§ 104. Subject matter of copyright: National origin

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(a)Unpublished Works.— The works specified by sections 102 and 103, while unpublished, are subject to protection under this title without regard to the nationality or domicile of the author.

(b)Published Works.— The works specified by sections 102 and 103, when published, are subject to protection under this title if—

(1)on the date of first publication, one or more of the authors is a national or domiciliary of the United States, or is a national, domiciliary, or sovereign authority of a treaty party, or is a stateless person, wherever that person may be domiciled; or

(2)the work is first published in the United States or in a foreign nation that, on the date of first publication, is a treaty party; or

(3)the work is a sound recording that was first fixed in a treaty party; or

(4)the work is a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work that is incorporated in a building or other structure, or an architectural work that is embodied in a building and the building or structure is located in the United States or a treaty party; or

(5)the work is first published by the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies, or by the Organization of American States; or

(6)the work comes within the scope of a Presidential proclamation. Whenever the President finds that a particular foreign nation extends, to works by authors who are nationals or domiciliaries of the United States or to works that are first published in the United States, copyright protection on substantially the same basis as that on which the foreign nation extends protection to works of its own nationals and domiciliaries and works first published in that nation, the President may by proclamation extend protection under this title to works of which one or more of the authors is, on the date of first publication, a national, domiciliary, or sovereign authority of that nation, or which was first published in that nation. The President may revise, suspend, or revoke any such proclamation or impose any conditions or limitations on protection under a proclamation.

For purposes of paragraph (2), a work that is published in the United States or a treaty party within 30 days after publication in a foreign nation that is not a treaty party shall be considered to be first published in the United States or such treaty party, as the case may be.

(c)Effect of Berne Convention.— No right or interest in a work eligible for protection under this title may be claimed by virtue of, or in reliance upon, the provisions of the Berne Convention, or the adherence of the United States thereto. Any rights in a work eligible for protection under this title that derive from this title, other Federal or State statutes, or the common law, shall not be expanded or reduced by virtue of, or in reliance upon, the provisions of the Berne Convention, or the adherence of the United States thereto.

(d)Effect of Phonograms Treaties.— Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), no works other than sound recordings shall be eligible for protection under this title solely by virtue of the adherence of the United States to the Geneva Phonograms Convention or the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2545; Pub. L. 100–568, § 4(a)(2), (3), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2855; Pub. L. 105–304, title I, § 102(b), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2862.)

Historical and Revision Notes

house report no. 94–1476

Section 104 of the bill [this section], which sets forth the basic criteria under which works of foreign origin can be protected under the U.S. copyright law, divides all works coming within the scope of sections 102 and 103 into two categories: unpublished and published. Subsection

(a)imposes no qualifications of nationality and domicile with respect to unpublished works. Subsection

(b)would make published works subject to protection under any one of four conditions:

(1)The author is a national or domiciliary of the United States or of a country with which the United States has copyright relations under a treaty, or is a stateless person;

(2)The work is first published in the United States or in a country that is a party to the Universal Copyright Convention;

(3)The work is first published by the United Nations, by any of its specialized agencies, or by the Organization of American States; or

(4)The work is covered by a Presidential proclamation extending protection to works originating in a specified country which extends protection to U.S. works “on substantially the same basis” as to its own works.

The third of these conditions represents a treaty obligation of the United States. Under the Second Protocol of the Universal Copyright Convention, protection under U.S. Copyright law is expressly required for works published by the United Nations, by U.N. specialized agencies and by the Organization of American States.

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U.S. Code

§ 101
Definitions

CFR

statutes-at-large

Public Law 94–553
For the general revision of the Copyright Law, title 17 of the United States Code, and for other purposes

Traces to 1 document

U.S. Code

Definitions
§ 101

26 references not yet in our index

Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101
90 Stat. 2545
Pub. L. 100–568, § 4(a)(2)
102 Stat. 2855
Pub. L. 105–304, title I, § 102(b)
112 Stat. 2862
Pub. L. 105–304, § 102(b)(1)(G)
Pub. L. 105–304, § 102(b)(1)(A)
Pub. L. 105–304, § 102(b)(1)(B)
Pub. L. 105–304, § 102(b)(1)(E)
Pub. L. 105–304, § 102(b)(1)(F)
Pub. L. 105–304, § 102(b)(1)(C)
Pub. L. 105–304, § 102(b)(2)
Pub. L. 100–568, § 4(a)(3)
section 102(b)(1) of Pub. L. 105–304
section 102(b)(2) of Pub. L. 105–304
Pub. L. 105–304
Pub. L. 100–568
section 13 of Pub. L. 100–568
Section 9 of Title 17
35 Stat. 1075
55 Stat. 732
42 Stat. 2271
Section 9(b) of Title 17
Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 104
90 Stat. 2599

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§ 104

Subject matter of copyright: National origin

Fed. Reg.×12

C.F.R.×2

Stat.×1

U.S.C.×1

U.S.C.§ 101

Pub. L.Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101

Stat.90 Stat. 2545

Pub. L.Pub. L. 100–568, § 4(a)(2)

Stat.102 Stat. 2855

Pub. L.Pub. L. 105–304, title I, § 102(b)

Cites 27 · showing 6Cited by 16 across 4 sources