The law › Title 17, Copyrights › Chapter 5
17 U.S.C. 506: Criminal offenses
Created in 1976 by Public Law 94-553. Changed by 5 later laws. No bill we track in this Congress changes it.
3 other sections of the Code cite this one, including 18 U.S.C. 2319, 18 U.S.C. 2323, 19 U.S.C. 1595a.
- past change
- enacted this Congress
- proposed
This Congress
No bill we track in the 119th Congress changes this section.
How it got here
2008
- Pub. L. 110–403 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "When any person is convicted of any violation of subsection (a), the court in its judgment of conviction shall, in addition to the penalty therein prescribed, order the forfeiture and destruction … Law text · (b)
2005
- Pub. L. 109–9 reenacted heading without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "Any person who infringes a copyright willfully either— (Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005) Law text · (a)
1997
- Pub. L. 105–147 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: Law text · (a)
1990
- Pub. L. 101–650 added subsec. (f). · (f)
1982
- Pub. L. 97–180 substituted "shall be punished as provided in section 2319 of title 18" for "shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both: Provided, however, That any person who infringes willfully and for purposes of commercial advantage or pri… · (a)
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.