§913 Transitional provisions

Summary

No one can file for registration under section 908, and no civil lawsuits under section 910 or other enforcement actions under this chapter can start, until 60 days after the chapter became law. Money damages under section 911 cannot be awarded for things that happened before the chapter became law, except as described next. Except for the 60‑day wait, the chapter applies to mask works that are first sold or first registered on or after the chapter became law. Mask works first sold between July 1, 1983 and the date the chapter became law can get protection here if a claim is registered in the Copyright Office before July 1, 1985. For those works, infringing chip product units made before the chapter became law may be imported or sold in the United States without liability until two years after the work is registered, but only if the importer or seller first pays or offers to pay the reasonable royalty in section 907(a)(2) to the mask work owner for all such units. If they do not pay or offer that royalty, the owner can seek the relief in sections 910 and 911.