Streamlining the Single Application and Clarifying Eligibility Requirements, 5227-5231 [2018-02204]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 6, 2018 / Proposed Rules
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List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165
Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation
(water), Reporting and record keeping
requirements, Security measures,
Waterways.
For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the Coast Guard amends 33
CFR parts 165 as follows:
PART 165—REGULATED NAVIGATION
AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS
1. The authority citation for part 165
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1231; 50 U.S.C. 191;
33 CFR 1.05–1, 6.04–1, 6.04–6, and 160.5;
Department of Homeland Security Delegation
No. 0170.1.
■
Dated: January 22, 2018.
Thomas J. Stuhlreyer,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the
Port, Lake Michigan.
[FR Doc. 2018–02322 Filed 2–5–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
2. Add § 165.932 to read as follows:
§ 165.932 Safety Zone; Ohio Street Beach
Swim Course, Lake Michigan, Chicago
Harbor, Chicago, IL.
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media, distribution in leaflet form, and
on-scene oral notice.
(c) Regulations. (1) In accordance with
the general regulations in § 165.23 of
this part, entry into, transiting, or
anchoring within this safety zone is
prohibited unless authorized by the
Captain of the Port, Lake Michigan or a
designated on-scene representative.
(2) This safety zone is closed to all
vessel traffic, except as may be
permitted by the Captain of the Port,
Lake Michigan or a designated on-scene
representative.
(3) The ‘‘on-scene representative’’ of
the Captain of the Port, Lake Michigan
is any Coast Guard commissioned,
warrant or petty officer who has been
designated by the Captain of the Port,
Lake Michigan to act on his or her
behalf.
(4) Vessel operators desiring to enter
or operate within the safety zone shall
contact the Captain of the Port, Lake
Michigan or an on-scene representative
to obtain permission to do so. The
Captain of the Port, Lake Michigan or an
on-scene representative may be
contacted via VHF Channel 16 or at
(414) 747–7182.
(a) Location. All U.S. navigable waters
of Lake Michigan bound by a line drawn
from 41°53.7767′ N, 087°36.48′ W then
North to 41°53.9517′ N, 087°36.505′ W
then Northwest to 41°54.1533′ N,
087°36.6933′ W then Southwest to
41°54.065′ N, 087°37.1517′ W then
Southeast to 41°53.6033′ N,
087°36.8333′ W then East to 41°53.6317′
N, 087°36.7017′ W and then along the
shoreline back to the point of origin
(NAD83).
(b) Enforcement Period. The safety
zone established by this section will be
enforced only upon notice by the
Captain of the Port, Lake Michigan. The
Captain of the Port, Lake Michigan will
publish notices of enforcement in
accordance with § 165.7(a) and in a
manner that provides as much notice as
possible. The primary method of
notification will be through publication
to the Federal Register. The Captain of
the Port, Lake Michigan, may also
provide notice through other means,
such as Broadcast Notice to Mariners,
Local Notice to Mariners, local news
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Copyright Office
37 CFR Parts 201, 202, 211, 212
[Docket No. 2018–1]
Streamlining the Single Application
and Clarifying Eligibility Requirements
U.S. Copyright Office, Library
of Congress.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
AGENCY:
On December 16, 2017, the
U.S. Copyright Office released a new
version of the Single Application, an
online registration option that allows a
single author to register a claim in one
work that is solely owned by the same
author and is not a work made for hire.
The new Single Application includes
enhanced features that should improve
the user experience, increase the
efficiency of the examination, and
reduce the correspondence rate for these
types of claims. To coincide with these
technical upgrades, the Office is now
proposing to amend its regulations to
clarify the eligibility requirements for
SUMMARY:
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the Single Application, and codify
certain practices set forth in the
Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office
Practices, Third Edition. In addition, the
proposed rule confirms that the Single
Application may be used to register one
sound recording and one musical work,
literary work, or dramatic work—
notwithstanding the fact that a sound
recording and the work embodied in
that recording are separate works. The
proposed rule will also clarify the
eligibility requirements for the Office’s
Standard Application, which is used to
register certain works that are ineligible
for the Single Application, such as
works with more than one owner. In
addition, the proposed rule will
eliminate the ‘‘short form’’ version of
the Office’s paper applications, and
make technical amendments to the
regulations governing preregistration,
architectural works, mask works, vessel
designs, the unit of publication
registration option, and the group
registration option for database updates.
The proposed rule will also allow for
paper applications to be certified with a
typed or printed signature by removing
the requirement that the certification
must include a ‘‘handwritten’’ signature
of the certifying party.
DATES: Comments on the proposed rule
must be made in writing and must be
received in the U.S. Copyright Office no
later than March 8, 2018.
ADDRESSES: For reasons of government
efficiency, the Copyright Office is using
the regulations.gov system for the
submission and posting of public
comments in this proceeding. All
comments are therefore to be submitted
electronically through regulations.gov.
Specific instructions for submitting
comments are available on the
Copyright Office website at https://
www.copyright.gov/rulemaking/
streamlining-single. If electronic
submission of comments is not feasible
due to lack of access to a computer and/
or the internet, please contact the Office
using the contact information below for
special instructions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert J. Kasunic, Associate Register of
Copyrights and Director of Registration
Policy and Practice; Erik Bertin, Deputy
Director of Registration Policy and
Practice; or Anna Chauvet, Assistant
General Counsel, by telephone at 202–
707–8040 or by email at rkas@loc.gov,
ebertin@loc.gov, or achau@loc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
In 2013, the Office issued an interim
rule that established a new registration
option known as the ‘‘Single
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Application.’’ This application was
designed ‘‘for those authors who file the
simplest kind of [claim].’’ 78 FR 38843,
38845 (June 28, 2013). The purpose of
the Single Application was to
‘‘encourage more individual creators to
register their works’’ and to ‘‘foster the
development of a more robust public
record.’’ Id. at 38844, 38845.
Specifically, the Single Application may
be used to register ‘‘a single work by a
single author that is owned by the
person who created it.’’ 37 CFR
202.3(b)(2)(i)(B). The application must
be submitted ‘‘electronically’’ through
the Office’s website, and ‘‘[t]he claimant
and the author must be the same.’’ Id.
§§ 202.3(b)(2)(i)(A), (B).
Certain types of works are not eligible
for the Single Application option, as
they create a more complex application
that takes additional time to examine.
For example, the Single Application
cannot be used to register ‘‘works by
more than one author,’’ ‘‘works with
more than one owner,’’ collective works,
unpublished collections, units of
publication, databases, or websites. Id.
§ 202.3(b)(2)(i)(B). Instead, an applicant
must submit the Office’s ‘‘Standard
Application’’ through the Office’s
electronic registration system, or a paper
application submitted on Forms PA, SR,
TX, VA, or SE to register these types of
works.1
Although the Office intended for the
Single Application to be
‘‘administratively simple’’ to process, 78
FR at 38843, in practice, claims
submitted on the Single Application
often require more correspondence than
other filings. For example, mistakenly
using the Single Application for works
co-created or co-owned by two or more
people is one of the most common
reasons that the Office must correspond
with applicants. This unexpected
administrative burden on the Office
appears to stem from the manner in
which its electronic registration system
used to direct applicants to either the
Single Application or Standard
Application.
On December 16, 2017, the Office
released a new and improved version of
the Single Application to address these
1 In 2014, the Office announced that the term
‘‘single’’ would be used to identify ‘‘the newly
introduced single author/single work offering,’’ and
the term ‘‘standard’’ would be used to identify the
‘‘standard’’ version of the online application, as
well as the Office’s printed forms. 79 FR 15910,
15911 n.10 (Mar. 24, 2014). In practice, however,
the Office uses the term ‘‘standard’’ only when
referring to the online application. When referring
to its printed forms, the Office uses the term ‘‘paper
application’’ or the specific name for each form,
such as ‘‘Form PA’’ or ‘‘Form SR.’’ The proposed
rule updates the regulation to reflect the current
terminology.
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issues. Applicants must now
affirmatively select a link that is
specifically designated for claims
involving ‘‘one work by one author.’’
The new version of the Single
Application describes its eligibility
requirements in a clear and concise
manner, and applicants must confirm
that they have read and understood
these requirements before they may use
this form. The Office also released an
updated circular that provides detailed
information about the new version of
the Single Application. See Copyright
Office, Circular 11: Using the Single
Application (2017). In addition, the new
version offers enhanced features that
should improve the user experience,
increase the efficiency of the
examination, and promote the overall
quality of the registration record.
Information concerning these new
features is available on the Office’s
website at https://www.copyright.gov/
eco/updates/.
B. The Proposed Rule
The Office is proposing to amend the
regulations governing the Single
Application and the Standard
Application to better reflect the
technical upgrades that have been made
to the Office’s electronic registration
system, eCO (the ‘‘Proposed Rule’’). The
Proposed Rule will clarify the eligibility
requirements for each application, and
codify certain practices that are set forth
in the Compendium of U.S. Copyright
Office Practices, Third Edition
(‘‘Compendium’’). In addition, the
Proposed Rule will eliminate the ‘‘short
form’’ version of the Office’s paper
applications, and make several technical
amendments to improve the
organization, consistency, and
readability of the regulations. The
Proposed Rule will also allow paper
applications to be certified with a typed
or printed signature by removing the
requirement that the certification must
include a ‘‘handwritten’’ signature of
the certifying party. The Office
welcomes public comment on each
proposal.
1. The Single Application
The Proposed Rule improves
readability of the Office’s regulations by
restating the eligibility requirements for
the Single Application. The Proposed
Rule confirms that: (1) Each claim must
be limited to one work (with a limited
exception for sound recordings
described below); (2) each work must be
created by one individual; (3) all the
content appearing in the work must be
created by that same individual; and (4)
the individual must be the sole owner
of all rights in the work. These changes
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are intended to clarify the current
requirements and do not represent a
substantive change in policy.
The Proposed Rule states that the
Single Application may not be used to
register collective works, databases, or
websites—because they often contain
multiple works of authorship—or
choreographic works or architectural
works 2—because such claims tend to be
very complex. See 78 FR at 38445
(stating that the Single Application is
intended ‘‘for those authors who file the
simplest kind of [claim]’’).
Although the Single Application may
be used only to register one work by one
author, there is a limited exception for
sound recordings. The Proposed Rule
confirms that the Single Application
may be used to register one sound
recording and one musical work,
literary work, or dramatic work—
notwithstanding the fact that a sound
recording and the work embodied in
that recording are separate works. To do
so, applicants must satisfy the
conditions set forth in 37 CFR
202.3(b)(1)(iv)(A)–(C), as well as the
generally applicable requirements for
the Single Application. In particular, the
author of the sound recording and the
work embodied in that recording must
be the same individual, that individual
must own the copyright in both works,
and that individual must be the only
performer featured in the recording. For
example, the Single Application could
be used to register a song and sound
recording written and performed solely
by Paul. But it could not be used to
register a song written by Paul together
with a recording of that song performed
solely by Art or jointly performed by Art
and Paul. Although this practice is not
mentioned in the current regulation, it
has appeared in the Compendium, the
circular, and the help text, and thus
does not represent a substantive change
in policy.3 The Office invites public
2 This requirement has appeared in the
Compendium, the help text for the Single
Application, and the Office’s informational
brochure for some time. See Compendium, secs.
609.1(A)–(C) (3d ed. 2017); Help: Created, U.S.
Copyright Office, https://www.copyright.gov/eco/
help-created.html (last visited Jan. 26, 2018);
Question 3: Does the work you are sending contain
material created only by this author?, U.S.
Copyright Office, https://www.copyright.gov/eco/
help-owned.html (last visited Jan. 26, 2018).
3 Similarly, the regulations governing the
Standard Application and the paper applications
state that an applicant may register a sound
recording together with the musical work, dramatic
work, or literary work embodied in that recording,
provided that both works are fixed in the same
phonorecord, the applicant has submitted one
application for both works, and the claimant for
both works is the same person or organization. 37
CFR 202.3(b)(1)(iv)(A)–(C). When submitting an
online application, the applicant must select
‘‘sound recording’’ as the type of work. When
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comment, however, on whether the
Single Application should be permitted
to register one sound recording and one
musical work, literary work, or dramatic
work in cases where the author of the
sound recording and the work embodied
in that recording is the same individual
and that individual also owns the
copyright in both works, but that
individual is not the only performer
featured in the recording (e.g., whether
a Single Application should be
permitted to register a song written by
Paul, where Paul is the author of the
sound recording, but the recording
features Art and Paul performing the
song).
If the Office determines that a
particular work does not satisfy the
eligibility requirements for the Single
Application, it will refuse to register the
claim. In particular, works made for hire
or works created by two or more
individuals are not eligible for the
Single Application. Applicants may not
use the Single Application if the deposit
contains material created by two or
more authors (even if they only intend
to register material created by one of
those individuals). For the same reason,
the Single Application may not be used
to register a derivative work based on a
preexisting work by a different author.
And a work created solely by one
individual cannot be registered with the
Single Application if the author
transferred his or her rights to another
party, if the work is co-owned by two or
more parties, or if the author is
deceased. See 82 FR 21551, 21553 (May
9, 2017); 78 FR at 38844.
The Proposed Rule provides that a
Single Application may be submitted by
the author/claimant. It also maintains,
for now, the current practice of
permitting a duly authorized agent of
the author/claimant to file such an
application, provided that the agent is
identified in the correspondent section
of the application. In addition, the
Proposed Rule confirms that a Single
Application may be certified only by the
author/claimant or a duly authorized
agent of the author/claimant that has
been identified in the application. If the
Office determines that a third-party
agent has filed a claim on the Single
Application, but has failed to identify
itself in the application, the Office will
refuse to register the claim.
The Office, however, is considering
whether to continue allowing an
authorized agent of the author/claimant
to submit a Single Application. The
Single Application is intended to
benefit individual authors by allowing
submitting a paper application, the applicant must
use Form SR. 37 CFR 202.3(b)(1)(iv), (b)(2)(ii).
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them to register their works for a
discounted filing fee. The Office
recognizes that many authors are not
familiar with the electronic system, and
that some individual creators may prefer
to have an authorized agent submit the
application on their behalf. But, in the
Office’s experience, the vast majority of
Single Applications are submitted by
publishers, producers, distributors, or
other corporate entities—and it is
unclear whether these entities need a
discounted filing fee to encourage them
to register works. In addition, it is
unclear whether this widespread
corporate use of the Single Application
has impacted the overall cost recovery
for the Office’s registration services. The
Office welcomes public comment on
this issue.
2. The Standard Application
Applicants may use the Standard
Application to register one work by one
author, even if the work is eligible for
registration with the Single Application.
The Office encourages applicants to use
the Standard Application if they are
unsure if the work satisfies the strict
eligibility requirements for the Single
Application.
The Proposed Rule confirms that the
Standard Application may be used to
register any work that is eligible for
registration under sections 408(a) and
409 of the Copyright Act, including a
work by one author, a joint work, a work
made for hire, a derivative work, a
collective work, a compilation, a unit of
publication, or a sound recording and
the literary, dramatic, or musical work
embodied in that recording.4 In
addition, the Proposed Rule clarifies
that the Standard Application may not
be used to seek a supplementary
registration under section 408(d), a
renewal registration under section 304,
a registration for a restored work under
section 104A, or a registration for a
mask work or a vessel design under
chapters 900 or 1300. Likewise, the
Standard Application may not be used
to register a group of related works
under section 408(c)(1), unless it is
expressly permitted under the Office’s
regulations.5 Instead, applicants should
4 The Proposed Rule also confirms that these
types of claims may be submitted with a paper
application. The Office notes that it is considering
whether to eliminate the option of using the
Standard Application to register an ‘‘unpublished
collection’’ and replace it with a new group
registration option for unpublished works. See 82
FR 47415 (Oct. 12, 2017).
5 For example, the Standard Application may be
used to register a group of secure test items. 37 CFR
202.13(c)(1). The proposed rule also confirms that
the Standard Application may be used to register
a group of updates or revisions to a photographic
database (if the applicant has obtained prior
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use the forms specifically designated for
these types of claims.6
The Proposed Rule maintains that a
Standard Application or a paper
application may be submitted by an
author, a claimant, a party that owns
one or more of the exclusive rights in
the work, or a duly authorized agent of
the aforementioned parties. In addition,
the Proposed Rule confirms that a
Standard Application or a paper
application may be certified by an
author, a claimant, a party that owns
one or more of the exclusive rights in
the work, or a duly authorized agent of
one or more of these parties. These
revisions are intended to clarify the
existing regulation, and do not represent
a substantive change in policy.
In addition, the Proposed Rule will
allow for paper applications to be
certified with a typed or printed
signature by removing the requirement
that the certification must include a
‘‘handwritten’’ signature of the
certifying party.
3. Short Form Paper Applications
The Office is proposing to eliminate
the ‘‘short form’’ version of its paper
applications, namely, Short Form PA,
Short Form TX, Short Form VA, and
Short Form SE. The short forms are
similar in many respects to the Single
Application. Short Forms PA, TX, and
VA may be used to register ‘‘a single
work,’’ but only if a ‘‘living’’ individual
is the sole author and owner of that
work. 37 CFR 202.3(b)(2)(ii)(B).
Likewise, the work cannot be a work
made for hire, or a compilation or
derivative work that contains previously
published or previously registered
material.
Although these requirements are
clearly stated in the instructions,
applicants often used paper short forms
to register works that could not be
registered with these forms, such as
claims involving multiple works or
works co-created or co-owned by two or
more people. The Office frequently had
to contact the applicant to request
additional information or permission to
correct the application. And in all cases,
the Office had to scan the short form
into the registration system and input
the information by hand, which is a
cumbersome, labor-intensive process.
Due to these recurring problems, the
Office removed the short paper forms
authorization from the Visual Arts Division); by
contrast, applicants must use a paper application to
register any other type of group database claim.
6 The proposed rule confirms that this same
principle applies to claims submitted on Forms PA,
SR, TX, VA, and SE.
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from its website several years ago and
rarely receives these forms today.7
The Office recognizes that some
applicants may prefer to submit their
claims with paper applications, or they
may be unable to use the electronic
system. Eliminating the paper short
forms should not have an adverse effect
on these parties, however, because the
Office is not proposing to eliminate the
‘‘long’’ version of these forms. The
Office will continue to accept paper
Forms PA, TX, VA, and SE, which may
be used to register the same types of
works as the short paper forms, and the
filing fee for these forms is the same as
the filing fee for the short forms.
4. Technical Amendments
The Proposed Rule makes a number of
technical amendments that do not
represent substantive changes in policy.
It removes the terms ‘‘single’’ work,
‘‘single’’ application, ‘‘single’’ filing fee,
and ‘‘single’’ unit of publication, and
replaces them with the terms ‘‘one
work,’’ ‘‘one application,’’ ‘‘one filing
fee,’’ and ‘‘the same unit of
publication.’’ The changes also clarify
that the Single Application cannot be
used to preregister a unit of publication,
and it cannot be used to register a mask
work, vessel design, or a group of
updates or revisions to a database. In
addition, the Proposed Rule clarifies
that an application for registration must
include the information required by the
relevant form, and it must be
accompanied by the appropriate deposit
required by 37 CFR 202.4, 202.20, or
202.21, as the case may be.
List of Subjects
37 CFR Part 201
Cable television, Copyright,
Jukeboxes, Recordings, Satellites.
37 CFR Part 202
Claims, Copyright.
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37 CFR Part 211
Computer technology, Science and
technology, Semiconductor chip
products.
37 CFR Part 212
Vessels.
In consideration of the foregoing, the
U.S. Copyright Office proposes
amending 37 CFR parts 201, 202, 211,
and 212, as follows:
PART 201—GENERAL PROVISIONS
1. The authority citation for part 201
continues to read as follows:
■
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2. In § 201.3(c)(1) remove the word
‘‘standard’’.
■
PART 202—PREREGISTRATION AND
REGISTRATION OF CLAIMS TO
COPYRIGHT
3. The authority citation for part 202
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 408(f), 702.
4. Amend § 202.3 as follows:
a. Revise paragraphs (b)(2)(i)
introductory text, (b)(2)(i)(A) and (B).
■ b. Removing the word ‘‘submission’’
and adding in its place ‘‘application’’,
removing the word ‘‘application’’ and
adding in its place ‘‘filing’’, and
removing the word ‘‘fund’’ and adding
in its place ‘‘funds’’ in paragraph
(b)(2)(i)(C).
■ c. Removing the word ‘‘payment’’ and
adding in its place ‘‘filing fee’’ in
paragraph (b)(2)(i)(D).
■ d. Add a heading to paragraph
(b)(2)(ii) and revise paragraph
(b)(2)(ii)(A).
■ e. Remove paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(B)
■ f. Redesignate paragraphs (b)(2)(ii)(C)
and (D) as paragraphs (b)(2)(ii)(B) and
(C).
■ g. Redesignate paragraph (b)(3) as
paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(D).
■ h. Remove and reserve paragraph
(b)(3).
■ i. In paragraph (b)(5)(i) introductory
text remove the words ‘‘a single
application’’ and add in their place ‘‘one
application’’, and remove the words ‘‘a
single registration’’ and add in their
place ‘‘a group registration’’.
■ j. In paragraph (b)(5)(i)(F) remove the
words ‘‘a single’’ and add in their place
‘‘the same’’.
■ k. In paragraph (b)(5)(ii) introductory
text remove the words ‘‘single
registration’’ and add in their place
‘‘group registration’’, remove the words
‘‘a single date’’ wherever they appears
and add in their place ‘‘one date’’, and
remove the words ‘‘a single calendar’’
and add in their place ‘‘the same
calendar’’.
■ l. In paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(A) remove
‘‘(b)(2)’’ and add in its place
‘‘(b)(2)(ii)(A)’’, and remove the word
‘‘electronically’’ and add in its place
‘‘electronically using the Standard
Application’’.
■ m. Revise paragraphs (c)(1) and (2).
■ n. Revise paragraph (c)(3).
The revisions and additions read as
follows:
■
■
§ 202.3
7 Applicants may obtain copies of the short forms
upon request, but to do so they must contact the
Public Information Office by telephone or mail.
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Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702.
*
Registration for copyright.
*
*
(b) * * *
(2) * * *
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(i) Online applications. An applicant
may submit a claim through the Office’s
electronic registration system using the
Standard Application, the Single
Application, or the applications
designated in § 202.4.
(A) Standard Application. The
Standard Application may be used to
register a work under sections 408(a)
and 409 of title 17, including a work by
one author, a joint work, a work made
for hire, a derivative work, a collective
work, or a compilation. The Standard
Application may also be used to register
a unit of publication under paragraph
(b)(4)(ii) of this section, or a sound
recording and a literary, dramatic, or
musical work under paragraphs
(b)(1)(iv)(A) through (C) of this section.
(B) Single Application.
(1) The Single Application may be
used only to register one work by one
author. All of the content appearing in
the work must be created by the same
individual. The work must be owned by
the author who created it, and the
author and the claimant must be the
same individual.
(2) The Single Application may be
used to register one sound recording
and one musical work, dramatic work,
or literary work if the conditions set
forth in paragraphs (b)(1)(iv)(A) through
(C) and (b)(2)(i)(B)(1) of this section
have been met.
(3) The following categories of works
may not be registered using the Single
Application: collective works,
databases, websites, architectural works,
choreographic works, works made for
hire, works by more than one author,
works with more than one owner, or
works eligible for registration under
§ 202.4 or paragraphs (b)(4)(ii) or (b)(5),
(6), or (9) of this section.
*
*
*
*
*
(ii) Paper applications. (A) An
applicant may submit an application
using one of the printed forms
prescribed by the Register of Copyrights.
Each form corresponds to one of the
administrative classes set forth in
paragraph (b)(1) of this section. These
forms are designated ‘‘Form TX,’’ ‘‘Form
PA,’’ ‘‘Form VA,’’ ‘‘Form SR,’’ and
‘‘Form SE.’’ These forms may be used to
register a work under sections 408(a)
and 409 of title 17, including a work by
one author, a joint work, a work made
for hire, a derivative work, a collective
work, or a compilation. These forms
may be used to register a unit of
publication under paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of
this section, and Form SR may be used
to register a sound recording and a
literary, dramatic, or musical work
E:\FR\FM\06FEP1.SGM
06FEP1
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 6, 2018 / Proposed Rules
under paragraph (b)(1)(iv)(A) through
(C) of this section.
*
*
*
*
*
(c) * * *
(1) As a general rule, an application
for copyright registration may be
submitted by any author or other
copyright claimant of a work, the owner
of any exclusive right in a work, or the
duly authorized agent of any such
author, other claimant, or owner. A
Single Application, however, may be
submitted only by the author/claimant
or by a duly authorized agent of the
author/claimant, provided that the agent
is identified in the application as the
correspondent.
(2) All applications shall include the
information required by the particular
form, and shall be accompanied by the
appropriate filing fee, as required in
§ 201.3(c) of this chapter, and the
deposit required under 17 U.S.C. 408
and §§ 202.20, 202.21, or 202.4, as
appropriate.
(3) All applications submitted for
registration shall include a certification.
(i) As a general rule, the application
may be certified by an author, claimant,
an owner of exclusive rights, or a duly
authorized agent of the author, claimant,
owner of exclusive rights. A Single
Application, however, may be certified
only by the author/claimant or by a duly
authorized agent of the author/claimant.
(ii) For online applications, the
certification shall include the typed
name of a party identified in paragraph
(c)(3)(i) of this section. For paper
applications, the certification shall
include the typed or printed signature of
a party identified in paragraph (c)(3)(i)
of this section, and if the signature is
handwritten it shall be accompanied by
the typed or printed name of that party.
(iii) The declaration shall state that
the information provided within the
application is correct to the best of the
certifying party’s knowledge.
(iv) For online applications, the date
of the certification shall be
automatically assigned by the electronic
registration system on the date the
application is received by the Copyright
Office. For paper applications, the
certification shall include the month,
day, and year that the certification was
signed by the certifying party.
(v) An application for registration of
a published work will not be accepted
if the date of certification is earlier than
the date of publication given in the
application.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 5. Amend § 202.16 by removing the
words ‘‘Preregistration as a single
work.’’ and add in their place ‘‘Unit of
publication.’’, removing the words ‘‘a
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:26 Feb 05, 2018
Jkt 244001
single application’’ and add in their
place ‘‘one application’’, removing the
words ‘‘a single preregistration fee’’ and
add in their place ‘‘one filing fee’’,
removing the words ‘‘a single unit’’ and
add in their place ‘‘the same unit’’, and
removing the words ‘‘a single work’’ and
add in their place ‘‘one work’’ in
paragraph (c)(4).
PART 211—MASK WORK
PROTECTION
5231
D–VH/CON. The Form D–VH and all the
Form D–VH/CONs for the application
must be submitted together.
*
*
*
*
*
Dated: January 31, 2018.
Sarang V. Damle,
General Counsel and Associate Register of
Copyrights.
[FR Doc. 2018–02204 Filed 2–5–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410–30–P
6. The authority citation for part 211
continues to read as follows:
■
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702, 908.
7. Amend § 211.4 by revising
paragraph (d) to read as follows:
■
§ 211.4 Registration of claims of
protection in mask works.
*
*
*
*
*
(d) Registration for one mask work.
Subject to the exceptions specified in
paragraph (c)(2) of this section, for
purposes of registration on one
application and upon payment of one
filing fee, the following shall be
considered one work:
*
*
*
*
*
PART 212—PROTECTION OF VESSEL
DESIGNS
8. The authority citation for part 212
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 17 U.S.C. chapter 13.
9. Amend § 212.3 as follows:
a. In paragraph (f)(1), remove the
words ‘‘a single make’’ and add in their
place ‘‘the same make’’, remove the
words ‘‘a single application’’ and add in
their place ‘‘one application’’, remove
the words ‘‘used for all designs’’ and
add in their place ‘‘used to register all
the designs’’, and remove the words
‘‘each of the designs’’ and add in their
place ‘‘each design’’ .
■ b. Revise paragraph (f)(2).
■ c. In paragraph (f)(4) remove the
words ‘‘a single’’ and add in their place
‘‘one’’.
The revision reads as follows:
■
■
§ 212.3 Registration of claims for
protection of eligible designs.
*
*
*
*
*
(f) * * *
(1) * * *
(2) One application. Where one
application for multiple designs is
appropriate, a separate Form D–VH/
CON must be used for each design
beyond the first appearing on Form D–
VH. Each Form D–VH/CON must be
accompanied by deposit material
identifying the design that is the subject
of the Form D–VH/CON, and the deposit
material must be attached to the Form
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
40 CFR Part 62
[EPA–R07–OAR–2018–0005; FRL–9974–15–
Region 7]
Approval of State Plans for Designated
Facilities and Pollutants; Missouri;
Hospital, Medical, and Infectious
Waste Incineration (HMIWI) Units
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve
revisions to the Missouri state plan for
designated facilities and pollutants
developed under sections 111(d) and
129 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) that
were requested by Missouri Department
of Natural Resources (MDNR) in two
separate submissions made on August 8,
2011 and on July 3, 2014. This proposed
action will amend the state regulations
referenced in the state’s 111(d) plan
applicable to existing Hospital, Medical,
Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI)
operating in the state of Missouri. The
state rule revisions we are proposing to
approve with this action update HMIWI
regulatory requirements for emission
limits for waste management plans,
training, compliance and performance
testing, monitoring, and reporting and
recordkeeping to be consistent with
updates to Federal rules. These
regulatory revisions proposed for
approval into Missouri’s state plan do
not impact air quality. EPA’s proposed
approval of this revision is being done
in accordance with the requirements of
CAA section 111(d) as further described
in the Technical Support Document that
is included in this docket.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before March 8, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R07–
OAR–2018–0005, to https://www.
regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or removed from Regulations.gov.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\06FEP1.SGM
06FEP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 6, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 5227-5231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02204]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Copyright Office
37 CFR Parts 201, 202, 211, 212
[Docket No. 2018-1]
Streamlining the Single Application and Clarifying Eligibility
Requirements
AGENCY: U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On December 16, 2017, the U.S. Copyright Office released a new
version of the Single Application, an online registration option that
allows a single author to register a claim in one work that is solely
owned by the same author and is not a work made for hire. The new
Single Application includes enhanced features that should improve the
user experience, increase the efficiency of the examination, and reduce
the correspondence rate for these types of claims. To coincide with
these technical upgrades, the Office is now proposing to amend its
regulations to clarify the eligibility requirements for the Single
Application, and codify certain practices set forth in the Compendium
of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition. In addition, the
proposed rule confirms that the Single Application may be used to
register one sound recording and one musical work, literary work, or
dramatic work--notwithstanding the fact that a sound recording and the
work embodied in that recording are separate works. The proposed rule
will also clarify the eligibility requirements for the Office's
Standard Application, which is used to register certain works that are
ineligible for the Single Application, such as works with more than one
owner. In addition, the proposed rule will eliminate the ``short form''
version of the Office's paper applications, and make technical
amendments to the regulations governing preregistration, architectural
works, mask works, vessel designs, the unit of publication registration
option, and the group registration option for database updates. The
proposed rule will also allow for paper applications to be certified
with a typed or printed signature by removing the requirement that the
certification must include a ``handwritten'' signature of the
certifying party.
DATES: Comments on the proposed rule must be made in writing and must
be received in the U.S. Copyright Office no later than March 8, 2018.
ADDRESSES: For reasons of government efficiency, the Copyright Office
is using the regulations.gov system for the submission and posting of
public comments in this proceeding. All comments are therefore to be
submitted electronically through regulations.gov. Specific instructions
for submitting comments are available on the Copyright Office website
at https://www.copyright.gov/rulemaking/streamlining-single. If
electronic submission of comments is not feasible due to lack of access
to a computer and/or the internet, please contact the Office using the
contact information below for special instructions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert J. Kasunic, Associate Register
of Copyrights and Director of Registration Policy and Practice; Erik
Bertin, Deputy Director of Registration Policy and Practice; or Anna
Chauvet, Assistant General Counsel, by telephone at 202-707-8040 or by
email at [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
In 2013, the Office issued an interim rule that established a new
registration option known as the ``Single
[[Page 5228]]
Application.'' This application was designed ``for those authors who
file the simplest kind of [claim].'' 78 FR 38843, 38845 (June 28,
2013). The purpose of the Single Application was to ``encourage more
individual creators to register their works'' and to ``foster the
development of a more robust public record.'' Id. at 38844, 38845.
Specifically, the Single Application may be used to register ``a single
work by a single author that is owned by the person who created it.''
37 CFR 202.3(b)(2)(i)(B). The application must be submitted
``electronically'' through the Office's website, and ``[t]he claimant
and the author must be the same.'' Id. Sec. Sec. 202.3(b)(2)(i)(A),
(B).
Certain types of works are not eligible for the Single Application
option, as they create a more complex application that takes additional
time to examine. For example, the Single Application cannot be used to
register ``works by more than one author,'' ``works with more than one
owner,'' collective works, unpublished collections, units of
publication, databases, or websites. Id. Sec. 202.3(b)(2)(i)(B).
Instead, an applicant must submit the Office's ``Standard Application''
through the Office's electronic registration system, or a paper
application submitted on Forms PA, SR, TX, VA, or SE to register these
types of works.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ In 2014, the Office announced that the term ``single'' would
be used to identify ``the newly introduced single author/single work
offering,'' and the term ``standard'' would be used to identify the
``standard'' version of the online application, as well as the
Office's printed forms. 79 FR 15910, 15911 n.10 (Mar. 24, 2014). In
practice, however, the Office uses the term ``standard'' only when
referring to the online application. When referring to its printed
forms, the Office uses the term ``paper application'' or the
specific name for each form, such as ``Form PA'' or ``Form SR.'' The
proposed rule updates the regulation to reflect the current
terminology.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although the Office intended for the Single Application to be
``administratively simple'' to process, 78 FR at 38843, in practice,
claims submitted on the Single Application often require more
correspondence than other filings. For example, mistakenly using the
Single Application for works co-created or co-owned by two or more
people is one of the most common reasons that the Office must
correspond with applicants. This unexpected administrative burden on
the Office appears to stem from the manner in which its electronic
registration system used to direct applicants to either the Single
Application or Standard Application.
On December 16, 2017, the Office released a new and improved
version of the Single Application to address these issues. Applicants
must now affirmatively select a link that is specifically designated
for claims involving ``one work by one author.'' The new version of the
Single Application describes its eligibility requirements in a clear
and concise manner, and applicants must confirm that they have read and
understood these requirements before they may use this form. The Office
also released an updated circular that provides detailed information
about the new version of the Single Application. See Copyright Office,
Circular 11: Using the Single Application (2017). In addition, the new
version offers enhanced features that should improve the user
experience, increase the efficiency of the examination, and promote the
overall quality of the registration record. Information concerning
these new features is available on the Office's website at https://www.copyright.gov/eco/updates/.
B. The Proposed Rule
The Office is proposing to amend the regulations governing the
Single Application and the Standard Application to better reflect the
technical upgrades that have been made to the Office's electronic
registration system, eCO (the ``Proposed Rule''). The Proposed Rule
will clarify the eligibility requirements for each application, and
codify certain practices that are set forth in the Compendium of U.S.
Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition (``Compendium''). In
addition, the Proposed Rule will eliminate the ``short form'' version
of the Office's paper applications, and make several technical
amendments to improve the organization, consistency, and readability of
the regulations. The Proposed Rule will also allow paper applications
to be certified with a typed or printed signature by removing the
requirement that the certification must include a ``handwritten''
signature of the certifying party. The Office welcomes public comment
on each proposal.
1. The Single Application
The Proposed Rule improves readability of the Office's regulations
by restating the eligibility requirements for the Single Application.
The Proposed Rule confirms that: (1) Each claim must be limited to one
work (with a limited exception for sound recordings described below);
(2) each work must be created by one individual; (3) all the content
appearing in the work must be created by that same individual; and (4)
the individual must be the sole owner of all rights in the work. These
changes are intended to clarify the current requirements and do not
represent a substantive change in policy.
The Proposed Rule states that the Single Application may not be
used to register collective works, databases, or websites--because they
often contain multiple works of authorship--or choreographic works or
architectural works \2\--because such claims tend to be very complex.
See 78 FR at 38445 (stating that the Single Application is intended
``for those authors who file the simplest kind of [claim]'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ This requirement has appeared in the Compendium, the help
text for the Single Application, and the Office's informational
brochure for some time. See Compendium, secs. 609.1(A)-(C) (3d ed.
2017); Help: Created, U.S. Copyright Office, https://www.copyright.gov/eco/help-created.html (last visited Jan. 26,
2018); Question 3: Does the work you are sending contain material
created only by this author?, U.S. Copyright Office, https://www.copyright.gov/eco/help-owned.html (last visited Jan. 26, 2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although the Single Application may be used only to register one
work by one author, there is a limited exception for sound recordings.
The Proposed Rule confirms that the Single Application may be used to
register one sound recording and one musical work, literary work, or
dramatic work--notwithstanding the fact that a sound recording and the
work embodied in that recording are separate works. To do so,
applicants must satisfy the conditions set forth in 37 CFR
202.3(b)(1)(iv)(A)-(C), as well as the generally applicable
requirements for the Single Application. In particular, the author of
the sound recording and the work embodied in that recording must be the
same individual, that individual must own the copyright in both works,
and that individual must be the only performer featured in the
recording. For example, the Single Application could be used to
register a song and sound recording written and performed solely by
Paul. But it could not be used to register a song written by Paul
together with a recording of that song performed solely by Art or
jointly performed by Art and Paul. Although this practice is not
mentioned in the current regulation, it has appeared in the Compendium,
the circular, and the help text, and thus does not represent a
substantive change in policy.\3\ The Office invites public
[[Page 5229]]
comment, however, on whether the Single Application should be permitted
to register one sound recording and one musical work, literary work, or
dramatic work in cases where the author of the sound recording and the
work embodied in that recording is the same individual and that
individual also owns the copyright in both works, but that individual
is not the only performer featured in the recording (e.g., whether a
Single Application should be permitted to register a song written by
Paul, where Paul is the author of the sound recording, but the
recording features Art and Paul performing the song).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Similarly, the regulations governing the Standard
Application and the paper applications state that an applicant may
register a sound recording together with the musical work, dramatic
work, or literary work embodied in that recording, provided that
both works are fixed in the same phonorecord, the applicant has
submitted one application for both works, and the claimant for both
works is the same person or organization. 37 CFR 202.3(b)(1)(iv)(A)-
(C). When submitting an online application, the applicant must
select ``sound recording'' as the type of work. When submitting a
paper application, the applicant must use Form SR. 37 CFR
202.3(b)(1)(iv), (b)(2)(ii).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
If the Office determines that a particular work does not satisfy
the eligibility requirements for the Single Application, it will refuse
to register the claim. In particular, works made for hire or works
created by two or more individuals are not eligible for the Single
Application. Applicants may not use the Single Application if the
deposit contains material created by two or more authors (even if they
only intend to register material created by one of those individuals).
For the same reason, the Single Application may not be used to register
a derivative work based on a preexisting work by a different author.
And a work created solely by one individual cannot be registered with
the Single Application if the author transferred his or her rights to
another party, if the work is co-owned by two or more parties, or if
the author is deceased. See 82 FR 21551, 21553 (May 9, 2017); 78 FR at
38844.
The Proposed Rule provides that a Single Application may be
submitted by the author/claimant. It also maintains, for now, the
current practice of permitting a duly authorized agent of the author/
claimant to file such an application, provided that the agent is
identified in the correspondent section of the application. In
addition, the Proposed Rule confirms that a Single Application may be
certified only by the author/claimant or a duly authorized agent of the
author/claimant that has been identified in the application. If the
Office determines that a third-party agent has filed a claim on the
Single Application, but has failed to identify itself in the
application, the Office will refuse to register the claim.
The Office, however, is considering whether to continue allowing an
authorized agent of the author/claimant to submit a Single Application.
The Single Application is intended to benefit individual authors by
allowing them to register their works for a discounted filing fee. The
Office recognizes that many authors are not familiar with the
electronic system, and that some individual creators may prefer to have
an authorized agent submit the application on their behalf. But, in the
Office's experience, the vast majority of Single Applications are
submitted by publishers, producers, distributors, or other corporate
entities--and it is unclear whether these entities need a discounted
filing fee to encourage them to register works. In addition, it is
unclear whether this widespread corporate use of the Single Application
has impacted the overall cost recovery for the Office's registration
services. The Office welcomes public comment on this issue.
2. The Standard Application
Applicants may use the Standard Application to register one work by
one author, even if the work is eligible for registration with the
Single Application. The Office encourages applicants to use the
Standard Application if they are unsure if the work satisfies the
strict eligibility requirements for the Single Application.
The Proposed Rule confirms that the Standard Application may be
used to register any work that is eligible for registration under
sections 408(a) and 409 of the Copyright Act, including a work by one
author, a joint work, a work made for hire, a derivative work, a
collective work, a compilation, a unit of publication, or a sound
recording and the literary, dramatic, or musical work embodied in that
recording.\4\ In addition, the Proposed Rule clarifies that the
Standard Application may not be used to seek a supplementary
registration under section 408(d), a renewal registration under section
304, a registration for a restored work under section 104A, or a
registration for a mask work or a vessel design under chapters 900 or
1300. Likewise, the Standard Application may not be used to register a
group of related works under section 408(c)(1), unless it is expressly
permitted under the Office's regulations.\5\ Instead, applicants should
use the forms specifically designated for these types of claims.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The Proposed Rule also confirms that these types of claims
may be submitted with a paper application. The Office notes that it
is considering whether to eliminate the option of using the Standard
Application to register an ``unpublished collection'' and replace it
with a new group registration option for unpublished works. See 82
FR 47415 (Oct. 12, 2017).
\5\ For example, the Standard Application may be used to
register a group of secure test items. 37 CFR 202.13(c)(1). The
proposed rule also confirms that the Standard Application may be
used to register a group of updates or revisions to a photographic
database (if the applicant has obtained prior authorization from the
Visual Arts Division); by contrast, applicants must use a paper
application to register any other type of group database claim.
\6\ The proposed rule confirms that this same principle applies
to claims submitted on Forms PA, SR, TX, VA, and SE.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Proposed Rule maintains that a Standard Application or a paper
application may be submitted by an author, a claimant, a party that
owns one or more of the exclusive rights in the work, or a duly
authorized agent of the aforementioned parties. In addition, the
Proposed Rule confirms that a Standard Application or a paper
application may be certified by an author, a claimant, a party that
owns one or more of the exclusive rights in the work, or a duly
authorized agent of one or more of these parties. These revisions are
intended to clarify the existing regulation, and do not represent a
substantive change in policy.
In addition, the Proposed Rule will allow for paper applications to
be certified with a typed or printed signature by removing the
requirement that the certification must include a ``handwritten''
signature of the certifying party.
3. Short Form Paper Applications
The Office is proposing to eliminate the ``short form'' version of
its paper applications, namely, Short Form PA, Short Form TX, Short
Form VA, and Short Form SE. The short forms are similar in many
respects to the Single Application. Short Forms PA, TX, and VA may be
used to register ``a single work,'' but only if a ``living'' individual
is the sole author and owner of that work. 37 CFR 202.3(b)(2)(ii)(B).
Likewise, the work cannot be a work made for hire, or a compilation or
derivative work that contains previously published or previously
registered material.
Although these requirements are clearly stated in the instructions,
applicants often used paper short forms to register works that could
not be registered with these forms, such as claims involving multiple
works or works co-created or co-owned by two or more people. The Office
frequently had to contact the applicant to request additional
information or permission to correct the application. And in all cases,
the Office had to scan the short form into the registration system and
input the information by hand, which is a cumbersome, labor-intensive
process. Due to these recurring problems, the Office removed the short
paper forms
[[Page 5230]]
from its website several years ago and rarely receives these forms
today.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Applicants may obtain copies of the short forms upon
request, but to do so they must contact the Public Information
Office by telephone or mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Office recognizes that some applicants may prefer to submit
their claims with paper applications, or they may be unable to use the
electronic system. Eliminating the paper short forms should not have an
adverse effect on these parties, however, because the Office is not
proposing to eliminate the ``long'' version of these forms. The Office
will continue to accept paper Forms PA, TX, VA, and SE, which may be
used to register the same types of works as the short paper forms, and
the filing fee for these forms is the same as the filing fee for the
short forms.
4. Technical Amendments
The Proposed Rule makes a number of technical amendments that do
not represent substantive changes in policy. It removes the terms
``single'' work, ``single'' application, ``single'' filing fee, and
``single'' unit of publication, and replaces them with the terms ``one
work,'' ``one application,'' ``one filing fee,'' and ``the same unit of
publication.'' The changes also clarify that the Single Application
cannot be used to preregister a unit of publication, and it cannot be
used to register a mask work, vessel design, or a group of updates or
revisions to a database. In addition, the Proposed Rule clarifies that
an application for registration must include the information required
by the relevant form, and it must be accompanied by the appropriate
deposit required by 37 CFR 202.4, 202.20, or 202.21, as the case may
be.
List of Subjects
37 CFR Part 201
Cable television, Copyright, Jukeboxes, Recordings, Satellites.
37 CFR Part 202
Claims, Copyright.
37 CFR Part 211
Computer technology, Science and technology, Semiconductor chip
products.
37 CFR Part 212
Vessels.
In consideration of the foregoing, the U.S. Copyright Office
proposes amending 37 CFR parts 201, 202, 211, and 212, 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. In Sec. 201.3(c)(1) remove the word ``standard''.
PART 202--PREREGISTRATION AND REGISTRATION OF CLAIMS TO COPYRIGHT
0
3. The authority citation for part 202 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 408(f), 702.
0
4. Amend Sec. 202.3 as follows:
0
a. Revise paragraphs (b)(2)(i) introductory text, (b)(2)(i)(A) and (B).
0
b. Removing the word ``submission'' and adding in its place
``application'', removing the word ``application'' and adding in its
place ``filing'', and removing the word ``fund'' and adding in its
place ``funds'' in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(C).
0
c. Removing the word ``payment'' and adding in its place ``filing fee''
in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(D).
0
d. Add a heading to paragraph (b)(2)(ii) and revise paragraph
(b)(2)(ii)(A).
0
e. Remove paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(B)
0
f. Redesignate paragraphs (b)(2)(ii)(C) and (D) as paragraphs
(b)(2)(ii)(B) and (C).
0
g. Redesignate paragraph (b)(3) as paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(D).
0
h. Remove and reserve paragraph (b)(3).
0
i. In paragraph (b)(5)(i) introductory text remove the words ``a single
application'' and add in their place ``one application'', and remove
the words ``a single registration'' and add in their place ``a group
registration''.
0
j. In paragraph (b)(5)(i)(F) remove the words ``a single'' and add in
their place ``the same''.
0
k. In paragraph (b)(5)(ii) introductory text remove the words ``single
registration'' and add in their place ``group registration'', remove
the words ``a single date'' wherever they appears and add in their
place ``one date'', and remove the words ``a single calendar'' and add
in their place ``the same calendar''.
0
l. In paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(A) remove ``(b)(2)'' and add in its place
``(b)(2)(ii)(A)'', and remove the word ``electronically'' and add in
its place ``electronically using the Standard Application''.
0
m. Revise paragraphs (c)(1) and (2).
0
n. Revise paragraph (c)(3).
The revisions and additions read as follows:
Sec. 202.3 Registration for copyright.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(2) * * *
(i) Online applications. An applicant may submit a claim through
the Office's electronic registration system using the Standard
Application, the Single Application, or the applications designated in
Sec. 202.4.
(A) Standard Application. The Standard Application may be used to
register a work under sections 408(a) and 409 of title 17, including a
work by one author, a joint work, a work made for hire, a derivative
work, a collective work, or a compilation. The Standard Application may
also be used to register a unit of publication under paragraph
(b)(4)(ii) of this section, or a sound recording and a literary,
dramatic, or musical work under paragraphs (b)(1)(iv)(A) through (C) of
this section.
(B) Single Application.
(1) The Single Application may be used only to register one work by
one author. All of the content appearing in the work must be created by
the same individual. The work must be owned by the author who created
it, and the author and the claimant must be the same individual.
(2) The Single Application may be used to register one sound
recording and one musical work, dramatic work, or literary work if the
conditions set forth in paragraphs (b)(1)(iv)(A) through (C) and
(b)(2)(i)(B)(1) of this section have been met.
(3) The following categories of works may not be registered using
the Single Application: collective works, databases, websites,
architectural works, choreographic works, works made for hire, works by
more than one author, works with more than one owner, or works eligible
for registration under Sec. 202.4 or paragraphs (b)(4)(ii) or (b)(5),
(6), or (9) of this section.
* * * * *
(ii) Paper applications. (A) An applicant may submit an application
using one of the printed forms prescribed by the Register of
Copyrights. Each form corresponds to one of the administrative classes
set forth in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. These forms are
designated ``Form TX,'' ``Form PA,'' ``Form VA,'' ``Form SR,'' and
``Form SE.'' These forms may be used to register a work under sections
408(a) and 409 of title 17, including a work by one author, a joint
work, a work made for hire, a derivative work, a collective work, or a
compilation. These forms may be used to register a unit of publication
under paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section, and Form SR may be used to
register a sound recording and a literary, dramatic, or musical work
[[Page 5231]]
under paragraph (b)(1)(iv)(A) through (C) of this section.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(1) As a general rule, an application for copyright registration
may be submitted by any author or other copyright claimant of a work,
the owner of any exclusive right in a work, or the duly authorized
agent of any such author, other claimant, or owner. A Single
Application, however, may be submitted only by the author/claimant or
by a duly authorized agent of the author/claimant, provided that the
agent is identified in the application as the correspondent.
(2) All applications shall include the information required by the
particular form, and shall be accompanied by the appropriate filing
fee, as required in Sec. 201.3(c) of this chapter, and the deposit
required under 17 U.S.C. 408 and Sec. Sec. 202.20, 202.21, or 202.4,
as appropriate.
(3) All applications submitted for registration shall include a
certification.
(i) As a general rule, the application may be certified by an
author, claimant, an owner of exclusive rights, or a duly authorized
agent of the author, claimant, owner of exclusive rights. A Single
Application, however, may be certified only by the author/claimant or
by a duly authorized agent of the author/claimant.
(ii) For online applications, the certification shall include the
typed name of a party identified in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this
section. For paper applications, the certification shall include the
typed or printed signature of a party identified in paragraph (c)(3)(i)
of this section, and if the signature is handwritten it shall be
accompanied by the typed or printed name of that party.
(iii) The declaration shall state that the information provided
within the application is correct to the best of the certifying party's
knowledge.
(iv) For online applications, the date of the certification shall
be automatically assigned by the electronic registration system on the
date the application is received by the Copyright Office. For paper
applications, the certification shall include the month, day, and year
that the certification was signed by the certifying party.
(v) An application for registration of a published work will not be
accepted if the date of certification is earlier than the date of
publication given in the application.
* * * * *
0
5. Amend Sec. 202.16 by removing the words ``Preregistration as a
single work.'' and add in their place ``Unit of publication.'',
removing the words ``a single application'' and add in their place
``one application'', removing the words ``a single preregistration
fee'' and add in their place ``one filing fee'', removing the words ``a
single unit'' and add in their place ``the same unit'', and removing
the words ``a single work'' and add in their place ``one work'' in
paragraph (c)(4).
PART 211--MASK WORK PROTECTION
0
6. The authority citation for part 211 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702, 908.
0
7. Amend Sec. 211.4 by revising paragraph (d) to read as follows:
Sec. 211.4 Registration of claims of protection in mask works.
* * * * *
(d) Registration for one mask work. Subject to the exceptions
specified in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, for purposes of
registration on one application and upon payment of one filing fee, the
following shall be considered one work:
* * * * *
PART 212--PROTECTION OF VESSEL DESIGNS
0
8. The authority citation for part 212 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 17 U.S.C. chapter 13.
0
9. Amend Sec. 212.3 as follows:
0
a. In paragraph (f)(1), remove the words ``a single make'' and add in
their place ``the same make'', remove the words ``a single
application'' and add in their place ``one application'', remove the
words ``used for all designs'' and add in their place ``used to
register all the designs'', and remove the words ``each of the
designs'' and add in their place ``each design'' .
0
b. Revise paragraph (f)(2).
0
c. In paragraph (f)(4) remove the words ``a single'' and add in their
place ``one''.
The revision reads as follows:
Sec. 212.3 Registration of claims for protection of eligible designs.
* * * * *
(f) * * *
(1) * * *
(2) One application. Where one application for multiple designs is
appropriate, a separate Form D-VH/CON must be used for each design
beyond the first appearing on Form D-VH. Each Form D-VH/CON must be
accompanied by deposit material identifying the design that is the
subject of the Form D-VH/CON, and the deposit material must be attached
to the Form D-VH/CON. The Form D-VH and all the Form D-VH/CONs for the
application must be submitted together.
* * * * *
Dated: January 31, 2018.
Sarang V. Damle,
General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights.
[FR Doc. 2018-02204 Filed 2-5-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-30-P