(a) The Office of the Register of Copyrights has overall responsibility for the Copyright Office and its statutory mandate, specifically: For legal interpretation of the copyright law; administering the provisions of title 17 of the U.S.C.; promulgating copyright regulations; advising Congress and other government officials on domestic and international copyright policy and other intellectual property issues; determining personnel and other resource requirements for the Office; organizing strategic and annual program planning; and preparing budget estimates for inclusion in the budget of the Library of Congress and U.S. Government.
(b) The Office of the Director of Operations is headed by the Assistant Register and Director of Operations (“ARDO”), who advises the Register on core business functions and coordinates and directs the day-to-day operations of the Copyright Office. This Office supervises human capital, finances, the administration of certain statutory licenses, mandatory acquisitions and deposits, product management, and materials control and analysis functions. It interacts with other senior management offices that report to the Register and frequently coordinates and assesses institutional projects. This Office has five divisions: Acquisitions and Deposits; Administrative Services; Financial Management; Materials Control and Analysis; and Product Management.
(1) Acquisitions and Deposits (“A&D”) administers the mandatory deposit requirements of the Copyright Act, acting as an intermediary between copyright owners of certain published works and the acquisitions staff in the Library of Congress (17 U.S.C. 407). It creates and updates records for copies received by the Copyright Office, demands particular works or particular formats of works as necessary, and administers deposit agreements between the Library and copyright owners.
(2) The Administrative Services Division (“ASD”) manages human capital and physical space issues for the Copyright Office, and serves as the liaison with other components of the Library for those matters.
(3) The Financial Management Division (“FMD”) oversees fiscal, financial, and budgetary activities for the Copyright Office. It contains the Licensing Section, which administers certain statutory licenses set forth in the Copyright Act. The Licensing Section collects royalty payments and examines statements of account for the cable statutory license (17 U.S.C. 111), the satellite statutory license for retransmission of distant television broadcast stations (17 U.S.C. 119), and the statutory license for digital audio recording technology (17 U.S.C. chapter 10). The Licensing Section also accepts and records certain documents associated with the use of the mechanical statutory license for making and distributing phonorecords of nondramatic musical works (17 U.S.C. 115) and the statutory licenses for publicly performing sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission (17 U.S.C. 112, 114).
(4) The Materials Control and Analysis Division (“MCA”) processes incoming mail, creates initial records, and dispatches electronic and hardcopy materials and deposits to the appropriate service areas. It operates the Copyright Office's central print room and outgoing mail functions.
(5) The Product Management Division (“PMD”) advises on business process integration and improvements in connection with technology initiatives affecting the Copyright Office. It coordinates business activities, including resource planning, stakeholder engagement activities, and project management. The PMD oversees the Office's data management, performance statistics, and business intelligence capabilities.
(c) The Office of the General Counsel is headed by the General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights, who is an expert copyright attorney and one of four legal advisors to the Register. This Office assists the Register in carrying out critical work of the Copyright Office regarding the legal interpretation of the copyright law. The General Counsel liaises with the Department of Justice, other federal departments, and the legal community on a wide range of copyright matters including litigation and the administration of title 17 of the U.S.C. The General Counsel has primary responsibility for the formulation and promulgation of regulations and the adoption of legal positions governing policy matters and the practices of the Copyright Office. The Office of the General Counsel also supervises the Copyright Claims Board (“CCB”) as it discharges its statutory mandate.
(1) The CCB is a voluntary, alternative forum to Federal court for parties to seek resolution of copyright disputes that have a low economic value. The CCB is headed by three Copyright Claims Officers who ensure that claims are properly asserted and appropriate for resolution; manage proceedings; render determinations and award monetary relief; provide public information; certify and maintain CCB records, including making proceeding records publicly available; and other related duties.
(2) [Reserved]
(d) The Office of Policy and International Affairs is headed by the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Policy and International Affairs, who is an expert copyright attorney and one of four legal advisors to the Register. This Office assists the Register with critical policy functions of the Copyright Office, including domestic and international policy analyses, legislative support, and trade negotiations. Policy and International Affairs represents the Copyright Office at meetings of government officials concerned with the international aspects of intellectual property protection, and provides regular support to Congress and its committees on statutory amendments and construction.
(e) The Office of Registration Policy and Practice is headed by the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Registration Policy and Practice, who is an expert copyright attorney and one of four legal advisors to the Register. This Office administers the U.S. copyright registration system and advises the Register of Copyrights on questions of registration policy and related regulations and interpretations of copyright law. This Office has three divisions: Literary, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. It also has a number of specialized sections, for example, in the area of motion pictures. This Office executes major sections of the Compendium of Copyright Office Practices, particularly with respect to the examination of claims and related principles of law.
(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 website; creates and distributes a variety of circulars, information sheets, and newsletters, including NewsNet; responds to public inquiries 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. This Office is comprised of two sections: The Public Information Office and the Outreach and Education section.
(g) The Office of Copyright Records 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. It contains three divisions: Recordation; Records Management; and Records, Research and Certification. 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.
(h)-(i) [Reserved}
(j) The Office has no field organization.
(k) The Office is located in The James Madison Memorial Building of the Library of Congress, 1st and Independence Avenue SE., Washington, DC. 20559-6000. The Public Information Office is located in Room LM-401. Its hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday except legal holidays. The phone number of the Public Information Office is (202) 707-3000. Informational material regarding the copyright law, the registration process, fees, and related information about the Copyright Office and its functions may be obtained free of charge from the Public Information Office upon request.
(l) All Copyright Office forms may be obtained free of charge from the Public Information Office or by calling the Copyright Office Hotline anytime day or night at (202) 707-9100.
[60 FR 34168, June 30, 1995, as amended at 62 FR 55742, Oct. 28, 1997; 64 FR 36575, July 7, 1999; 65 FR 39819, June 28, 2000; 66 FR 34373, June 28, 2001; 73 FR 37839, July 2, 2008; 76 FR 27898, May 13, 2011; 82 FR 9362, Feb. 6, 2017; 82 FR 9507, Feb. 7, 2017; 83 FR 63064, Dec. 7, 2018; 86 FR 32642, June 22, 2021]