Compendium II: Copyright Office Practices - Chapter 1300

Chapter 1300

 

RENEWAL OF COPYRIGHT

 

Outline of Topics

 

1301 Background.

 

1301.01 Works copyrighted before January 1, 1978.

 

1302 Time limits for renewal.

 

1302.01 Informal applications.

 

1303 Computing term for published works.

 

1303.01 Antedated notice.

1303.02 Postdated notice.

 

1304 Computing term for unpublished works.

 

1305 Amendment after deadline.

 

1306 Date of receipt.

 

1306.01 Delay in delivery caused by disruption of

postal or other services.

 

1307 Application received before the renewal year.

 

1308 Application received after the renewal year.

 

1309 Original registration.

 

1309.01 Exception to requirement for original regis-

tration.

 

1310 Contributions to periodicals and composite works.

 

1310.01 First publication basis.

1310.02 Separate claims.

1310.03 Identification of composite work.

1310.04 Different claimants.

1310.05 Group registrations.

 

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Chapter 1300

Renewal of Copyright

Outline of Topics -2 -

 

1311 Works first published abroad in English.

 

311.01 Both editions registered.

311.02 Single renewal application.

311.03 Separate applications.

311.04 Installments.

311.05 Foreign edition never registered.

311.06 No U.S. edition.

 

1312 Renewal claimants: authors and their successors.

 

1313 Renewal claimants: authors.

 

313.01 Author still living.

313.02 Author's name not in records of original regis-

tration.

313.03 Term "author" defined for renewal purposes.

 

1314 Renewal claimants: widows, widowers, and children.

 

314.01 Single class.

314.02 Definition of widow or widower.

314.03 Definition of children.

 

1315 Renewal claimants: executors.

 

1315.01 Qualification.

315.02 Personal right.

.315.03 Intestate.

 

1316 Renewal claimants: next of kin.

 

1316.01 Definition.

1316.02 Will but no executor.

 

1317 Renewal claimants: proprietors.

 

.317.01 Definition.

.317.02 Derivation of title.

.317.03 Posthumous works.

.317.04 Composite works.

.317.05 Individual contributions.

.317.06 Corporate body.

.317.07 Employer in the case of a work made for hire.

 

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Chapter 1300

Renewal of Copyright

Outline of Topics -3 –

 

1318 Joint renewal claimants.

 

1318.01 Several claimants, same application.

1318.02 Later application, same work.

1318.03 Adverse claims.

1318.04 Adverse claims: conflicts concerning the author

and the author's successors.

1318.05 Adverse claims: conflicts concerning proprietors,

authors, and authors' successors.

 

1319 Unacceptable renewal claims.

 

1319.01 Personal right.

1319.02 Deceased person.

1319.03 Claimants not named, only status given.

1319.04 Claimant fails to qualify.

1319.05 Successors or representatives of claimants.

1319.06 Assignment of renewal interests.

1319.07 Extent of claim.

 

[1984]

 

 

 

Chapter 1300

 

RENEWAL OF COPYRIGHT

 

1301 Background. The copyright law of 1909, as amended,

provided for copyright protection for an initial

term of 28 years, with the possibility of a renewal

term of statutory protection if a claim to renewal

copyright was registered in the Copyright Office

during the last year of the first term. However,

a new copyright statute came into full effect on

January I, 1978; among other things, the new law

makes important changes concerning the length of

copyright protection; for works that are copy-

righted for the first time on or after January I,

1978, it establishes a single copyright term.

Nevertheless, under the new law, works originally

copyrighted before January I, 1978, must still be

renewed in order to obtain the fullest period of

copyright protection allowed by the law for such

works. This chapter is applicable only to those

works.

 

1301.01 Works copyrighted before January 1, 1978.

Section 304 a of the copyright law provides

that "any copyright, the first term of which is

subsisting on January I, 1978," endures for 28

years from the date it was originally secured,

and that a renewal term of copyright lasting 47

years, can be secured by certain designated

claimants if an application for renewal is made

to the Copyright Office "within one year prior

to the expiration of the original term of copy-

right." The law specifies that all such terms

of copyright run to the end of the calendar

year in which they would otherwise expire. See

17 U.S.C. 305. This not only affects the dura-

tion of copyright; it also affects the time

limits for renewal registration. See section

1302 below.

 

NOTE: For works that were in their renewal term

of copyright on December 31, 1977, the law auto-

matically extended the copyright to last for a

total of 75 years (a first term of 28 years

plus a renewal term of 47 years) measured from

 

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1300-2

 

1301 Background. (cont'd)

 

301.01 Works copyrighted before January 1, 1978

(cont'd)

 

the end of the year in which the copyright was

originally secured: no additional renewal is

necessary for such works.

 

1302 Time limits for renewal. A copyright may be

renewed for a renewal term of 47 years, provided

that an acceptable application and fee are received

in the Copyright Office or elsewhere in the Library

of Congress during the year immediately preceding

the expiration date of the original term of copy-

right. See 17 U.S.C. 304(a).

 

* Unless the required application and fee are

received during the prescribed period before the

first term of copyright expires, the copyright

in the work terminates at the expiration of 28

years from the end of the calendar year in which

copyright was originally secured.

 

* The Copyright Office has no discretion to

extend the renewal time limits.

 

See 37 C.F.R. 202.17(c)(I).

 

302.01 Informal applications. Whenever a renewal

applicant has cause to believe that a formal

application for renewal (Form RE) (and in the

case of works in which U.S. copyright subsists

by virtue of section 9(c) of title 17, U.S.C.,

in effect on December 31, 1977, an accompany-

ing affidavit and submission relating to the

subsistence of first-term copyright), if sent

to the Copyright Office by mail, might not be

received in the Copyright Office before expira-

tion of the statutory time limits the appli-

cant may apply for renewal registration by

telegraphic or similar unsigned written

communication. An application made by this

method only will be accepted if:

 

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1300-3

 

1302 Time limits for renewals. (cont'd)

 

1302.01 Informal applications. (cont'd)

 

(1) the message is received in the Copyright

Office within the specified time limits:

 

(2) the applicant adequately identifies

the work involved, the date of first

publication or original registration, the

name and address of the renewal claimant,

and the statutory basis of the renewal

claim:

 

(3) the fee for renewal registration, if not

already on deposit, is received in the

Copyright Office before the time for

renewal registration has expired: and

 

(4) a formal application for renewal (Form RE)

(and in the case of works in which u.s.

copyright subsists by virtue of section

9(c) of title 17, U.S.C., in effect on

December 31, 1977, as provided in 37

C.F.R. 202.17(d)(2), an accompanying

affidavit and submission relating to sub-

sistence of the first-term copyright) are

also received in the Copyright Office

before February 1 of the following year.

 

See 37 C.F.R. 202.17(c)(3).

 

1303 Computing term for published works. Copyright

for works published before January 1, 1978,

generally began on the date of first publication.

However, under the current Act the original term

does not expire until the end of the last day of

the 28th calendar year measured from the year of

first publication. See 17 U.S.C. 305.

 

1303.01 Antedated notice. In cases where the year

date in the copyright notice appearing on the

copies as first published was earlier than the

actual date of publication, the original term

of copyright is computed from the last day of

the year given in the notice, and not the date

of publication. The actual date of publication

should be given in the renewal application, and

 

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1300-4

 

Computing term for published works. (cont'd)

 

1303.01 Antedated notice. (cont'd)

 

the Copyright Office will add the annotation:

"YEAR DATE IN COPYRIGHT NOTICE: 19 " Claims

to renewal copyright received more than 28

years from the first day in the year given in

the copyright notice will be refused registra-

tion. See also section 1308 below.

 

1303.02 Postdated notice. If the year date in the

copyright notice appearing on the copies as

published was one year later than the actual

date 0f publication, the original term is

computed for renewal purposes from the year

date 0f publication. No annotation respecting

a postdated notice will be made to the renewal

application.

 

1304 Computing term for unpublished works. For

unpublished works registered 1n the Copyright

Office before January I, 1978, statutory copyright

began on the date 0f such registration and lasts

for an original term 0f 28 years. Under the new

law the original term does not expire for such

works until the end 0f the last day 0f the 28th

calendar year after registration. The date 0f

registration 0f unpublished works currently

renewable under the new law is the date when the

last element (application, copy, fee) was received

in acceptable form in the Copyright Office.

 

1305 Amendment after deadline. If an application

that contains a title by which the work may

be identified and a correct statement 0f

either the renewal claimant or basis 0f the

renewal claim is received within the proper

time limits, but correspondence is required,

the claim may be entered after expiration 0f

the original term. However, the Copyright

Office will make a special effort to obtain

a fully acceptable application before the

original term expires.

 

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1300-5

 

1305 Amendment after deadline. (cont'd)

 

Example:

 

A renewal application for a work by John Doe

received during the 28th year of the first term

identifies the renewal claimant as executrix,

and the Copyright Office has reason to believe

that the claimant is the surviving spouse, ~.~.,

the renewal application gives Mrs. John Doe, or

the letter of transmittal indicates that she is

the widow of the author. The Copyright Office

will write for a new application setting forth

the proper basis of claim, even though the

statutory renewal period has expired in the

interim.

 

1306 Date of receipt. The date of actual receipt in

the Copyright Office determines the acceptability

of a renewal application. See 37 C.F.R. 202.17(c).

 

* Receipt of a renewal application or fee else-

where in the Library of Congress is regarded as

equivalent to receipt in the Copyright Office.

 

* Mail misdirected or misdelivered to another

Government agency, and delivered to the Copy-

right Office after the deadline will not permit

registration.

 

* The date of deposit in the mails is not deter-

minative for this purpose.

 

1306.01 Delay in delivery caused by disruption of postal

or other services. In any case in which the

Register of Copyrights determines, on the basis

of such evidence as the Register may by regula-

tion require, that a deposit, application, fee,

or any other material to be delivered to the

Copyright Office by a particular date, would

have been received in the Copyright Office in

due time except for a general disruption or

suspension of postal or other transportation or

communications services, the actual receipt of

such material in the Copyright Office within

one month after the date on which the Register

determines that the disruption or suspension of

 

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1300-6

 

1306 Date of receipt. (cont'd)

 

1306.01 Delay in delivery caused by disruption of postal

or other services.  (cont'd)

 

such services has terminated, shall be consid-

ered timely. 17 U.S.C. 709. No regulation has

yet been issued by the Copyright Office under

this provision.

 

1307 Application received before the renewal year. A

renewal application received at any time before the

beginning of the renewal year will not be accepted.

An entirely new application must be submitted

during the proper year.

 

1308 Application received after the renewal year. If

an application or fee is received after the renewal

year has expired, the claim will be refused.

 

* When the applicant filed too late in reasonable

reliance on a record created, or original certi-

ficate issued, by the Copyright Office, or an

official Copyright Office search report, which

contained an error, omission, or patent ambi-

guity with respect to the term, the Copyright

Office will register the renewal claim as a

doubtful case.

 

* When the Copyright Office records state a date

of publication which has not been questioned or

corrected, renewal registration will not be made

after the 28th year from that date, even when

the renewal applicant asserts that the date was

erroneous. Concerning the procedure for cor-

recting a date of publication, see Chapter 1500:

CORRECTIONS AND AMPLIFICATIONS OF COPYRIGHT

RECORDS: SUPPLEMENTARY REGISTRATIONS.

 

Examples:

 

1) Where the renewal applicant has relied on a

certificate of original registration which

lacked an annotation showing that the year date

in the copyright notice was antedated, a

renewal application will be accepted during the

28th year measured from the date of publica-

tion.

 

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1300-7

 

1308 Application received after the renewal year.

(cont'd)

 

Examples: (cont'd)

 

2) Where the applicant has relied on incorrect

information appearing in the Catalog of Copy-

right Entries as a result of a Copyright Office

error, renewal registration will be made.

 

1309 Original registration. Except as provided in sec-

tion 1309.01 below, copyright in a work will not be

registered for a renewal term unless an original

registration for the work has been made in the

Copyright Office. However, the original and

renewal claims may be submitted simultaneously,

although the renewal claim will be processed only

after a registration number has been assigned to

the application for the original term. Generally,

in examining such applications for first-term

registration, the Copyright Office will apply the

practices existing at the time the work was origi-

nally published in determining registrability. The

current application forms and registration fees

will be required.

 

NOTE: The Copyright Office may register claims to

renewal even though it might not under its present

policies register the original claim.

 

1309.01 Exception to requirement for original regis-

tration. An original registration in the

Copyright Office is not a condition precedent

for renewal registration in the case of a work

in which u.s. copyright subsists by virtue of

section 9(c) of title 17, U.S.C., in effect on

December 31, 1977, (which implemented the uni-

versal Copyright Convention), provided, how-

ever, that the application for renewal regis-

tration is accompanied by:

 

1) An affidavit identified as "Renewal

Affidavit for a U.C.C. Work" and

containing the following informa-

tion:

 

(A) The date of first publication of

the work:

 

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1300-8

 

Original registration. (cont'd)

 

1309.01 Exception to requirement for original registration. (cont'd)

 

1) (cont'd)

 

(B) The place of first publication of

the work:

 

(C) The citizenship of the author on the

date of first publication of the work:

 

(D) The domicile of the author on the date

of first publication of the work:

 

(E) An averment that, at the time of first

publication, all the copies of the

work published under the authority of

the author or other copyright propri-

etor bore the symbol @ accompanied by

the name of the copyright proprietor

and the year of first publication, and

" that U.S. copyright subsists in the .

work;

 

(F) The handwritten signature of the renewal

claimant or the duly authorized agent of

the renewal claimant. The signature shall

(I) be accompanied by the printed or type-

written name of the person signing the

affidavit and by the date of the signa-

ture: and (2) shall be immediately

preceded by the following printed or

typewritten statement in accordance with

section 1746 of title 28, U.S.C.: I

certify under penalty of perjury under the

laws of the United States of America that

the foregoing is true and correct.

 

2) A submission relating to the notice of copy-

right and copyrightable content which shall be,

in descending order of preference, comprised of:

 

(A) One complete copy of the work as first

published: or

 

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1300-9

 

1309 Original registration. (cont'd)

 

1309.01 Exception to requirements for original regis-

tration. (cont'd)

 

2) (cont'd)

 

(B) (1) A photocopy of the title page of

the work as first published, and

 

(2) A photocopy of the page of the work

as first published bearing the copyright

notice, and

 

(3) A specification as to the location,

relative to each other, of the title and

notice pages of the work as first pub-

lished, if the pages are different, and

 

(4) A brief description of the copy-

rightable content of the work, and

 

(5) An explanation of the inability to

submit one complete copy of the work as

first published: or

 

(C) A statement describing the position and

contents of the copyright notice as it

appeared on the work as first published,

and a brief description of the copy-

rightable content. The statement shall

be made and signed in accordance with

paragraph (1)(F) of this section and

shall also include an explanation of

the inability to submit either one

complete copy of the work as first

published or photocopies of the title

and notice of the work as first pub-

lished. See 37 C.F.R. 202.17(d)(2).

 

1310 Contributions to periodicals and composite works.

The following practices relate to renewal of claims

to copyright in contributions to periodicals and

composite works.

 

1310.01 First publication basis. In order to be accept-

able, a renewal claim in an individual contri-

bution which was not registered separately must

be based on first publication of the contribution.

 

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1300-10

 

1310 Contributions to periodicals and composite works.

(cont'd)

 

1310.01 First publication basis. (cont'd)

 

Example:

 

A renewal application covering a short story

which appeared in BEST SHORT STORIES, an

anthology of previously published materials,

will not be registered since the short story

was not first published in the anthology.

 

310.02 Separate claims. Individual renewal copyright

in contributions to periodicals and other com-

posite works may be registered, whether or

not they were separately registered for their

original term of copyright. Where the indivi-

dual contribution was not separately registered,

a claim to copyright in the periodical or other

composite work must have been registered to

serve as a basis for renewal registration of

the individual contribution.

 

310.03 Identification of composite work. A renewal.

application covering a contribution which was

not registered separately must clearly identify

the periodical or other composite work in which

the contribution appeared. Generally, a com-

posite work is an original publication relating

to a variety of subjects to which a number of

different authors have contributed distinguish-

able and separable selections: in this connection,

see also section 1317.04(a) below.

 

310.03(a) Facts of original registration required.

The renewal application must contain the

facts of original registration, e.g.,

title of periodical, volume and issue number,

issue date and original registration date,

in addition to the publication date for the

periodical or other work. Where the work

cannot be fully identified from the renewal

application and Copyright Office records,

correspondence may be necessary. All other

statements on the renewal application are

taken at face value unless a patent error

or ambiguity is presented.

 

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1300-11

 

1310 Contributions to periodicals and composite works.

 

1310.04 Different claimants. A contribution which

was published with a separate copyright notice

should be separately registered for the origi-

nal term of copyright before renewal regis-

tration is made, if the claimant stated in the

notice differs from the claimant given in the

notice on the composite work as a whole. The

Copyright Office requires original registration

as a condition to renewal registration when this

fact is known. When the names in the copyright

notices appearing on the contribution and the

composite work are the same, original regis-

tration for the individual contribution is

optional.

 

1310.05 Group registrations. A single renewal regis-

tration may be made for a group of works by the

same individual author, all first published as

contributions to periodicals, including news-

papers, upon submission of a single fee and

application, when certain conditions are met.

The "author" here means an individual person

and not an employer in the case of a work made

for hire. Also the class in which the original

registrations were made is immaterial and is

not limited to Class B (Form BB). The above-

mentioned conditions, set forth below, must all

be met:

 

1) The renewal claimant or claimants, and the

basis of claim or claims under 17 U.S.C.

304(a), is the same for each of the works:

and

 

2) The works were all copyrighted upon their

first publication, either through a sepa-

rate copyright notice and registration, or

by virtue of a general copyright notice in

the periodical issue as a whole and a claim

to copyright has been registered in the

periodical issue: and

 

3) The renewal application and fee are received

not more than 28 or less than 27 years after

 

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1300-12

 

Contributions to periodicals and composite works.

(cont'd)

 

1310.05 Group registrations. (cont'd)

 

3) (cont’d)

 

the 31st day of December of the calendar

year in which all of the works were first

published; and

 

4} The renewal application identifies each

work separately, including the periodical

containing it and its date of first publi-

cation.

 

See 17 U.S.C. 408(c)(3).

 

1311 Works first published abroad in English. Under

the Act of 1909, as amended, ad interim copyright

was a short-term copyright available to English-

language books and periodicals which were manu-

factured and first published abroad. It was secured

by registration within six months of first publi-

cation abroad and lasted for a maximum of five

years from the date of publication. Copyright

could be extended to the full 28-year term if a

u.s. edition was manufactured and published within

five years after first publication abroad, and if a

claim to copyright in the U.S. edition was also

registered.

 

1311.01 Both editions registered. If ad interim and

full-term registrations were both made within

the proper time limits, renewal registration

may be made to cover both editions.

 

1311.02 Single renewal application. A single renewal

application can be submitted covering both the

ad interim and full-term registrations, regard-

less of whether or not the u.s. edition con-

tained new matter, provided both editions are

eligible for renewal during the same calendar

year. If both editions are included on a single

renewal application, that application must

include information taken from both original

registrations. For the special problem pre-

sented by an antedated notice, see section

1303.01 above.

 

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1300-13

 

1311 Works first published abroad in English. (cont'd)

 

1311.03 Separate applications. Where separate appli-

cations are submitted, each application must be

filed within the 28th calendar year of the term

of copyright in the particular edition it covers.

The Copyright Office will annotate each appli-

cation to refer to the other edition.

 

1311.03(a) Late application. If the renewal applica-

tion is received more than 28 years from the

end of the year of first publication abroad,

registration will be refused because the

application was received too late. The

applicant may submit a new application

covering the U.S. edition alone, if that

edition contained new matter, and if the

application was submitted during the

renewal period applicable to the new

matter.

 

1311.04 Installments. When a work was first published

abroad in serial installments and several sepa-

rate ad interim registrations were made, separate

renewal registrations may be made, even though

the first U.S. edition was published in a single

volume. If the applicant prefers, a single

group registration can be made for installments

first published as contributions to a periodical,

provided the criteria set forth in section 1310.05

have been met.

 

1311.05 Foreign edition never registered. If the

foreign edition of a work was never registered

ad interim, but the later U.S. edition was

registered, the Copyright Office will accept a

renewal application covering the U.S. edition.

In the case of an application received during

the 28th year measured from the end of the year

of foreign publication, a cautionary letter

will be sent stating that the registration is

of doubtful validity. In the case of an appli-

cation received more than 28 years from the end

of the year of foreign publication, the cau-

tionary letter will explain that renewal regis-

tration covers only the new matter, if any, in

the U.S. edition. A new matter statement will

not be required on the renewal application,

unless a new matter statement appeared on the

original application.

 

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1300-14

 

1311 Works first published abroad in English. (cont'd)

 

1311.06 No u.s. edition. Where the Copyright Office records fail to reveal that a u.s. edition of a work was ever registered, the Copyright Office will generally refuse registration for a renewal claim based on an ad interim registration, subject to the special provisions in sections 1311.06(a) and 1311.06(b) below. The Copyright Office will, how­ever, correspond in order to determine whether the u.s. edition has been registered, e.g., under a different title.

 

1311/06(a) Effect of the Universal Copyright Convention(UCC). The UCC came into force with respect to the United States on September 16, 1955. The implementing legislation provides that, upon the corning into force of the Universal Copyright Convention in a foreign state or nation, every book or periodical of a citi­zen or subject thereof in which ad interim copyright was subsisting on the effective date of said corning into force shall have copyright for 28 years from the date of first publication abroad without the necessity of complying with the further formalities specified. See section 9(c) of the Act of 1909, as amended. Therefore, in such cases the ad interim copyright was extended to the full 28-year term measured from the date of first publication abroad, and such copyrights are renewable in accor­dance with the general provisions relating to the term for other published works. See section 1303 above. In determining whether renewal registration is possible, the fac­tors to be considered include the follow­ing:

 

1) Citizenship of the author as shown in the Copyright Office records.

 

2) The effective date of adherence to the UCC by the country of which the author was a citizen.

 

3) The time between securing ad interim copyright and the effective date of such adherence.

 

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1300-15

 

1311 Works first published abroad in English. (cont'd)

 

1311.06 No U.S. edition. (cont'd)

 

1311.06(b) Effect of the current Act. In the case of

any work in which ad interim copyright is

subsisting or is capable of being secured on December 31, 1977, under section 22 of title 17 as it existed on that date, copy­

right protection was extended to endure for

the full term or terms provided by section 304 of title 17 of the new law, pursuant to Sec. 107 of Transitional and Supple­mentary provisions of the current Act. Thus, for works covered by this provision, a renewal claim will be registered even though there was no registration for a U.S. edition.

 

1312 Renewal claimants: authors and their successors.

In accordance with the copyright law, it is the

author, if living, who is entitled to claim renewal

copyright with respect to all works other than those

enumerated in section 1317 of this chapter. More­

over, if the author is dead, it is the copyright

law, rather than the rules of testamentary or intestate succession, that specifies the successive classes of persons entitled to claim renewal copy­right. See 17 U.S.C. 304.

 

1313 Renewal claimants: authors. The author, if living,

may claim renewal, whether the work was published

in the author's true name, a pseudonym, or anonymously.

 

1313.01 Author still living. If the author is still living, the renewal application must be filed in the author's own name, even if the author is insane or incompetent.

 

1313.02 Author's name not in records of original regis­tration. Where an applicant is claiming renewal as the "author," or as any other person entitled to claim renewal if that author is dead, and where that author's name does not appear in the records of the original registration, renewal

registration will generally not be made unless

that name is placed in the Copyright Office records. The copyright Office may suggest

 

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1300-16

 

1313 Renewal claimants: authors. (cont'd)

 

1313.02 Author’s name not in records of original registration. (cont’d)

 

that an application for supplementary registra­tion be submitted in order either to correct or

to amplify the information given in the original record. See Chapter 1500: CORRECTIONS AND AMPLIFICATIONS OF COPYRIGHT RECORDS: SUPPLEMEN­TARY REGISTRATIONS. In any case, and particu­larly when a supplementary registration is not suitable, a document supporting the author­ship may be recorded in the Copyright Office. The renewal application is annotated to reflect the volume and page number of recordation. A supplementary registration or document is not necessary when the nature of the work makes

the omission of the claimant's name natural, e.g., works of multiple authorship, pictorial reproductions, and obviously anonymous works. See also Adverse claims, section 1318.03 below.

 

1313.03 Term "author" defined for renewal purposes.

The term "author," for renewal purposes, refers to the individual who personally wrote or created "renewable matter" in the work. The term "author" includes editors, compilers, arrangers, trans­lators, illustrators, etc. It does not include employers in the case of works made for hire, publishers, corporations, firms, partnerships, religious orders, fraternal organizations, or

any other impersonal entities.

 

1314 Renewal claimants: widows, widowers, and children. If the author is dead, the author's surviving spouse and children are entitled to claim renewal. 17 U.S.C. 304.

 

1314.01 Single class. The widow (widower) and children are regarded as a single class of renewal claim­ants, and applications from any or all will be accepted without question. See DeSylva v. Ballentine, 351 U.S. 570, 30 C.O.Bull. 245 (1956).

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-17

 

1314 Renewal claimants: widows, widowers, and children. (cont'd)

 

1314.02 Definition of widow or widower. The author's widow or widower is the author's surviving spouse under the law of the author's domicile at the time of his or her death, whether or not the spouse has later remarried. 17 U.S.C. 101.

 

1) A widow (widower) does not lose his (or her) renewal rights upon remarriage.

 

2) A common-law spouse may also be regarded as the "widow" or "widower" for renewal purposes, if the author is deceased.

 

3) A divorced spouse is not an acceptable renewal claimant as widow or widower. However, the copyright Office will not inquire into the validity of a marriage or a divorce.

 

4) The terms "wife of the author," "wife of

the deceased author," "husband of the author," or "husband of the deceased author" are not acceptable bases of claim. The basis of claim must be stated as either "widow" or "widower" of the author.

 

5) The Copyright Office will request a new application correcting the basis of claim if a widow or widower is claiming renewal as the author's "next of kin" or "executor."

 

1314.03 Definition of children. A person's "children" are that person's immediate offspring, whether legitimate or not, and any children legally adopted by that person. 17 U.S.C. 101.

 

1) The copyright Office will register a renewal claim in the name of an illegitimate child, whether paternity has been acknowledged or not.

 

2) Legally adopted children are acceptable renewal claimants.

 

3) Stepchildren, as such, are not entitled to claim renewal.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-18

 

1314 Renewal claimants: widows, widowers, and children. (cont'd)

 

1314.03 Definition of children. (cont'd)

 

4) Grandchildren and other descendants beyond the first degree cannot claim renewal as "the children of the deceased author."

 

5) The Copyright Office will request a new application giving the correct basis of claim if a child is claiming renewal as the author's "next of kin" or "executor."

 

1315 Renewal claimants: executors. If the author dies leaving a will, and if no widow, widower, or children are living at the time the renewal appli­cation is filed, the author's executor is entitled to claim renewal in his or her own name.

 

1315.01 Qualification. In order to be regarded as an "executor," a claimant must have been named in the author's will, and presumably must have been qualified in probate pro­ceedings. However, the Copyright Office will not refuse a renewal claim in the name of the the executor, even if the author's will has not been probated. The Copyright Office will accept as an "executor" a claimant described as an "ancillary executor," "substitute executor," "successor executor," or "literary executor." See also section 1316.02 below.

 

1315.02 Personal right. The right to claim renewal as "executor" is a personal one, and the renewal application must name the individual executor.

 

1) The author's legatees, as such, have no right to claim renewal in their own names.

 

2) Renewal rights are claimed by the executors not for their personal benefit, but as fiduciaries for the benefit of the legatees under the author's will. See Miller Music Corp. v. Charles N. Daniels, Inc., 362 U.S. 373, 32 C.O.Bull. 307 (1960).

 

[1984]

 

 

 

1300-19

 

1315 Renewal claimants: executors. (cont'd)

 

1315.02 Personal right. (cont'd)

 

3) A renewal claim cannot be registered in the name of the "Estate of John Doe," even if executors have not yet been qualified under the author's will.

 

4) The executor named in the renewal applica­tion must be an individual or be a fiduciary organization authorized by law to serve as an executor. A renewal application which does not name as executor an individual or a trust department of a bank will be ques­tioned.

 

Example:

 

The renewal application which names a law firm as the renewal claimant in the capacity of executor under the author's will will be questioned because it is unclear whether the law firm is a fiduciary organization authorized by law to serve as executor.

 

1315.03 Intestate. In no case can the administrator of an intestate author's estate claim renewal.

 

1316 Renewal claimants: next of kin. If the author is dead and no widow (widower) or children survive the author, and if there is lithe absence of a will, II the author's next of kin are entitled to claim renewal. 17 U.S.C. 304(a}.

 

1316.01 Definition. The term "next of kin" refers only to blood relatives of the author.

 

l) It is not clear whether the term "next of kin" refers only to the living relatives of the nearest degree of consanguinity (defined as the quality or state of being descended from the same ancestor) or whether it also includes the descendants of dead relatives claiming on the theory representation. The Copyright Office

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-20

 

1316 Renewal claimants: next of kin. (cont'd)

 

1316.01 Definition. (cont'd)

 

1) (cont'd)

 

will register the claim of any blood relative as "next of kin," regardless of the degree of consanguinity.

 

Example:

 

Where an author had two brothers, one of whom died leaving two sons, it is unclear whether the nephews may claim renewal equally with the surviving brother.

 

2) The statement of the basis of claim on the renewal application must not consist solely of a statement of relationship, ~.3.

sister, mother, niece, etc. The claim itself should be stated as "next of kin of the deceased author, there being no will," although kinship may be specified paren­thetically.

 

3) Statements such as "heirs" or "representa­tives of heirs" are not acceptable either as claimants or as bases of claim.

 

1316.02 Will but no executor. If the author left a will, but no executor exists at the time for renewal, the proper renewal claimant is unclear.

 

1) However, on the basis of judicial authority, the copyright Office will accept a claim in the names of the next of kin, except in the situation noted in paragraph 3(c) below.

 

2) If it is unclear whether executors still exist, registration may be made in the names of both the executors and the next of kin on separate applications and for separate fees.

 

Example:

 

The executor himself is unsure whether or not he was actually discharged.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-21

 

1316 Renewal claimants: next of kin. (cont'd)

 

1316.02 Will but no executor. (cont'd)

 

3) If the author leaves a will which names no executor, or if the person named cannot or will not act as executor, the court may

appoint an "administrator cum testamento annexo" (administrator with the will

annexed; administrator c.t.a) who performs the identical functions of an executor. When the estate has been settled and the executor discharged, or when the executor is removed before the estate is completely administered, the court may appoint an "administrator de bonis non cum testamento annexo (adminis­trator de bonis non with the will annexed; administrator d.b.n.c.t.a.) to deal with

the remaining or after-acquired property under the will.

 

a) The Copyright Office will register renewal claims in the names of admin­istrator c.t.a. or administrator d.b.n.c.t.a. Except as noted in para­graph (c) below, the Copyright Office will also register renewal claims for the same work in the names of both the next of kin and the administrators c.t.a. or administrators d.b.n.c.t.a. on the basis of separate applications and fees.

 

b) Where the author's will names an executor who cannot or will not act as executor, or when the estate has been settled and the executor discharged, or when the executor is removed before the estate is completely settled, registration will be made in the names of the author's next of kin, even when the administrators c.t.a. or adminis­trators d.b.n.c.t.a. exist.

 

c) If the author left a will without naming an executor, and an administrator c.t.a. or administrator d.b.n.c.t.a. is in

existence at the time of renewal regis­tration, an application in the name of the next of kin will be refused on the

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-22

 

1416 Renewal claimants: next of kin. (cont'd)

 

1316.02 Will but no executor. (cont'd)

 

c) (cont'd)

 

basis of Gibran v. National Committee of Gibran, 255 F.2d 121, 31 C.O.Bull. 249 (2d Cir. 1958): cert. denied,

358 U.S. 828 (1958).

 

1317 Renewal claimants: proprietors. The copyright act provides that the proprietor of the copyright may claim renewal in certain specified cases.

 

1317.01 Definition. The term "proprietor" refers to the owner of the copyright on the effective date of the renewal registration.

 

1317.02 Derivation of title. In order to claim renewal as "proprietor," the claimant must derive his or her title directly or indirectly from the original copyright owner.

 

1317.03 Posthumous works. If a work is "posthumous" within the meaning of the copyright law, the proprietor is the proper renewal claimant.

Generally, the author's widow, widower, children, executor, or next of kin have no right to claim renewal in a "posthumous work."

 

1317.03(a) Definition. A work is not considered "posthumous" if it is published during the author's lifetime: but a work is commonly considered "posthumous" if it is first published after the author's death. How­ever, for purposes of section 304(a) of the copyright law, the term "posthumous work" means any work as to which no copyright assignment or other contract for exploita­tion of the work has occurred during the author's lifetime and which is unpublished at the time of the author's death. See Bartok v. Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., 523 F.2d 941,40 C.O.Bull. 69 (2d Cir. 1975), and H.R. Rep. No. 94-1476, 94th Cong., 2d Sess. 139 (1976): see also 37 C.F.R. 202.l7(b). Thus, under section 304(a) a work is not "post­humous" if it was merely first published after the author's death.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-23

 

1317 Renewal claimants: proprietors. (cont'd)

 

1317.03 Posthumous works. (cont'd)

 

1317.03(b) proper claimant. Where the work is "posthumous" within the meaning of section 304(a) of the copyright law, the appropriate claimant is the proprietor.

 

1) Where the applicant asserts that there was neither a contract for exploitation nor an assignment of copyright during the author's lifetime, and the work was unpublished on the date of the author's death, the Copyright Office will make registration in the name of the pro­prietor.

 

2) Where the applicant asserts that during the author's lifetime there was a contract for exploitation but no copyright assign­ment, it is unclear whether or not the work is "posthumous." See S. Rep. No. 94-473, 94th Cong., 1st Sess. 123 (1975). Therefore, registration will be made in the name of the author's widow, widower, children, executor, or next of kin and also in the name of the proprietor, pro­vided separate applications and fees are submitted.

 

3) Where the applicant asserts that there

was an assignment of the copyright during the author's lifetime, the work is not considered "posthumous," and the Copyright Office will make the renewal registration in the name of the author's widow, widower, children, executor, or next of kin. Regis­tration will not be made in the name of the proprietor.

 

4) Where the proprietor-applicant asserts that the work is "posthumous" only because the work was first published after the author's death, the Copyright Office will inquire whether during the author's lifetime there was a copyright assignment or other contract for exploitation of the work.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-24

 

1317 Renewal claimants: proprietors. (cont'd)

 

1317.03 Posthumous works. (cont'd)

 

1317.03(b) claimant. (cont'd)

 

5) Where the work was originally published

as a contribution to a periodical and that contribution was not separately registered, there is doubt under the wording of the renewal provisions of the law as to whether the proprietor of such a "posthumous work" may claim the renewal. In such cases, the copyright Office will accept applications from the proprietor, and also from the author's widow, widower, children, executor, or next of kin, provided separate applica­tions and fees are submitted.

 

1317.04 Composite works. The proprietor of a periodical, cyclopedic, or other composite work may claim renewal in the work as a whole.

 

1317.04(a) Definition. Generally, a composite work is an original publication relating to a variety of subjects to which a number of

different authors have contributed dis­tinguishable and separable selections. Thus, a work by a single author con­sisting of a collection of his writings is not a composite work. Similarly, a work which is the product of joint authorship and common design, or which consists of elements which have been indistinguishably merged into a single entity, cannot be regarded as composite, ~.~., musical compositions, dramas, dramatico-musical works, and motion pictures.

 

1317.05 Individual contributions. While the proprietor of a composite work may claim renewal in the work as a whole, the author of an individual contribution, or the author's beneficiaries, may also claim renewal in the contribution.

 

*It is unclear whether the proprietor's claim in the entire work covers everything in the work that is not separately renewed.

 

[1984]

 

1300-25

 

1317 Renewal claimants: proprietors. (cont'd)

 

1317.05 Individual contributions. (cont'd)

 

* If a renewal application covering an indi-

vidual contribution is received too late for

registration, the Copyright Office will

inform the applicant of the facts of renewal

registration for the composite work because

the contribution may be protected by the

renewal of the general copyright in the

composite work in which the contribution was

first published.

 

1317.06 Corporate body. In the case of a "work

copyrighted by a corporate body otherwise than

an assignee or licensee of the author," the

statute gives the proprietor the right to claim

renewal.

 

1317.06(a) Questionable claim. This basis of claim is

always questioned unless it has been estab-

lished by previous correspondence.

 

1317.06(b) When not acceptable. This basis of claim is

not acceptable when:

 

1) The original copyright claimant was not

a corporation.

 

2) The individual author of an unpublished

work transferred his common-law literary

property, or his right to secure copy-

right, to a corporation.

 

i) The corporation is regarded as the

author's assignee.

 

ii) The fact that the corporation also

purchased the author's manuscript

does not change its status as

assignee.

 

3) The work is posthumous, composite, or was

made for hire.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-26

 

1317 Renewal claimants: proprietors. (cont'd)

 

1317.06 Corporate body. (cont'd)

 

1317.06(c) Corporate body: special circumstances. In

cases other than those listed in section

1317.06(b) above, registration on this

basis will be strongly discouraged and will

be made only when the applicant indicates

that there were special circumstances under

which the claim might conceivably be said

to apply.

 

Examples:

 

1) Works to which the stockholders of a

corporation have contributed indis-

tinguishable parts.

 

2) Works written or created by members of

a religious order or similar organiza-

tion, when the individual authors never

had a personal property right in the ~

works.

 

3) Works written by an official or major

stockholder in a corporation, when the

works were written directly for the

corporation and the arrangement did not

amount to employment for hire.

 

4) Motion pictures, when the applicant

asserts that the work was produced

under special circumstances and was not

copyrighted by an employer for whom the

work was made for hire.

 

1317.07 Employer in the case of a work made for hire.

The proprietor of the copyright shall be en-

titled to claim renewal in works originally

copyrighted by an employer for whom they were

made for hire. See 17 U.S.C. 304.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-27

 

1317 Renewal claimants: proprietors. (cont'd)

 

1317.07 Employer in the case of a work made for hire.

(cont'd)

 

1317.07(a) Employer-claimant. Generally, in order

for this basis of claim to be acceptable,

the original copyright claimant must have

secured the copyright by virtue of his

employment of the "author," rather than

through any transfer of rights after the

work was completed.

 

1317.07(b) Determinations by Copyright Office. The

Copyright Office will generally make no

effort to determine whether or not a par-

ticular agreement constituted employment

for hire.

 

* A renewal claim as "author" will be

questioned when the original records

of the registration state that the

work was made for hire.

 

* The claim will be registered if the

individual was listed as "author" by

virtue of being an employer in a work

made for hire.

 

* A renewal claim as "proprietor of copy-

right in a work made for hire" will be

questioned when the original copyright

claimant was also the only author listed

in the Copyright Office records. The

claim will be refused if the person

listed as "author" on the original

records was not an employee for hire.

However, if an explanation is offered

indicating that the "author" was

employed for hire, and inadvertently or

by agreement with the employer, claimed

copyright in his or her own name, the

proprietor claim will be accepted.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-28

 

1317 Renewal claimants: proprietor. (cont'd)

 

1317.07 Employer in the case of a work made for hire.

(cont'd)

 

1317.07(c) Work made for hire. In order for this

claim to be applicable, as the Act

explicitly states, the work must have been

copyrighted by the employer for whom the

work was made for hire.

 

* No provision is made under the literal

terms of the Act for the case in which

the work was made for hire, but the

employer transferred his common-law literary property to a third person

before either publication or registra-

tion as an unpublished work.

 

* When this situation is presented, the

Copyright Office will register a renewal

claim as "proprietor of copyright in a

work made for hire," but will point out

that the law makes no specific provision

for this situation.

 

1317.07(d) More than one author. When more than one

author contributed to a work, the renewal

claimant need not specify that all of the

authors were employed for hire.

 

* If only some of the authors were employed,

this fact should appear on the renewal

application.

 

* The Copyright Office will accept claims

by authors or their beneficiaries and

proprietors of copyright in a work made

for hire on the same application, pro-

vided that no patent inconsistency is

presented.

 

1318 Joint renewal claimants. When the author is dead

and there is more than one person in the class of

beneficiaries entitled to renew under the statute,

registration by one claimant secures renewal for

all those who would have been entitled to claim.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-29

 

1318 Joint renewal claimants. (cont'd)

 

1318.01 Several claimants, same application. When

a number of different persons are entitled to

claim renewal in the same work, the copyright

Office will accept their claims on a single

application or on separate applications. It

is not necessary that all possible claimants

join in applying for registration in order to

secure a renewal. If an application for a

work is received after its renewal period

has expired, and a renewal claim has already

been registered in the name of another claimant,

the Copyright Office will correspond and point

out that it is too late for the registration

of this renewal claim, but that registration

has been made in the name of another claimant.

 

1318. 02 Later application, same work. Once a renewal

registration has been made, the copyright

Office will generally not accept a duplicate

application for renewal registration on behalf

of the same renewal claimant.

 

1318.03 Adverse claims. When an application is received

that conflicts with a renewal claim which has

already been registered, the copyright Office

will inform the second applicant of the con-

flicting statements contained in the registered

renewal claim, and will request an explanation.

The later claim will be registered without further

question, if the applicant reasserts it and the

claim is not patently invalid. See also Chapter

100: BASIC POLICIES, section 108.06, concerning

adverse claims.

 

1318.04 Adverse claims: conflicts concerning the author

and the author's successors.

 

1) When an earlier claim was registered in the

name of an author’s next of kin, and a new

application is submitted in the name of the

executor, the Copyright Office will request

information concerning the existence of a

will.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-30

 

1318 Joint claimants. (cont'd)

 

1318.04 Adverse claims: conflicts concerning the author

and the author's successors. (cont'd)

 

2) When a renewal claim was registered in the

name of the author, and the widow (widower)

now claims, the Copyright Office will request

the date of the author's death. If the

date is earlier than that on which the

first application was filed, registration

will be made without further correspon-

dence. If the author was living when

registration was made in the author's

name, the widow's (widower's) claim may also

be registered as a doubtful case, despite

the principle that renewal rights vest on

the date of a valid registration.

 

1318.05 Adverse claims: conflicts concerning propri-

etors, authors, and authors' successors.

 

1) When a renewal claim was registered in the

name of an individual author, and a new ~

application is submitted as "proprietor .

of copyright in a work made for hire,"

the Copyright Office will request infor-

mation concerning the circumstances under

which the work was written.

 

2) When a renewal claim was registered in the

name of "a proprietor of copyright in a work

made for hire," and a new application is

submitted in the name of the individual

author, the Copyright Office will request

information concerning the circumstances

under which the work was written.

 

3) When a renewal claim was registered in the

name of one of several authors, and a new

renewal application is submitted as "pro-

prietor of copyright in a work made for

hire" without restricting the claim to the

work of a particular author or authors, the

Copyright Office will ask whether the claim

covers the material written by the person

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-31

 

1318 Joint renewal claimants. (cont'd)

 

1318.05 Adverse claims: conflicts concerning proprietors, authors, and author’s successors. (cont’d)

 

3) (cont'd)

 

in whose name registration has already been

made. If so, registration will be made if

the applicant reasserts the claim. If not,

a new application should be submitted con-

fining the claim to the material written

by employees for hire.

 

4) Where the original claim named an employer

in a work made for hire as the author, and

a renewal application names an individual

author, the Copyright Office will write to

the renewal applicant requesting informa-

tion concerning the circumstances under

which the work was written. If the appli-

cant asserts that the work was not made

for hire, the renewal claim will be

registered on behalf of the author or the

author's statutory heirs.

 

1319 Unacceptable renewal claims. The following general

principles and practices govern the acceptability

of renewal claims.

 

1319.01 Personal right. The right to claim renewal

copyright is a personal right.

 

1319.02 Deceased person. A renewal claim cannot

be registered in the name of a deceased

person. The Copyright Office does not

search to determine whether or not the

renewal claimant is alive. If, however,

the Copyright Office has information

that the claimant died before the

receipt in the Copyright Office of the

renewal application, the Office will

refuse to register the claim as

submitted.

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-32

 

1319 Unacceptable renewal claims. (cont'd)

1319.03 Claimant not named, only status given.

The renewal right accrues to an indi-

vidual person or firm, and not to a

status. Claims by "the Executor of

James Fitzgerald" or "the executors of

the author" or by "the next of kin of

the author" without specifically

naming the claimant are not accept-

able.

 

1319.04 claimant fails to qualify. The Copyright

Office cannot register a renewal claim

unless the basis of claim is one that is

acceptable under the statute. If none of

the claimants listed in the statute exists

or can be identified, registration must

be refused.

 

1319.05 Successors or representatives of claimants.

The successors or representatives of a person

who would have been entitled to claim renewal

41if still living, are unacceptable renewal

claimants. For example, the executor of the

author's widow is an unacceptable renewal

claimant.

 

1319.06 Assignment of renewal interests. Registra-

tion must be made in the name of the statutory

claimant, even though the statutory claimant

has assigned all of his or her interests in

the renewal term. For example, registration

cannot be made in the names of an "assignee,"

"proprietor," "attorney in fact," or "owner

per agreement."

 

1319.07 Extent of claim. A renewal claim in a

published work can cover only the material

which was first published in that particular

version of the work.

 

1319.07(a) Later version. The original author of a

published work cannot claim renewal in a

later version of that work unless that

author contributed to the new matter on

which copyright in the later version was

 

[1984]

 

 

1300-33

 

1319 Unacceptable renewal claims. (cont'd)

 

1319.07 Extent of claim. (cont'd)

 

1319.07(a) Later version. (cont'd)

 

claimed. For example, where it appears

from the record that an author's original

composition was published before an

arrangement of it by another person, a

renewal claim in the arrangement by the

author, based on his original composi-

tion, is unacceptable.

 

1319.07(b) Revised published version. Where an

author's original unpublished work was

first published with an arrangement or

other new matter by another person, the

author's claim to renewal in the pub-

lished work may be accepted.

 

[END OF CHAPTER 1300]

 

[1984]