Title 44 — Public Printing and DocumentsRelease 119-73not60
§505 Sale of Duplicate Plates
Title 44 › Chapter 5— PRODUCTION AND PROCUREMENT OF PRINTING AND BINDING › § 505
Summary
The Director of the Government Publishing Office must sell extra or duplicate metal printing plates, following rules from the Joint Committee on Printing, to anyone who asks. The price can’t be higher than what it cost the Government for composition, the metal, and making the plates plus 10%, and the buyer must pay the full amount when ordering.
Full Legal Text
Title 44, §505
Public Printing and Documents — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The Director of the Government Publishing Office shall sell, under regulations of the Joint Committee on Printing to persons who may apply, additional or duplicate stereotype or electrotype plates from which a Government publication is printed, at a price not to exceed the cost of composition, the metal, and making to the Government, plus 10 per centum, and the full amount of the price shall be paid when the order is filed.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., § 58 (Jan. 12, 1895, ch. 23, § 52, 28 Stat. 608).
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2014—Pub. L. 113–235 substituted “Director of the Government Publishing Office” for “Public Printer”. 1976—Pub. L. 94–553 struck out provision that a publication could not be copyrighted if it was reprinted from additional or duplicate plates purchased from the Government from which Government publications had been printed or if it was reprinted from other Government publications.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1976 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 94–553 effective Jan. 1, 1978, see section 102 of Pub. L. 94–553, set out as an
Effective Date
note preceding section 101 of Title 17, Copyrights.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
44 U.S.C. § 505
Title 44 — Public Printing and Documents
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60