§701 The Copyright Office: General Responsibilities and Organization

Summary

The Register of Copyrights must run the Copyright Office and handle almost all administrative duties under this title. The Librarian of Congress appoints the Register and the office staff and gives general direction and supervision. The Register must advise Congress on national and international copyright matters, help federal departments, agencies, and the courts with copyright issues, attend international meetings and join U.S. delegations when authorized, and carry out studies and educational programs about copyright and the office’s work. The Register must also do other duties Congress requires. The Register must adopt a seal to authenticate certified Copyright Office documents used on and after January 1, 1978, and must send an annual report of the office’s work to the Librarian of Congress; that report is published separately and as part of the Librarian’s annual report. Actions by the Register are subject to the Administrative Procedure Act of June 11, 1946, as amended, except as provided in section 706(b). The Register’s pay is the higher of Executive Schedule level III (section 5314 of title 5) or the maximum under section 5376 for agencies with a certified performance system (section 5307(d)). The Librarian must create no more than four Associate Register positions based on the Register’s recommendations, appoint them after consulting the Register, and set their pay under section 5376.