Copyright Claims Board: Final Determination Certification

The Copyright Office has issued a final rule amending the process and fee to obtain a certified final determination from the Copyright Claims Board (CCB). The final rule modifies the current regulations to specify that parties will make such requests to the CCB, rather than using the generally applicable process to certify other Office records. The rule also lowers the fee for retrieval, copying, and certification of final determinations to $15 per record.

A party must obtain a certified copy of a final determination if they need to confirm the relief awarded by the CCB in federal court. The Office has concluded that a reduced fee and streamlined process to obtain a certified final determination is appropriate for a small-claims tribunal. Because the CCB has already issued final determinations, the Office has found good cause to issue a direct final rule with an immediate effective date and without first engaging in a public notice and comment process.