WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

The law › Title 17, Copyrights › Chapter 1

17 U.S.C. 105: Subject matter of copyright: United States Government works

Created in 1976 by Public Law 94-553. Changed by 3 later laws. 1 bill in this Congress would change it.

This Congress

  • H.R. 8800 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 · passed house · would change (M)

How it got here

2024

  • Pub. L. 118–159 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to copyright protection for United States Government works. Law text

2022

  • Pub. L. 117–263, §3514(1), substituted "Certain Works" for "Certain of Works" in heading. Law text · (b)
  • Pub. L. 117–263, §6306(2), added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c). Text read as follows: "A covered Secretary may direct the covered author of a covered work to provide the Federal Government with an irrevocable, royalty-free, world-wide, nonexclusive license to reproduce,… Law text · (c)
  • Pub. L. 117–263, §3514(2), substituted "A covered Secretary" for "The Secretary of Defense". Law text · (c)
  • Pub. L. 117–263, §§3514(3), 6306(1), made identical amendments, redesignating subsec. (c) relating to definitions as (d). Law text · (d)
  • Pub. L. 117–263, §6306(3), added subpar. (M) relating to National Intelligence University. Law text · (d)
  • Pub. L. 117–263, §3514(4)(A), added subpar. (M) relating to United States Merchant Marine Academy. Law text · (d)
  • Pub. L. 117–263, §3514(4)(B), (C), added par. (3) and redesignated former par. (3) as (4). Law text · (d), (4)

2019

  • Pub. L. 116–92 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b) and two subsecs. (c). Heading of subsec. (a) was conformed to the style used in this title. Law text

Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.