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Title 17 — CopyrightsRelease 119-73

§508 Notification of filing and determination of actions

Title 17 › Chapter CHAPTER 5— - COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND REMEDIES › § 508

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Court clerks must, within one month after a copyright lawsuit is filed, send the Register of Copyrights a written notice with the parties’ names and addresses and the title, author, and registration number of each work listed in the court papers. If more works are added later by amendment or other pleading, the clerk must send another notice within one month of that filing. Within one month after a final order or judgment, the clerk must send the Register a copy of the order or judgment and any written opinion. The Register will add these notices and documents to the Copyright Office’s public records.

Full Legal Text

Title 17, §508

Copyrights — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Within one month after the filing of any action under this title, the clerks of the courts of the United States shall send written notification to the Register of Copyrights setting forth, as far as is shown by the papers filed in the court, the names and addresses of the parties and the title, author, and registration number of each work involved in the action. If any other copyrighted work is later included in the action by amendment, answer, or other pleading, the clerk shall also send a notification concerning it to the Register within one month after the pleading is filed.
(b)Within one month after any final order or judgment is issued in the case, the clerk of the court shall notify the Register of it, sending with the notification a copy of the order or judgment together with the written opinion, if any, of the court.
(c)Upon receiving the notifications specified in this section, the Register shall make them a part of the public records of the Copyright Office.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

house report no. 94–1476

section 508, which corresponds to some extent with a provision in the patent law (35 U.S.C. 290), is intended to establish a method for notifying the Copyright Office and the public of the filing and disposition of copyright cases. The clerks of the Federal courts are to notify the Copyright Office of the filing of any copyright actions and of their final disposition, and the Copyright Office is to make these notifications a part of its public records.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

17 U.S.C. § 508

Title 17 — Copyrights

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73