/copyrightrecords.

Information such as registration numbers may be

obtained from these files. Obtaining this information your-

self rather than paying a fee to have the Office search for it

will reduce the cost of obtaining records and copies from the

Note that The Catalog of Copyright Entries, the Copyright

Card Catalog, and the online files are indexes, not reproduc-

tions of original documents. To view or copy the original

documents yourself, you must visit the Copyright Office

information your-

self rather than paying a fee to have the Office search for it

will reduce the cost of obtaining records and copies from the

Note that The Catalog of Copyright Entries, the Copyright

Card Catalog, and the online files are indexes, not reproduc-

tions of original documents. To view or copy the original

documents yourself, you must visit the Copyright Office.

Licensing Division Records

The Licensing Division of the Copyright Office maintains

records of transactions related to the secondary transmis-

sion of copyrighted works on cable television systems and by

satellite carriers for private home viewing; the making and

distribution of phonorecords; the use of certain works in

connection with noncommercial broadcasting; and public

performance of copyrighted music on jukeboxes from 1978

to 1989.

The records of the Licensing Division are open to public

inspection during hours of public service, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm,

eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays,

in the Public Records Reading Room of the James Madison

Memorial Building. In addition, statements of account for

secondary transmissions by cable systems from January 1, 1992,

to the present are available at http://licensing.copyright.gov/

search. Inquiries about documents related to licensing should

be addressed to:

Library of Congress

101 Independence Avenue SE

Washington, DC 20559-6400

tel: (202) 707-8150

For more information about the Licensing Division, see

Circular 75, The Licensing Division of the Copyright Office.

Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits · 4

p://licensing.copyright.gov/

search. Inquiries about documents related to licensing should

be addressed to:

Library of Congress

101 Independence Avenue SE

Washington, DC 20559-6400

tel: (202) 707-8150

For more information about the Licensing Division, see

Circular 75, The Licensing Division of the Copyright Office.

Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits · 4

Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits · 5

U. S. Copyright Office · Library of Congress · 101 Independence Avenue SE · Washington, DC 20559 · www.copyright.gov

For Further Information

By Internet

Circulars, announcements, regulations, applications, and

other materials are available from the Copyright Office web-

site at www.copyright.gov.

By Telephone

For general information about copyright, call the Copyright

Public Information Office at (202) 707-3000 or 1-877-476-

0778 (toll free). Staff members are on duty from 8:30 am to

5:00 pm, eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal

holidays. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day.

To request paper application forms or circulars, available by

postal mail, call (202) 707‑9100 or 1-877-476-0778 and leave

a recorded message.

By Regular Mail

Write to:

Library of Congress

101 Independence Avenue SE

Washington, DC 20559

circular 6

reviewed: 01 ⁄ 2019

Printed on recycled paper

u.s. government printing office: 2019-xxx-xxx ⁄ xx,xxx

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.