Supplementary Registration, 27424-27428 [2017-12453]
Download as PDF
27424
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 114 / Thursday, June 15, 2017 / Rules and Regulations
No objections to the proposed
temporary deviation were raised.
Vessels able to pass through the
bridge in the closed position may do so
at anytime. The bridge will be able to
open for emergencies with one hour
advance notice. There is no immediate
alternate route for vessels to pass. The
Coast Guard will also inform the users
of the waterway through our Local and
Broadcast Notices to Mariners of the
change in operating schedule for the
bridge so vessel operators can arrange
their transits to minimize any impact
caused by the temporary deviation.
In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e),
the drawbridge must return to its regular
operating schedule immediately at the
end of the effective period of this
temporary deviation. This deviation
from the operating regulations is
authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.
Dated: June 12, 2017.
C.T. Hausner,
District Bridge Chief, Eleventh Coast Guard
District.
[FR Doc. 2017–12417 Filed 6–14–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Copyright Office
37 CFR Parts 201 and 202
[Docket No. 2016–9]
Supplementary Registration
U.S. Copyright Office, Library
of Congress.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The United States Copyright
Office is modernizing its registration
practices to increase the efficiency of
the registration process for both the
Office and copyright owners. To further
these efforts, this final rule adopts
modifications to the Office’s procedures
for supplementary registration.
Specifically, the Office adopts a new
rule that, in most cases, requires
applicants to submit an online
application in order to correct or
amplify the information set forth in a
basic registration. In addition, the Office
is amending the regulation to codify and
update certain practices that are set
forth in the Compendium of U.S.
Copyright Office Practices, Third
Edition and to improve the readability
of the regulation.
DATES: Effective July 17, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert J. Kasunic, Associate Register
and Director of Registration Policy and
Practice, by telephone at (202) 707–
pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:00 Jun 14, 2017
Jkt 241001
8040; Erik Bertin, Deputy Director of
Registration Policy and Practice, by
telephone at 202–707–8040; or Emma
Raviv, Barbara A. Ringer Fellow, by
telephone at 202–707–3246.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On December 1, 2016, the Copyright
Office (the ‘‘Office’’) published a Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking (‘‘NPRM’’)
setting forth proposed regulatory
amendments designed to make the
procedure for supplementary
registration more efficient. See 81 FR
86656 (Dec. 1, 2016). A supplementary
registration is a special type of
registration that may be used ‘‘to correct
an error in a copyright registration or to
amplify the information given in a
registration.’’ Id. Specifically, it
identifies an error or omission in an
existing registration (referred to herein
as a ‘‘basic registration’’) and places the
corrected information or additional
information in the public record.
Section 408(d) of the Copyright Act
authorizes the Register of Copyrights to
establish such procedures. 17 U.S.C.
408(d).
The NPRM explained in detail the
rationale for one major change to the
supplementary registration procedures.
Previously, and since 2007, the Office
allowed and encouraged applicants to
register their works through the
electronic registration system, see 72 FR
36883 (July 6, 2007), but to seek a
supplementary registration, applicants
had to submit a paper application using
Form CA. 37 CFR 201.5(c)(1), (c)(2).
Under the rule proposed in the NPRM,
applicants will be required to file an
online application to correct or amplify
the information set forth in a basic
registration for any work that is capable
of being registered through the
electronic system, rather than filing a
paper application. The NPRM identified
the types of works that will be subject
to this online filing requirement when
the rule goes into effect, as well as other
works that will be subject to this
requirement in the near future. 81 FR at
86657–58 & nn. 3–8. The NPRM stated
that if the Office subsequently moves
registrations for other classes of works
into the electronic system,
supplementary registrations for those
works will also be subject to this same
requirement. Id. at 86658. Finally, the
NPRM stated that applicants will be
required to submit a paper application
using Form CA to correct or amplify the
registration record for works that cannot
be registered through the electronic
system, and it identified the three types
of works that remain subject to the
PO 00000
Frm 00022
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
paper filing requirement. 81 FR at 86658
& nn. 11–13.
The NPRM also proposed
modifications to certain practices
relating to supplementary registration.
First, it clarified that the fee for online
submission of a supplementary
registration will be the same as the fee
for paper submission, and that
applicants may be assessed an
additional fee if the basic registration
has not yet been digitized by the Office,
and if the applicant fails to provide a
copy of that registration during the
examination. Second, the NPRM
proposed updating the regulation to
reflect examination practices described
in the Compendium of U.S. Copyright
Office Practices, Third Edition
(hereinafter ‘‘Compendium’’), the rules
regarding when supplementary
registration will be declined, and the
practices regarding cross-references in
the Office’s public record. The NPRM
also proposed clarifying the relationship
between the basic and supplementary
registrations, requiring a certification
that the applicant has reviewed the
basic registration, and laying out the
referral procedure in the event of an
Office error.
The Office received four comments in
response to the NPRM, from Authors
Guild (‘‘AG’’); the Motion Picture
Association of America, Inc. (‘‘MPAA’’);
Author Services, Inc., representing the
literary, theatrical, and musical works of
L. Ron Hubbard (‘‘Author Services’’);
and a coalition of organizations and
advocates representing visual artists
including photographers, videographers,
illustrators, artists, and designers, as
well as their licensing representatives
(the ‘‘Coalition of Visual Artists’’). The
Coalition of Visual Artists generally
supported the modifications proposed
in the NPRM, but articulated some
concerns relating to the Office’s separate
rulemaking regarding group registration
of photographs.1 Author Services,
MPAA, and AG noted some objections
but overall supported the proposed
modifications. Having reviewed and
carefully considered the comments
received, the Office now issues a final
rule that closely follows the proposed
rule, with some alterations in response
to the comments, as discussed below.2
1 81
FR 86643 (Dec. 1, 2016).
final rule also makes some technical
amendments to the proposed rule. It moves the
regulation on supplementary registration to part 202
of title 37, which is the part that specifically
addresses copyright registration. It also corrects
spelling and punctuation discrepancies that
appeared in §§ 201.3(c)(9)(ii) and 201.5(d)(4)(i) and
(ii) of the proposed rule.
2 The
E:\FR\FM\15JNR1.SGM
15JNR1
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 114 / Thursday, June 15, 2017 / Rules and Regulations
pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES
II. Discussion of Comments
A. Online Filing Requirement
MPAA, Author Services, and the
Coalition of Visual Artists all generally
support the proposal to require
applicants to use the Office’s electronic
registration system to seek a
supplementary registration. But these
parties did voice some concerns about a
complete transition to the digital
system.
MPAA noted that there may be
situations where the online system may
be unavailable. MPAA suggested that
applicants should be allowed to submit
a paper application on the ‘‘rare
occasion(s)’’ where the online system is
down and an online application cannot
be filed. MPAA Comments at 2. This is
a legitimate concern, but it is not
limited to supplementary registration. It
potentially affects any USCO service or
function that is offered or provided
solely online, including preregistration,
the designation for agents for online
service providers, and responses to
notices of proposed rulemaking. The
Office recently proposed a rule in a
separate rulemaking to provide a means
for preserving/establishing a filing date
for a supplementary registration—or any
other type of registration—in cases
where the electronic system is offline.
See 82 FR 12326 (March 2, 2017).
AG agreed that the ‘‘policy
considerations’’ for requiring applicants
to use an online application ‘‘are
sound.’’ AG Comments at 3. They
recognized that paper applications
‘‘result in more work for the [Office].’’
Id. at 2. However, AG expressed concern
that a number of authors may prefer to
use a paper application or may not have
convenient access to the internet. Id. AG
stated that the Office should continue to
offer the paper application for a modest
fee and should determine if there is
sufficient demand for Form CA before
phasing it out.3 Id.
Although the Office acknowledges the
concerns, it has decided to implement
the online application requirement and
eliminate the paper application option
for most works. The Office recognizes,
however, that authors are accustomed to
using Form CA. To ease the transition
from the paper application to the online
form, the Office is developing several
new resources. The Office will revise
Chapters 1400 and 1800 of the
Compendium, which discuss the
Office’s practices and procedures for
issuing supplementary registrations.
3 AG filed comments on behalf of its 9,000
members but apparently did not poll its members
to determine if they would prefer to use a paper
application or if they would be unable to use the
online application due to a lack of internet access.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:00 Jun 14, 2017
Jkt 241001
The Office will also update Circular 8,
which provides a general introduction
to the topic of supplementary
registration. The Office is also revising
the instructions for Form CA to clarify
the situations where this form can and
cannot be used. And the Office has
added a notice to the current form and
instructions noting that in most cases,
Form CA may not be used once the final
rule goes into effect.
In addition, the Office is also
preparing an online tutorial that
explains how to use the online
application, and has prepared extensive
help text within the application itself
that should provide answers to
frequently asked questions. In addition,
Copyright Office staff will make
themselves available to deliver tutorials
for groups that are interested in learning
more about the online registration
process.
The Office recognizes that some
authors may not have broadband
internet service or a convenient means
of accessing the Office’s Web site. In
such cases, applicants could
conceivably hire an attorney or seek pro
bono representation to file the
application on their behalf. But the
Office recognizes that, as AG noted in
its comments, this may impose a burden
on applicants. AG Comments at 2. As
AG suggested, the Office will address
these concerns by offering ‘‘special
dispensation on a case by case basis.’’
Id. The following provision
(§ 202.6(e)(7)) has accordingly been
added to the final rule: ‘‘In an
exceptional case, the Copyright Office
may waive the requirements set forth in
paragraph (e)(1) of this section, subject
to such conditions as the Associate
Register and Director of the Office of
Registration Policy and Practice may
impose on the applicant.’’ Authors who
do not have internet access and are
unable to use the online application
should contact the Office, and the Office
will review the specific details of their
cases and determine their eligibility.
The Office will then make
accommodations for applicants who
receive a waiver under this provision.
One accommodation that the Office
plans to implement will be to allow
such applicants to contact the Public
Information Office (‘‘PIO’’) by telephone
for assistance in filling out the
application. A member of the staff will
ask the applicant to provide the
information that is called for in the
application, such as the title of the work
and the number assigned to the basic
registration. In addition, PIO staff will
ask the applicant to identify the
information in the basic registration that
should be corrected or amplified. PIO
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
27425
staff will enter this information into the
electronic registration system. Then
they will print a copy of the application
and mail it to the applicant for his or
her review. If the applicant approves the
draft, he or she will sign the application
and mail it back to the Office, along
with a check to cover the filing fee. In
providing this service, members of the
PIO staff are not providing legal advice;
their assistance is merely a service for
convenience, and applicants remain
responsible for providing accurate and
complete information in their
applications. Applicants should be
aware that if they use this option, the
effective date for their supplementary
registration will be based on the date
that the signed application and the
filing fee are received. At this time, the
Office does not intend to charge an
additional fee for applicants who submit
applications with the assistance of PIO.
The Office will track the number of
applicants who use this option and the
amount of time needed to handle these
requests. The Office will use this
information in conducting its next fee
study.
B. Copy of the Basic Registration
The NPRM explains that in certain
circumstances, a registration specialist
may ask the applicant to provide a copy
of the basic registration certificate if that
certificate had not previously been
digitized by the Office (and thus cannot
be retrieved through the electronic
system). 81 FR 86659. Author Services
contends that applicants should be
allowed to digitally upload a copy of the
basic registration certificate at the time
of application (rather than waiting for
the Office to request the certificate),
and, indeed, should be required to do so
in all cases. Author Services Comments
at 1. Absent such an option, it opposes
the proposed fee for preparing an
additional copy of the basic registration.
Id. at 2.
While it may be possible to add an
upload feature to the online application,
doing so would increase the cost of
development and delay the
implementation of the release. And, in
any event, submitting a copy of the
basic registration certificate is
unnecessary in most cases. As explained
in the NPRM, the examiner should be
able to generate a copy of the certificate
from the Office’s electronic system, if
the registration was issued after 1994. If
the certificate is not available through
the electronic system, the examiner will
ask the applicant to submit a copy via
email. In most of those cases, the
applicant should be able to provide a
copy of the certificate, because the rule
requires the applicant to certify that he
E:\FR\FM\15JNR1.SGM
15JNR1
27426
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 114 / Thursday, June 15, 2017 / Rules and Regulations
or she reviewed the basic registration
certificate before submitting the
application. If the applicant
nevertheless is unable to submit a copy
of the certificate in response to the
examiner’s request, only then will the
Office will charge an additional fee to
generate the basic certificate. 81 FR
86659 & n.21. Thus, Authors Services’
concern regarding the fee will not arise
in any case where the applicant has the
basic registration certificate at hand.
pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES
C. Other Concerns
The Coalition of Visual Artists
expressed concern that defendants often
challenge the validity of basic
registrations if there appear to be any
errors in the certificate, even if they are
merely technical mistakes. Coalition of
Visual Artists Comments at 11–12. It
urged that such errors ‘‘should not
invalidate registrations, and shouldn’t
require subsequent filing or correction
costs,’’ and encouraged the Office to
provide more guidance as to the types
of errors that are considered harmless/
immaterial and, as such, do not require
the filing of a supplementary
registration for purposes of correcting
the basic registration. Id. at 12.
Compendium section 1800 provides
detailed guidance on the types of
corrections and amplifications that can
or cannot be made with a
supplementary registration, but the
Office generally does not distinguish
between material and immaterial errors.
Nor would it be appropriate, in the
context of this rulemaking, for the Office
to attempt to catalog what errors are or
are not material. In general, the Office
encourages applicants to file
applications for supplementary
registration as soon as any errors in the
basic application are discovered, and
especially before initiating an
infringement suit. If the Office is aware
that a lawsuit has been filed, it may
suspend further action on an
application for supplementary
registration until the dispute has been
resolved if the proposed change is likely
to be directly at issue in the case.
Photographers represented by the
Coalition of Visual Artists expressed
concern that they would need to submit
a separate application in order to correct
each defect in a registration, such as
errors in publication status, publication
year, or the nation of first publication.
Coalition of Visual Artists Comments at
13–14. This concern appears to be based
on a misunderstanding of the rule: It
should be possible to address all of the
errors in a basic registration as part of
one supplementary registration
application, so long as those changes are
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:00 Jun 14, 2017
Jkt 241001
otherwise permitted. Compendium sec.
1802.9(D).
The photographers also expressed
concerns with respect to the interaction
between this rule and the separate
proposed rule regarding group
registration for unpublished
photographs. See 81 FR 86643 (Dec. 1,
2016). They worried that if they use the
group option for unpublished
photographs, they may need to file a
supplementary registration if some of
the photographs in that group are
published at some point in the future.
They also expressed concern that a
supplementary registration may be
needed if the photographer needs to
‘‘change, revise or edit’’ the works that
are later chosen for publication.
Coalition of Visual Artists Comments at
11. Both concerns are misplaced. When
the Office issues a group registration, it
is effective as of the date that the
application fee and deposit are received.
If the photographs were unpublished as
of that date, there is no need to correct
or amplify the record if some or all of
those works are later published. The fact
that some or all of the photographs may
be published at some point in the future
does not affect the validity of the
original registration. Indeed, if an
applicant sought a supplementary
registration seeking to change a
registration for a group of unpublished
photographs based on the later
publication of some or all of those
photographs, the Office would refuse to
issue it. The regulation expressly states
that a supplementary registration cannot
be used to reflect ‘‘changes in facts’’ that
occurred after the basic registration was
issued, such as a subsequent change in
publication status. Nor may a
supplementary registration be used to
reflect changes in the content of the
work, such as the preparation of a new
version of a preexisting work. 37 CFR
201.5(b)(2)(iii).
Of course, photographers may seek a
new basic registration when they create
a new or derivative version of a
preexisting image. And they may seek a
new basic registration when a
previously unpublished photograph has
been published. 37 CFR 202.3(b)(11)(i).
But this is not necessary to maintain the
validity of an existing registration for
the unpublished photograph or the
preexisting photograph that was used to
create the derivative work.
Finally, the photographers
represented by the Coalition of Visual
Artists noted that it is difficult to
distinguish between a published and an
unpublished photograph. Coalition of
Visual Artists Comments at 15.
According to them, photographers may
(presumably unintentionally) combine
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
published and unpublished
photographs in the same registration
application, even though the Office’s
various registration options for multiple
works require published and
unpublished works to be registered
separately. Id.
Although the distinction between
published and unpublished works is
beyond the scope of this rulemaking, the
Office notes that its rules regarding
supplementary registration allow
correction of such mistakes.
Specifically, a supplementary
registration may be used to exclude any
published photographs from the group
and limit the claim to the unpublished
photographs that were unpublished as
of the effective date (or vice versa). The
Office notes, however, that under its
rule it will not be possible to split the
registration into two separate claims—
one registration covering the
unpublished photographs and the other
covering the published ones. In such
cases, a new basic registration would be
needed to register the photographs that
were excluded from the earlier
registration. The deposit requirements
for published and unpublished
photographs are the same, as the
Coalition for Visual Artists noted, but
the eligibility and application
requirements for such works are
significantly different. Indeed, in
general, when the Office registers works
under one type of registration
procedure, it will not accept an
application that seeks to reclassify the
works under a different type of
procedure. For example, a
supplementary registration cannot be
used to change a registration for a group
of published photographs into a
registration for a compilation, a
collective work, photographic database
(or vice versa). These types of changes
would alter the fundamental nature of
the claim, and would undermine the
legal presumptions afforded to the
initial examination of the works. And it
would be inconsistent with the statutory
and regulatory provisions stating that a
supplementary registration augments—
but does not supersede—the basic
registration. 17 U.S.C. 408(d); 37 CFR
201.5(d)(2).
List of Subjects
37 CFR Part 201
Copyright, General provisions.
37 CFR Part 202
Copyright, Preregistration and
registration of claims to copyright.
E:\FR\FM\15JNR1.SGM
15JNR1
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 114 / Thursday, June 15, 2017 / Rules and Regulations
Final Regulations
For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, the U.S. Copyright Office
amends 37 CFR parts 201 and 202 as
follows:
PART 201—GENERAL PROVISIONS
1. The authority citation for part 201
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702.
2. Amend § 201.3 by revising
paragraph (c)(9) to read as follows:
■
§ 201.3 Fees for registration, recordation,
and related services, special services, and
services performed by the Licensing
Division.
*
*
*
(c) * * *
*
*
(9) Registration of a correction or amplification to a claim:
(i) Supplementary registration: Electronic filing or paper filing .................
(ii) Correction of a design registration:
Form DC ...........................................
*
*
§ 201.5
■
*
*
130
100
*
[Removed and Reserved]
3. Remove and reserve § 201.5.
PART 202—PREREGISTRATION AND
REGISTRATION OF CLAIMS TO
COPYRIGHT
4. The authority citation for part 202
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 408(f), 702.
§ 202.3
[Amended]
5. Amend § 202.3 as follows:
a. In paragraph (b)(11)(iii), remove the
phrase ‘‘by that applicant; and’’ and add
in its place ‘‘by that applicant.’’
■ b. Remove paragraph (b)(11)(iv).
■ 6. Add § 202.6 to read as follows:
■
■
pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES
§ 202.6
Supplementary registration.
(a) General. This section prescribes
conditions relating to the filing of an
application for supplementary
registration under section 408(d) of title
17 of the United States Code to correct
an error in a copyright registration or to
amplify the information given in a
registration. No correction or
amplification of the information in a
basic registration will be made except
pursuant to the provisions of this
section. As an exception, where it is
discovered that a basic registration
contains an error caused by the
Copyright Office’s own action, the
Office will take appropriate measures to
rectify its mistake.
(b) Definitions. (1) A basic registration
means any of the following:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:00 Jun 14, 2017
Jkt 241001
(i) A copyright registration made
under sections 408, 409, and 410 of title
17 of the United States Code;
(ii) A renewal registration made under
section 304 of title 17 of the United
States Code; or
(iii) A copyright registration or a
renewal registration made under title 17
of the United States Code as it existed
before January 1, 1978.
(2) A supplementary registration
means a registration issued under
section 408(d) of title 17 of the United
States Code and the provisions of this
section.
(c) Persons entitled to file an
application for supplementary
registration. Supplementary registration
can be made only if a basic copyright
registration for the same work has
already been completed. After a basic
registration has been completed, any
author or other copyright claimant of
the work, or the owner of any exclusive
right in the work, or the duly authorized
agent of any such author, other
claimant, or owner, who wishes to
correct or amplify the information given
in the basic registration for the work
may file an application for
supplementary registration.
(d) Basis for issuing a supplementary
registration. (1) Supplementary
registration may be made either to
correct or to amplify the information in
a basic registration.
(2) A correction is appropriate if
information in the basic registration was
incorrect at the time that basic
registration was made.
(3) An amplification is appropriate:
(i) To supplement or clarify the
information that was required by the
application for the basic registration and
should have been provided, such as the
identity of a co-author or co-claimant,
but was omitted at the time the basic
registration was made; or
(ii) To reflect changes in facts, other
than those relating to transfer, license,
or ownership of rights in the work, that
occurred since the basic registration was
made.
(4) Supplementary registration is not
appropriate:
(i) To reflect a change in ownership
that occurred on or after the effective
date of the basic registration or to reflect
the division, allocation, licensing, or
transfer of rights in a work;
(ii) To correct errors in statements or
notices on the copies or phonorecords of
a work, or to reflect changes in the
content of a work; or
(iii) To correct or amplify the
information set forth in a basic
registration that has been cancelled
under § 201.7 of this chapter.
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
27427
(5) If an error or omission in a basic
renewal registration is extremely minor,
and does not involve the identity of the
renewal claimant or the legal basis of
the claim, supplementary registration
may be made at any time. In an
exceptional case, however,
supplementary registration may be
made to correct the name of the renewal
claimant and the legal basis of the claim
if clear, convincing, and objective
documentation is submitted to the
Copyright Office which proves that an
inadvertent error was made in failing to
designate the correct living statutory
renewal claimant in the basic renewal
registration.
(6) In general, the Copyright Office
will not issue a supplementary
registration for a basic registration made
under title 17 of the United States Code
as it existed before January 1, 1978. In
an exceptional case, the Copyright
Office may issue a supplementary
registration for such a registration, if the
correction or amplification is supported
by clear, convincing, and objective
documentation.
(e) Application for supplementary
registration. (1) To seek a
supplementary registration for a work
registered in Class TX, PA, VA, SR, or
SE., an unpublished collection or a unit
of publication registered under § 202.3,
or a group of related works registered
under § 202.3(b)(6) through (10) or
§ 202.4, an applicant must complete and
submit the online application
designated for supplementary
registration.
(2) To seek a supplementary
registration for a database that consists
predominantly of photographs
registered under § 202.3(b)(5), an
applicant must complete and submit the
online application designated for
supplementary registration after
consultation with and under the
direction of the Visual Arts Division.
(3) To seek a supplementary
registration for a restored work
registered under § 202.12, a database
that does not consist predominantly of
photographs registered under
§ 202.3(b)(5), or a renewal registration,
an applicant must complete and submit
a paper application using Form CA.
(4) Before submitting the application,
the applicant must sign a certification
stating that the applicant reviewed a
copy of the certificate of registration for
the basic registration that will be
corrected or amplified by the
supplementary registration. To obtain a
copy of the certificate, the applicant
may submit a written request to the
Records Research and Certification
Section using the procedure set forth in
Chapter 2400 of the Compendium of
E:\FR\FM\15JNR1.SGM
15JNR1
27428
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 114 / Thursday, June 15, 2017 / Rules and Regulations
U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third
Edition.
(5) The appropriate filing fee, as
required by § 201.3(c) of this chapter,
must be included with the application
or charged to an active deposit account.
At the Office’s discretion, the applicant
may be required to pay an additional fee
to make a copy of the certificate of
registration for the basic registration that
will be corrected or amplified by the
supplementary registration.
(6) Copies, phonorecords, or
supporting documents cannot be made
part of the record for a supplementary
registration and should not be submitted
with the application.
(7) In an exceptional case, the
Copyright Office may waive the
requirements set forth in paragraph
(e)(1) of this section, subject to such
conditions as the Associate Register and
Director of the Office of Registration
Policy and Practice may impose on the
applicant.
(f) Effect of supplementary
registration. (1) When the Copyright
Office completes a supplementary
registration, it will issue a certificate of
supplementary registration bearing a
new registration number in the
appropriate class. The Office will crossreference the records for the basic
registration and the supplementary
registration by placing a note in each
record that identifies the registration
number and effective date of registration
for the related registration.
(2) As provided in section 408(d) of
title 17 of the United States Code, the
information contained in a
supplementary registration augments
but does not supersede that contained in
the basic registration. The basic
registration will not be expunged or
cancelled.
Dated: May 31, 2017.
Karyn Temple Claggett,
Acting Register of Copyrights and Director
of the U.S. Copyright Office.
Approved by:
Carla D. Hayden,
Librarian of Congress.
[FR Doc. 2017–12453 Filed 6–14–17; 8:45 am]
pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES
BILLING CODE 1410–30–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:24 Jun 14, 2017
Jkt 241001
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R04–OAR–2016–0748; FRL–9963–48–
Region 4]
Air Plan Approvals; TN; Prong 4–2010
NO2, SO2, and 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS
Environmental Protection
Agency.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is conditionally
approving the visibility transport (prong
4) portions of revisions to the Tennessee
State Implementation Plan (SIP),
submitted by the Tennessee Department
of Environment and Conservation
(TDEC), addressing the Clean Air Act
(CAA or Act) infrastructure SIP
requirements for the 2010 1-hour
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), 2010 1-hour
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), and 2012 annual
Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) National
Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS). The CAA requires that each
state adopt and submit a SIP for the
implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of each NAAQS
promulgated by EPA, commonly
referred to as an ‘‘infrastructure SIP.’’
Specifically, EPA is conditionally
approving the prong 4 portions of
Tennessee’s March 13, 2014, 2010 1hour NO2 and 2010 1-hour SO2
infrastructure SIP submission and
December 16, 2015, 2012 annual PM2.5
infrastructure SIP submission. All other
applicable infrastructure requirements
for these SIP submissions have been or
will be addressed in separate
rulemakings.
SUMMARY:
DATES:
This rule is effective July 17,
2017.
EPA has established a
docket for this action under Docket
Identification No. EPA–R04–OAR–
2016–0748. All documents in the docket
are listed on the www.regulations.gov
Web site. Although listed in the index,
some information may not be publicly
available, i.e., Confidential Business
Information or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, is not placed on
the Internet and will be publicly
available only in hard copy form.
Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically through
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the Air Regulatory Management Section,
Air Planning and Implementation
Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics
Management Division, U.S.
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960. EPA
requests that if at all possible, you
contact the person listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to
schedule your inspection. The Regional
Office’s official hours of business are
Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., excluding federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sean Lakeman of the Air Regulatory
Management Section, Air Planning and
Implementation Branch, Air, Pesticides
and Toxics Management Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960. Mr.
Lakeman can be reached by telephone at
(404) 562–9043 or via electronic mail at
lakeman.sean@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
By statute, SIPs meeting the
requirements of sections 110(a)(1) and
(2) of the CAA are to be submitted by
states within three years after
promulgation of a new or revised
NAAQS to provide for the
implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of the new or revised
NAAQS. EPA has historically referred to
these SIP submissions made for the
purpose of satisfying the requirements
of sections 110(a)(1) and 110(a)(2) as
‘‘infrastructure SIP’’ submissions.
Sections 110(a)(1) and (2) require states
to address basic SIP elements such as
for monitoring, basic program
requirements, and legal authority that
are designed to assure attainment and
maintenance of the newly established or
revised NAAQS. More specifically,
section 110(a)(1) provides the
procedural and timing requirements for
infrastructure SIPs. Section 110(a)(2)
lists specific elements that states must
meet for the infrastructure SIP
requirements related to a newly
established or revised NAAQS. The
contents of an infrastructure SIP
submission may vary depending upon
the data and analytical tools available to
the state, as well as the provisions
already contained in the state’s
implementation plan at the time in
which the state develops and submits
the submission for a new or revised
NAAQS.
Section 110(a)(2)(D) has two
components: 110(a)(2)(D)(i) and
110(a)(2)(D)(ii). Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)
includes four distinct components,
commonly referred to as ‘‘prongs,’’ that
must be addressed in infrastructure SIP
submissions. The first two prongs,
which are codified in section
E:\FR\FM\15JNR1.SGM
15JNR1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 114 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27424-27428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12453]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Copyright Office
37 CFR Parts 201 and 202
[Docket No. 2016-9]
Supplementary Registration
AGENCY: U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States Copyright Office is modernizing its
registration practices to increase the efficiency of the registration
process for both the Office and copyright owners. To further these
efforts, this final rule adopts modifications to the Office's
procedures for supplementary registration. Specifically, the Office
adopts a new rule that, in most cases, requires applicants to submit an
online application in order to correct or amplify the information set
forth in a basic registration. In addition, the Office is amending the
regulation to codify and update certain practices that are set forth in
the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition and to
improve the readability of the regulation.
DATES: Effective July 17, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert J. Kasunic, Associate Register
and Director of Registration Policy and Practice, by telephone at (202)
707-8040; Erik Bertin, Deputy Director of Registration Policy and
Practice, by telephone at 202-707-8040; or Emma Raviv, Barbara A.
Ringer Fellow, by telephone at 202-707-3246.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On December 1, 2016, the Copyright Office (the ``Office'')
published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (``NPRM'') setting forth
proposed regulatory amendments designed to make the procedure for
supplementary registration more efficient. See 81 FR 86656 (Dec. 1,
2016). A supplementary registration is a special type of registration
that may be used ``to correct an error in a copyright registration or
to amplify the information given in a registration.'' Id. Specifically,
it identifies an error or omission in an existing registration
(referred to herein as a ``basic registration'') and places the
corrected information or additional information in the public record.
Section 408(d) of the Copyright Act authorizes the Register of
Copyrights to establish such procedures. 17 U.S.C. 408(d).
The NPRM explained in detail the rationale for one major change to
the supplementary registration procedures. Previously, and since 2007,
the Office allowed and encouraged applicants to register their works
through the electronic registration system, see 72 FR 36883 (July 6,
2007), but to seek a supplementary registration, applicants had to
submit a paper application using Form CA. 37 CFR 201.5(c)(1), (c)(2).
Under the rule proposed in the NPRM, applicants will be required to
file an online application to correct or amplify the information set
forth in a basic registration for any work that is capable of being
registered through the electronic system, rather than filing a paper
application. The NPRM identified the types of works that will be
subject to this online filing requirement when the rule goes into
effect, as well as other works that will be subject to this requirement
in the near future. 81 FR at 86657-58 & nn. 3-8. The NPRM stated that
if the Office subsequently moves registrations for other classes of
works into the electronic system, supplementary registrations for those
works will also be subject to this same requirement. Id. at 86658.
Finally, the NPRM stated that applicants will be required to submit a
paper application using Form CA to correct or amplify the registration
record for works that cannot be registered through the electronic
system, and it identified the three types of works that remain subject
to the paper filing requirement. 81 FR at 86658 & nn. 11-13.
The NPRM also proposed modifications to certain practices relating
to supplementary registration. First, it clarified that the fee for
online submission of a supplementary registration will be the same as
the fee for paper submission, and that applicants may be assessed an
additional fee if the basic registration has not yet been digitized by
the Office, and if the applicant fails to provide a copy of that
registration during the examination. Second, the NPRM proposed updating
the regulation to reflect examination practices described in the
Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition
(hereinafter ``Compendium''), the rules regarding when supplementary
registration will be declined, and the practices regarding cross-
references in the Office's public record. The NPRM also proposed
clarifying the relationship between the basic and supplementary
registrations, requiring a certification that the applicant has
reviewed the basic registration, and laying out the referral procedure
in the event of an Office error.
The Office received four comments in response to the NPRM, from
Authors Guild (``AG''); the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc.
(``MPAA''); Author Services, Inc., representing the literary,
theatrical, and musical works of L. Ron Hubbard (``Author Services'');
and a coalition of organizations and advocates representing visual
artists including photographers, videographers, illustrators, artists,
and designers, as well as their licensing representatives (the
``Coalition of Visual Artists''). The Coalition of Visual Artists
generally supported the modifications proposed in the NPRM, but
articulated some concerns relating to the Office's separate rulemaking
regarding group registration of photographs.\1\ Author Services, MPAA,
and AG noted some objections but overall supported the proposed
modifications. Having reviewed and carefully considered the comments
received, the Office now issues a final rule that closely follows the
proposed rule, with some alterations in response to the comments, as
discussed below.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 81 FR 86643 (Dec. 1, 2016).
\2\ The final rule also makes some technical amendments to the
proposed rule. It moves the regulation on supplementary registration
to part 202 of title 37, which is the part that specifically
addresses copyright registration. It also corrects spelling and
punctuation discrepancies that appeared in Sec. Sec.
201.3(c)(9)(ii) and 201.5(d)(4)(i) and (ii) of the proposed rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 27425]]
II. Discussion of Comments
A. Online Filing Requirement
MPAA, Author Services, and the Coalition of Visual Artists all
generally support the proposal to require applicants to use the
Office's electronic registration system to seek a supplementary
registration. But these parties did voice some concerns about a
complete transition to the digital system.
MPAA noted that there may be situations where the online system may
be unavailable. MPAA suggested that applicants should be allowed to
submit a paper application on the ``rare occasion(s)'' where the online
system is down and an online application cannot be filed. MPAA Comments
at 2. This is a legitimate concern, but it is not limited to
supplementary registration. It potentially affects any USCO service or
function that is offered or provided solely online, including
preregistration, the designation for agents for online service
providers, and responses to notices of proposed rulemaking. The Office
recently proposed a rule in a separate rulemaking to provide a means
for preserving/establishing a filing date for a supplementary
registration--or any other type of registration--in cases where the
electronic system is offline. See 82 FR 12326 (March 2, 2017).
AG agreed that the ``policy considerations'' for requiring
applicants to use an online application ``are sound.'' AG Comments at
3. They recognized that paper applications ``result in more work for
the [Office].'' Id. at 2. However, AG expressed concern that a number
of authors may prefer to use a paper application or may not have
convenient access to the internet. Id. AG stated that the Office should
continue to offer the paper application for a modest fee and should
determine if there is sufficient demand for Form CA before phasing it
out.\3\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ AG filed comments on behalf of its 9,000 members but
apparently did not poll its members to determine if they would
prefer to use a paper application or if they would be unable to use
the online application due to a lack of internet access.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although the Office acknowledges the concerns, it has decided to
implement the online application requirement and eliminate the paper
application option for most works. The Office recognizes, however, that
authors are accustomed to using Form CA. To ease the transition from
the paper application to the online form, the Office is developing
several new resources. The Office will revise Chapters 1400 and 1800 of
the Compendium, which discuss the Office's practices and procedures for
issuing supplementary registrations. The Office will also update
Circular 8, which provides a general introduction to the topic of
supplementary registration. The Office is also revising the
instructions for Form CA to clarify the situations where this form can
and cannot be used. And the Office has added a notice to the current
form and instructions noting that in most cases, Form CA may not be
used once the final rule goes into effect.
In addition, the Office is also preparing an online tutorial that
explains how to use the online application, and has prepared extensive
help text within the application itself that should provide answers to
frequently asked questions. In addition, Copyright Office staff will
make themselves available to deliver tutorials for groups that are
interested in learning more about the online registration process.
The Office recognizes that some authors may not have broadband
internet service or a convenient means of accessing the Office's Web
site. In such cases, applicants could conceivably hire an attorney or
seek pro bono representation to file the application on their behalf.
But the Office recognizes that, as AG noted in its comments, this may
impose a burden on applicants. AG Comments at 2. As AG suggested, the
Office will address these concerns by offering ``special dispensation
on a case by case basis.'' Id. The following provision (Sec.
202.6(e)(7)) has accordingly been added to the final rule: ``In an
exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the requirements set
forth in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, subject to such conditions
as the Associate Register and Director of the Office of Registration
Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.'' Authors who do not
have internet access and are unable to use the online application
should contact the Office, and the Office will review the specific
details of their cases and determine their eligibility.
The Office will then make accommodations for applicants who receive
a waiver under this provision. One accommodation that the Office plans
to implement will be to allow such applicants to contact the Public
Information Office (``PIO'') by telephone for assistance in filling out
the application. A member of the staff will ask the applicant to
provide the information that is called for in the application, such as
the title of the work and the number assigned to the basic
registration. In addition, PIO staff will ask the applicant to identify
the information in the basic registration that should be corrected or
amplified. PIO staff will enter this information into the electronic
registration system. Then they will print a copy of the application and
mail it to the applicant for his or her review. If the applicant
approves the draft, he or she will sign the application and mail it
back to the Office, along with a check to cover the filing fee. In
providing this service, members of the PIO staff are not providing
legal advice; their assistance is merely a service for convenience, and
applicants remain responsible for providing accurate and complete
information in their applications. Applicants should be aware that if
they use this option, the effective date for their supplementary
registration will be based on the date that the signed application and
the filing fee are received. At this time, the Office does not intend
to charge an additional fee for applicants who submit applications with
the assistance of PIO. The Office will track the number of applicants
who use this option and the amount of time needed to handle these
requests. The Office will use this information in conducting its next
fee study.
B. Copy of the Basic Registration
The NPRM explains that in certain circumstances, a registration
specialist may ask the applicant to provide a copy of the basic
registration certificate if that certificate had not previously been
digitized by the Office (and thus cannot be retrieved through the
electronic system). 81 FR 86659. Author Services contends that
applicants should be allowed to digitally upload a copy of the basic
registration certificate at the time of application (rather than
waiting for the Office to request the certificate), and, indeed, should
be required to do so in all cases. Author Services Comments at 1.
Absent such an option, it opposes the proposed fee for preparing an
additional copy of the basic registration. Id. at 2.
While it may be possible to add an upload feature to the online
application, doing so would increase the cost of development and delay
the implementation of the release. And, in any event, submitting a copy
of the basic registration certificate is unnecessary in most cases. As
explained in the NPRM, the examiner should be able to generate a copy
of the certificate from the Office's electronic system, if the
registration was issued after 1994. If the certificate is not available
through the electronic system, the examiner will ask the applicant to
submit a copy via email. In most of those cases, the applicant should
be able to provide a copy of the certificate, because the rule requires
the applicant to certify that he
[[Page 27426]]
or she reviewed the basic registration certificate before submitting
the application. If the applicant nevertheless is unable to submit a
copy of the certificate in response to the examiner's request, only
then will the Office will charge an additional fee to generate the
basic certificate. 81 FR 86659 & n.21. Thus, Authors Services' concern
regarding the fee will not arise in any case where the applicant has
the basic registration certificate at hand.
C. Other Concerns
The Coalition of Visual Artists expressed concern that defendants
often challenge the validity of basic registrations if there appear to
be any errors in the certificate, even if they are merely technical
mistakes. Coalition of Visual Artists Comments at 11-12. It urged that
such errors ``should not invalidate registrations, and shouldn't
require subsequent filing or correction costs,'' and encouraged the
Office to provide more guidance as to the types of errors that are
considered harmless/immaterial and, as such, do not require the filing
of a supplementary registration for purposes of correcting the basic
registration. Id. at 12.
Compendium section 1800 provides detailed guidance on the types of
corrections and amplifications that can or cannot be made with a
supplementary registration, but the Office generally does not
distinguish between material and immaterial errors. Nor would it be
appropriate, in the context of this rulemaking, for the Office to
attempt to catalog what errors are or are not material. In general, the
Office encourages applicants to file applications for supplementary
registration as soon as any errors in the basic application are
discovered, and especially before initiating an infringement suit. If
the Office is aware that a lawsuit has been filed, it may suspend
further action on an application for supplementary registration until
the dispute has been resolved if the proposed change is likely to be
directly at issue in the case.
Photographers represented by the Coalition of Visual Artists
expressed concern that they would need to submit a separate application
in order to correct each defect in a registration, such as errors in
publication status, publication year, or the nation of first
publication. Coalition of Visual Artists Comments at 13-14. This
concern appears to be based on a misunderstanding of the rule: It
should be possible to address all of the errors in a basic registration
as part of one supplementary registration application, so long as those
changes are otherwise permitted. Compendium sec. 1802.9(D).
The photographers also expressed concerns with respect to the
interaction between this rule and the separate proposed rule regarding
group registration for unpublished photographs. See 81 FR 86643 (Dec.
1, 2016). They worried that if they use the group option for
unpublished photographs, they may need to file a supplementary
registration if some of the photographs in that group are published at
some point in the future. They also expressed concern that a
supplementary registration may be needed if the photographer needs to
``change, revise or edit'' the works that are later chosen for
publication. Coalition of Visual Artists Comments at 11. Both concerns
are misplaced. When the Office issues a group registration, it is
effective as of the date that the application fee and deposit are
received. If the photographs were unpublished as of that date, there is
no need to correct or amplify the record if some or all of those works
are later published. The fact that some or all of the photographs may
be published at some point in the future does not affect the validity
of the original registration. Indeed, if an applicant sought a
supplementary registration seeking to change a registration for a group
of unpublished photographs based on the later publication of some or
all of those photographs, the Office would refuse to issue it. The
regulation expressly states that a supplementary registration cannot be
used to reflect ``changes in facts'' that occurred after the basic
registration was issued, such as a subsequent change in publication
status. Nor may a supplementary registration be used to reflect changes
in the content of the work, such as the preparation of a new version of
a preexisting work. 37 CFR 201.5(b)(2)(iii).
Of course, photographers may seek a new basic registration when
they create a new or derivative version of a preexisting image. And
they may seek a new basic registration when a previously unpublished
photograph has been published. 37 CFR 202.3(b)(11)(i). But this is not
necessary to maintain the validity of an existing registration for the
unpublished photograph or the preexisting photograph that was used to
create the derivative work.
Finally, the photographers represented by the Coalition of Visual
Artists noted that it is difficult to distinguish between a published
and an unpublished photograph. Coalition of Visual Artists Comments at
15. According to them, photographers may (presumably unintentionally)
combine published and unpublished photographs in the same registration
application, even though the Office's various registration options for
multiple works require published and unpublished works to be registered
separately. Id.
Although the distinction between published and unpublished works is
beyond the scope of this rulemaking, the Office notes that its rules
regarding supplementary registration allow correction of such mistakes.
Specifically, a supplementary registration may be used to exclude any
published photographs from the group and limit the claim to the
unpublished photographs that were unpublished as of the effective date
(or vice versa). The Office notes, however, that under its rule it will
not be possible to split the registration into two separate claims--one
registration covering the unpublished photographs and the other
covering the published ones. In such cases, a new basic registration
would be needed to register the photographs that were excluded from the
earlier registration. The deposit requirements for published and
unpublished photographs are the same, as the Coalition for Visual
Artists noted, but the eligibility and application requirements for
such works are significantly different. Indeed, in general, when the
Office registers works under one type of registration procedure, it
will not accept an application that seeks to reclassify the works under
a different type of procedure. For example, a supplementary
registration cannot be used to change a registration for a group of
published photographs into a registration for a compilation, a
collective work, photographic database (or vice versa). These types of
changes would alter the fundamental nature of the claim, and would
undermine the legal presumptions afforded to the initial examination of
the works. And it would be inconsistent with the statutory and
regulatory provisions stating that a supplementary registration
augments--but does not supersede--the basic registration. 17 U.S.C.
408(d); 37 CFR 201.5(d)(2).
List of Subjects
37 CFR Part 201
Copyright, General provisions.
37 CFR Part 202
Copyright, Preregistration and registration of claims to copyright.
[[Page 27427]]
Final Regulations
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the U.S. Copyright
Office amends 37 CFR parts 201 and 202 as follows:
PART 201--GENERAL PROVISIONS
0
1. The authority citation for part 201 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702.
0
2. Amend Sec. 201.3 by revising paragraph (c)(9) to read as follows:
Sec. 201.3 Fees for registration, recordation, and related services,
special services, and services performed by the Licensing Division.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(9) Registration of a correction or amplification to a claim:
(i) Supplementary registration: Electronic filing or paper filing 130
(ii) Correction of a design registration: Form DC................ 100
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * *
Sec. 201.5 [Removed and Reserved]
0
3. Remove and reserve Sec. 201.5.
PART 202--PREREGISTRATION AND REGISTRATION OF CLAIMS TO COPYRIGHT
0
4. The authority citation for part 202 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 408(f), 702.
Sec. 202.3 [Amended]
0
5. Amend Sec. 202.3 as follows:
0
a. In paragraph (b)(11)(iii), remove the phrase ``by that applicant;
and'' and add in its place ``by that applicant.''
0
b. Remove paragraph (b)(11)(iv).
0
6. Add Sec. 202.6 to read as follows:
Sec. 202.6 Supplementary registration.
(a) General. This section prescribes conditions relating to the
filing of an application for supplementary registration under section
408(d) of title 17 of the United States Code to correct an error in a
copyright registration or to amplify the information given in a
registration. No correction or amplification of the information in a
basic registration will be made except pursuant to the provisions of
this section. As an exception, where it is discovered that a basic
registration contains an error caused by the Copyright Office's own
action, the Office will take appropriate measures to rectify its
mistake.
(b) Definitions. (1) A basic registration means any of the
following:
(i) A copyright registration made under sections 408, 409, and 410
of title 17 of the United States Code;
(ii) A renewal registration made under section 304 of title 17 of
the United States Code; or
(iii) A copyright registration or a renewal registration made under
title 17 of the United States Code as it existed before January 1,
1978.
(2) A supplementary registration means a registration issued under
section 408(d) of title 17 of the United States Code and the provisions
of this section.
(c) Persons entitled to file an application for supplementary
registration. Supplementary registration can be made only if a basic
copyright registration for the same work has already been completed.
After a basic registration has been completed, any author or other
copyright claimant of the work, or the owner of any exclusive right in
the work, or the duly authorized agent of any such author, other
claimant, or owner, who wishes to correct or amplify the information
given in the basic registration for the work may file an application
for supplementary registration.
(d) Basis for issuing a supplementary registration. (1)
Supplementary registration may be made either to correct or to amplify
the information in a basic registration.
(2) A correction is appropriate if information in the basic
registration was incorrect at the time that basic registration was
made.
(3) An amplification is appropriate:
(i) To supplement or clarify the information that was required by
the application for the basic registration and should have been
provided, such as the identity of a co-author or co-claimant, but was
omitted at the time the basic registration was made; or
(ii) To reflect changes in facts, other than those relating to
transfer, license, or ownership of rights in the work, that occurred
since the basic registration was made.
(4) Supplementary registration is not appropriate:
(i) To reflect a change in ownership that occurred on or after the
effective date of the basic registration or to reflect the division,
allocation, licensing, or transfer of rights in a work;
(ii) To correct errors in statements or notices on the copies or
phonorecords of a work, or to reflect changes in the content of a work;
or
(iii) To correct or amplify the information set forth in a basic
registration that has been cancelled under Sec. 201.7 of this chapter.
(5) If an error or omission in a basic renewal registration is
extremely minor, and does not involve the identity of the renewal
claimant or the legal basis of the claim, supplementary registration
may be made at any time. In an exceptional case, however, supplementary
registration may be made to correct the name of the renewal claimant
and the legal basis of the claim if clear, convincing, and objective
documentation is submitted to the Copyright Office which proves that an
inadvertent error was made in failing to designate the correct living
statutory renewal claimant in the basic renewal registration.
(6) In general, the Copyright Office will not issue a supplementary
registration for a basic registration made under title 17 of the United
States Code as it existed before January 1, 1978. In an exceptional
case, the Copyright Office may issue a supplementary registration for
such a registration, if the correction or amplification is supported by
clear, convincing, and objective documentation.
(e) Application for supplementary registration. (1) To seek a
supplementary registration for a work registered in Class TX, PA, VA,
SR, or SE., an unpublished collection or a unit of publication
registered under Sec. 202.3, or a group of related works registered
under Sec. 202.3(b)(6) through (10) or Sec. 202.4, an applicant must
complete and submit the online application designated for supplementary
registration.
(2) To seek a supplementary registration for a database that
consists predominantly of photographs registered under Sec.
202.3(b)(5), an applicant must complete and submit the online
application designated for supplementary registration after
consultation with and under the direction of the Visual Arts Division.
(3) To seek a supplementary registration for a restored work
registered under Sec. 202.12, a database that does not consist
predominantly of photographs registered under Sec. 202.3(b)(5), or a
renewal registration, an applicant must complete and submit a paper
application using Form CA.
(4) Before submitting the application, the applicant must sign a
certification stating that the applicant reviewed a copy of the
certificate of registration for the basic registration that will be
corrected or amplified by the supplementary registration. To obtain a
copy of the certificate, the applicant may submit a written request to
the Records Research and Certification Section using the procedure set
forth in Chapter 2400 of the Compendium of
[[Page 27428]]
U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition.
(5) The appropriate filing fee, as required by Sec. 201.3(c) of
this chapter, must be included with the application or charged to an
active deposit account. At the Office's discretion, the applicant may
be required to pay an additional fee to make a copy of the certificate
of registration for the basic registration that will be corrected or
amplified by the supplementary registration.
(6) Copies, phonorecords, or supporting documents cannot be made
part of the record for a supplementary registration and should not be
submitted with the application.
(7) In an exceptional case, the Copyright Office may waive the
requirements set forth in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, subject to
such conditions as the Associate Register and Director of the Office of
Registration Policy and Practice may impose on the applicant.
(f) Effect of supplementary registration. (1) When the Copyright
Office completes a supplementary registration, it will issue a
certificate of supplementary registration bearing a new registration
number in the appropriate class. The Office will cross-reference the
records for the basic registration and the supplementary registration
by placing a note in each record that identifies the registration
number and effective date of registration for the related registration.
(2) As provided in section 408(d) of title 17 of the United States
Code, the information contained in a supplementary registration
augments but does not supersede that contained in the basic
registration. The basic registration will not be expunged or cancelled.
Dated: May 31, 2017.
Karyn Temple Claggett,
Acting Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright
Office.
Approved by:
Carla D. Hayden,
Librarian of Congress.
[FR Doc. 2017-12453 Filed 6-14-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-30-P