Mandatory deposit

=Mandatory Deposit for Works Published in the =

Although a copyright registration is not required, the [1976 Copyright Act establishes a mandatory deposit requirement for works published in the. In general, the owner of the copyright or the owner of the exclusive right of publication in the work has a legal obligation to deposit in the Copyright Office, within three months of publication in the United States, two copies (or in the case of sound recordings, two phonorecords) for the use of the Library of Congress. Failure to make the deposit can result in fines and other penalties but does not affect copyright protection.

Certain categories of works are exempt entirely from the mandatory deposit requirements, and the obligation is reduced for certain other categories.

=Use of Mandatory Deposit to Satisfy Registration Requirements=

For works published in the United States, the 1976 Copyright Act contains a provision under which a single deposit can be made to satisfy both the deposit requirements for the Library and the registration requirements. In order to have this dual effect, the copies or phonorecords must be accompanied by the prescribed application form and filing fee.