Title 2The CongressRelease 119-73

§1704 National Recording Registry Collection of the Library of Congress

Title 2 › Chapter CHAPTER 27— - SOUND RECORDING PRESERVATION BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY › § 1704

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Librarian of Congress must keep donated copies of the sound recordings on the National Recording Registry in a special Library collection called the National Recording Registry Collection. The Librarian must create rules, under title 17 (copyright law), to give scholars and researchers reasonable access to those recordings. The Librarian should try to get a good-quality copy of each Registry recording as a gift from its owner. The Library will keep no more than one copy of the same version or take, but it may make or share copies to run the program. Copies received this way become U.S. government property, under title 17.

Full Legal Text

Title 2, §1704

The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)All copies of sound recordings on the National Recording Registry that are received by the Librarian under subsection (b) shall be maintained in the Library of Congress and be known as the “National Recording Registry Collection of the Library of Congress”. The Librarian shall by regulation and in accordance with title 17 provide for reasonable access to the sound recordings and other materials in such collection for scholarly and research purposes.
(b)(1)The Librarian shall seek to obtain, by gift from the owner, a quality copy of the Registry version of each sound recording included in the National Recording Registry.
(2)Not more than one copy of the same version or take of any sound recording may be preserved in the National Recording Registry. Nothing in the preceding sentence may be construed to prohibit the Librarian from making or distributing copies of sound recordings included in the Registry for purposes of carrying out this Act.
(c)All copies of sound recordings on the National Recording Registry that are received by the Librarian under subsection (b) shall become the property of the United States Government, subject to the provisions of title 17.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is Pub. L. 106–474, Nov. 9, 2000, 114 Stat. 2085, known as the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, which enacted this chapter and chapter 1524 (§ 152401 et seq.) of Title 36, Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1701 of this title and Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

2 U.S.C. § 1704

Title 2The Congress

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73