Mandatory deposit copy

Definition
A mandatory deposit copy is

"[a] deposit copy sent to the U.S. Copyright Office pursuant to Section 407 of the Copyright Act. Section 407 provides that the owner of copyright or the owner of the exclusive right of publication in a work published in the United States shall deposit two copies or phonorecords of the best edition of the work within three months after publication for the benefit of the national collection of the Library of Congress. 17 U.S.C. §407. The deposit of a published work that is acceptable under Section 408 also may satisfy the deposit requirements of Section 407."