The United States Copyright Office maintains a web site that offers a current version of the Copyright Act in HTML and PDF formats.  In contrast, copyrightdata.com offers text of the law in HTML format only.  Those who don’t require historic versions of the law should exit this page for the Copyright Office site.  The Copyright Office site offers an authoritative edition of the text, and provides visitors who have limited research needs with the option of retrieving just limited portions of the statutes.

About This Page
This page enables you to retrieve the full text of all versions of the Copyright Act of the United States from the 1909 Act to the present.

Select a range of dates:
—choose date range— July 1, 1909 to August 23, 1912 August 24, 1912 to March 1, 1913 March 2, 1913 to March 27, 1914 March 28, 1914 to December 17, 1919 December 18, 1919 to December 6, 1925 December 7, 1925 to July 2, 1926 July 3, 1926 to May 22, 1928 May 23, 1928 to June 30, 1928 July 1, 1928 to July 30, 1939 July 31, 1939 to April 10, 1940 April 11, 1940 to June 29, 1940 June 30, 1940 to September 24, 1941 September 25, 1941 to July 29, 1947 July 30, 1947 to May 26, 1948 May 27, 1948 to June 24, 1948 June 25, 1948 to June 2, 1949 June 3, 1949 to October 30, 1951 October 31, 1951 to December 31, 1952 January 1, 1953 to April 12, 1954 April 13, 1954 to September 15, 1955 September 16, 1955 to March 28, 1956 March 29, 1956 to September 6,1958 September 7,1958 to September 18, 1962 September 19, 1962 to October 31, 1962 November 1, 1962 to August 27, 1965 August 28, 1965 to September 15, 1965 September 16, 1965 to October 26, 1965 October 27, 1965 to November 25, 1965 November 26, 1965 to November 15, 1967 November 16, 1967 to July 22, 1968 July 23, 1968 to December 15, 1969 December 16, 1969 to December 16, 1970 December 17, 1970 to October 14, 1971 October 15, 1971 to November 23, 1971 November 24, 1971 to February 14, 1972 February 15, 1972 to October 24, 1972 October 25, 1972 to December 30, 1974 December 31, 1974 to December 31, 1977 October 19, 1976 version, before amendments October 1, 1977 amended version January 1, 1978 to October 1, 1979 October 1, 1979 to December 12, 1980 December 12, 1980 to May 24, 1982 May 24, 1982 to July 18, 1982 July 18, 1982 to November 24, 1982 November 24, 1982 to October 4, 1984 October 4, 1984 to November 8, 1984 November 8, 1984 to August 27, 1986 August 27, 1986 to November 9, 1987 November 9, 1987 to November 5, 1988 November 5, 1988 to November 16, 1988 November 16, 1988 to November 19, 1988 November 19, 1988 to January 1, 1989 January 1, 1989 to March 1, 1989 March 1, 1989 to July 3, 1990 July 3, 1990 to November 15, 1990 November 15, 1990 to December 1, 1990 December 1, 1990 to January 3, 1991 January 3, 1991 to June 1, 1991 June 1, 1991 to June 28, 1991 June 28, 1991 to December 1, 1991 December 1, 1991 to June 26, 1992 June 26, 1992 to October 24, 1992 October 24, 1992 to October 28, 1992 October 28, 1992 to December 17, 1993 December 17, 1993 to January 1, 1994 January 1, 1994 to October 18, 1994 October 18, 1994 to December 8, 1994 December 8, 1994 to January 1, 1995 January 1, 1995 to November 1, 1995 November 1, 1995 to February 1, 1996 February 1, 1996 to July 2, 1996 July 2, 1996 to September 16, 1996 September 16, 1996 to November 13, 1997 November 13, 1997 to December 16, 1997 December 16, 1997 to October 27, 1998 October 27, 1998 to October 28, 1998 October 28, 1998 to January 25, 1999 January 25, 1999 to August 5, 1999 August 5, 1999 to November 29, 1999 November 29, 1999 to December 9, 1999 December 9, 1999 to October 27, 2000 October 27, 2000 to March 6, 2002 March 6, 2002 to November 2, 2002 November 2, 2002 to December 4, 2002 December 4, 2002 to January 1, 2003 January 1, 2003 to December 2, 2004 December 3, 2004 to December 7, 2004 December 8, 2004 to December 22, 2004 December 23, 2004 to April 26, 2005 April 27, 2005 to May 29, 2005 May 30, 2005 to October 5, 2006 October 6, 2006 to October 12, 2008 October 13, 2008 to October 15, 2008 October 16, 2008 to present


This web site has not yet been updated to include Public Law 111-175, approved May 27, 2010.  The text can be obtained from https://thomas.loc.gov and https://www.gpoaccess.gov

 

 

Coming Soon — if there is interest: There are plans that this page will have checkboxes which will allow you to specify a group of sections of Title 17 (e.g., “§401-§412”).  The “results” page would then display just a narrow portion of Title 17 rather than the full text for the particular dates selected. Pressing the button (above) would create the next page tailored for your combined choice of section(s) and dates. At present, the button above submits your request for the full Title 17 as effective on the particular range of dates selected above.

 

 

 

 

Also available on this web site:
The text of the laws passed between the major revisions of the Copyright Act.

Click here to select the specific laws for which you want to see the full text.

 

 

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