Title 17 — CopyrightsRelease 119-73
§705 Copyright Office records: Preparation, maintenance, public inspection, and searching
Title 17 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - COPYRIGHT OFFICE › § 705
Summary
The Register must keep and index records of deposits, registrations, and recordations and let the public inspect those records and any deposited items the Office keeps. For the fee in section 708, the Copyright Office will search its public records and give a report about specific deposits, registrations, or recorded documents.
Full Legal Text
Title 17, §705
Copyrights — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Register of Copyrights shall ensure that records of deposits, registrations, recordations, and other actions taken under this title are maintained, and that indexes of such records are prepared.
(b)Such records and indexes, as well as the articles deposited in connection with completed copyright registrations and retained under the control of the Copyright Office, shall be open to public inspection.
(c)Upon request and payment of the fee specified by section 708, the Copyright Office shall make a search of its public records, indexes, and deposits, and shall furnish a report of the information they disclose with respect to any particular deposits, registrations, or recorded documents.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2000—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–379 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “The Register of Copyrights shall provide and keep in the Copyright Office records of all deposits, registrations, recordations, and other actions taken under this title, and shall prepare indexes of all such records.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
17 U.S.C. § 705
Title 17 — Copyrights
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73