§ 701. — The Copyright Office: General responsibilities and organization.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 17USC701]
TITLE 17--COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 7--COPYRIGHT OFFICE
Sec. 701. The Copyright Office: General responsibilities and
organization
(a) All administrative functions and duties under this title, except
as otherwise specified, are the responsibility of the Register of
Copyrights as director of the Copyright Office of the Library of
Congress. The Register of Copyrights, together with the subordinate
officers and employees of the Copyright Office, shall be appointed by
the Librarian of Congress, and shall act under the Librarian's general
direction and supervision.
(b) In addition to the functions and duties set out elsewhere in
this chapter, the Register of Copyrights shall perform the following
functions:
(1) Advise Congress on national and international issues
relating to copyright, other matters arising under this title, and
related matters.
(2) Provide information and assistance to Federal departments
and agencies and the Judiciary on national and international issues
relating to copyright, other matters arising under this title, and
related matters.
(3) Participate in meetings of international intergovernmental
organizations and meetings with foreign government officials
relating to copyright, other matters arising under this title, and
related matters, including as a member of United States delegations
as authorized by the appropriate Executive branch authority.
(4) Conduct studies and programs regarding copyright, other
matters arising under this title, and related matters, the
administration of the Copyright Office, or any function vested in
the Copyright Office by law, including educational programs
conducted cooperatively with foreign intellectual property offices
and international intergovernmental organizations.
(5) Perform such other functions as Congress may direct, or as
may be appropriate in furtherance of the functions and duties
specifically set forth in this title.
(c) The Register of Copyrights shall adopt a seal to be used on and
after January 1, 1978, to authenticate all certified documents issued by
the Copyright Office.
(d) The Register of Copyrights shall make an annual report to the
Librarian of Congress of the work and accomplishments of the Copyright
Office during the previous fiscal year. The annual report of the
Register of Copyrights shall be published separately and as a part of
the annual report of the Librarian of Congress.
(e) Except as provided by section 706(b) and the regulations issued
thereunder, all actions taken by the Register of Copyrights under this
title are subject to the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act
of June 11, 1946, as amended (c. 324, 60 Stat. 237, title 5, United
States Code, Chapter 5, Subchapter II and Chapter 7).
(f) The Register of Copyrights shall be compensated at the rate of
pay in effect for level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314
of title 5. The Librarian of Congress shall establish not more than four
positions for Associate Registers of Copyrights, in accordance with the
recommendations of the Register of Copyrights. The Librarian shall make
appointments to such positions after consultation with the Register of
Copyrights. Each Associate Register of Copyrights shall be paid at a
rate not to exceed the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for GS-
18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5.
(Pub. L. 94-553, title I, Sec. 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2591; Pub.
L. 101-319, Sec. 2(b), July 3, 1990, 104 Stat. 290; Pub. L. 105-304,
title IV, Sec. 401(a)(2), (b), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2887.)
References in Text
The Administrative Procedure Act of June 11, 1946, referred to in
subsec. (e), was repealed and the provisions thereof were reenacted as
subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of Title 5, Government
Organization and Employees, by Pub. L. 89-554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat.
278.
Amendments
1998--Subsecs. (b) to (e). Pub. L. 105-304, Sec. 401(b)(1), added
subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsecs. (b) to (d) as (c) to (e),
respectively. Former subsec. (e) redesignated (f).
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 105-304 redesignated subsec. (e) as (f) and
substituted ``III'' for ``IV'' and ``5314'' for ``5315'' in first
sentence.
1990--Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 101-319 added subsec. (e).
Effective Date of 1990 Amendment
Section 5 of Pub. L. 101-319 provided that:
``(a) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act [amending
this section and section 802 of this title and sections 5315 and 5316 of
Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and enacting provisions
set out as a note under section 101 of this title] shall take effect on
the date of the enactment of this Act [July 3, 1990].
``(b) Budget Act.--Any new spending authority (within the meaning of
section 401 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 [2 U.S.C. 651])
which is provided under this Act shall be effective for any fiscal year
only to the extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriations
Acts.''
References in Other Laws to GS-16, 17, or 18 Pay Rates
References in laws to the rates of pay for GS-16, 17, or 18, or to
maximum rates of pay under the General Schedule, to be considered
references to rates payable under specified sections of Title 5,
Government Organization and Employees, see section 529 [title I,
Sec. 101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101-509, set out in a note under section 5376
of Title 5.
National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works
Pub. L. 93-573, title II, Secs. 201-208, Dec. 31, 1974, 88 Stat.
1873-1875, as amended by Pub. L. 94-314, June 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 692;
Pub. L. 95-146, Oct. 28, 1977, 91 Stat. 1226, created in the Library of
Congress a National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted
Works to study and compile data on (1) the reproduction and use of
copyrighted works of authorship (A) in conjunction with automatic
systems capable of storing, processing, retrieving, and transferring
information, and (B) by various forms of machine reproduction, not
including reproduction by or at the request of instructors for use in
face-to-face teaching activities, and (2) the creation of new works by
the application or intervention of such automatic systems or machine
reproduction, required the Commission to submit a final report to the
President and Congress on or before July 31, 1978, and provided that the
Commission terminated the sixtieth day after submitting the final
report.
