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Online Attorney
4) Repeated violations. - In any case in which the injured
party sustains the burden of proving, and the court finds, that a
person has violated section 1201 or 1202 within 3 years after a
final judgment was entered against the person for another such
violation, the court may increase the award of damages up to
triple the amount that would otherwise be awarded, as the court
considers just.
(5) Innocent violations. -
(A) In general. - The court in its discretion may reduce or
remit the total award of damages in any case in which the
violator sustains the burden of proving, and the court finds,
that the violator was not aware and had no reason to believe
that its acts constituted a violation.
(B) Nonprofit library, archives, educational institutions, or
public broadcasting entities. -
(i) Definition. - In this subparagraph, the term "public
broadcasting entity" has the meaning given such term under
section 118(g).
(ii) In general. - In the case of a nonprofit library,
archives, educational institution, or public broadcasting
entity, the court shall remit damages in any case in which
the library, archives, educational institution, or public
broadcasting entity sustains the burden of proving, and the
court finds, that the library, archives, educational
institution, or public broadcasting entity was not aware and
had no reason to believe that its acts constituted a
violation.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title I, Sec. 103(a), Oct. 28, 1998, 112
Stat. 2874; amended Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(9) [title
V, Sec. 5004(a)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-593.)
-MISC1-
AMENDMENTS
1999 - Subsec. (c)(5)(B). Pub. L. 106-113 amended heading and
text of subpar. (B) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as
follows: "In the case of a nonprofit library, archives, or
educational institution, the court shall remit damages in any case
in which the library, archives, or educational institution sustains
the burden of proving, and the court finds, that the library,
archives, or educational institution was not aware and had no
reason to believe that its acts constituted a violation."
-SECREF-
SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
This section is referred to in sections 1201, 1202 of this title.
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1204 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 12 - COPYRIGHT PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1204. Criminal offenses and penalties
-STATUTE-
(a) In General. - Any person who violates section 1201 or 1202
willfully and for purposes of commercial advantage or private
financial gain -
(1) shall be fined not more than $500,000 or imprisoned for not
more than 5 years, or both, for the first offense; and
(2) shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned for
not more than 10 years, or both, for any subsequent offense.
(b) Limitation for Nonprofit Library, Archives, Educational
Institution, or Public Broadcasting Entity. - Subsection (a) shall
not apply to a nonprofit library, archives, educational
institution, or public broadcasting entity (as defined under
section 118(g).
(c) Statute of Limitations. - No criminal proceeding shall be
brought under this section unless such proceeding is commenced
within 5 years after the cause of action arose.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title I, Sec. 103(a), Oct. 28, 1998, 112
Stat. 2876; amended Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(9) [title
V, Sec. 5004(b)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-593.)
-MISC1-
AMENDMENTS
1999 - Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106-113 amended heading and text of
subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:
"Subsection (a) shall not apply to a nonprofit library, archives,
or educational institution."
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1205 01/19/04
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TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 12 - COPYRIGHT PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1205. Savings clause
-STATUTE-
Nothing in this chapter abrogates, diminishes, or weakens the
provisions of, nor provides any defense or element of mitigation in
a criminal prosecution or civil action under, any Federal or State
law that prevents the violation of the privacy of an individual in
connection with the individual's use of the Internet.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title I, Sec. 103(a), Oct. 28, 1998, 112
Stat. 2876.)
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-MISC1-
Sec.
1301. Designs protected.
1302. Designs not subject to protection.
1303. Revisions, adaptations, and rearrangements.
1304. Commencement of protection.
1305. Term of protection.
1306. Design notice.
1307. Effect of omission of notice.
1308. Exclusive rights.
1309. Infringement.
1310. Application for registration.
1311. Benefit of earlier filing date in foreign country.
1312. Oaths and acknowledgments.
1313. Examination of application and issue or refusal of
registration.
1314. Certification of registration.
1315. Publication of announcements and indexes.
1316. Fees.
1317. Regulations.
1318. Copies of records.
1319. Correction of errors in certificates.
1320. Ownership and transfer.
1321. Remedy for infringement.
1322. Injunctions.
1323. Recovery for infringement.
1324. Power of court over registration.
1325. Liability for action on registration fraudulently
obtained.
1326. Penalty for false marking.
1327. Penalty for false representation.
1328. Enforcement by Treasury and Postal Service.
1329. Relation to design patent law.
1330. Common law and other rights unaffected.
1331. Administrator; Office of the Administrator.
1332. No retroactive effect.
-SECREF-
CHAPTER REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
This chapter is referred to in title 19 section 1337; title 28
sections 1338, 1498.
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1301 01/19/04
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TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1301. Designs protected
-STATUTE-
(a) Designs Protected. -
(1) In general. - The designer or other owner of an original
design of a useful article which makes the article attractive or
distinctive in appearance to the purchasing or using public may
secure the protection provided by this chapter upon complying
with and subject to this chapter.
(2) Vessel hulls. - The design of a vessel hull, including a
plug or mold, is subject to protection under this chapter,
notwithstanding section 1302(4).
(b) Definitions. - For the purpose of this chapter, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) A design is "original" if it is the result of the
designer's creative endeavor that provides a distinguishable
variation over prior work pertaining to similar articles which is
more than merely trivial and has not been copied from another
source.
(2) A "useful article" is a vessel hull, including a plug or
mold, which in normal use has an intrinsic utilitarian function
that is not merely to portray the appearance of the article or to
convey information. An article which normally is part of a useful
article shall be deemed to be a useful article.
(3) A "vessel" is a craft -
(A) that is designed and capable of independently steering a
course on or through water through its own means of propulsion;
and
(B) that is designed and capable of carrying and transporting
one or more passengers.
(4) A "hull" is the frame or body of a vessel, including the
deck of a vessel, exclusive of masts, sails, yards, and rigging.
(5) A "plug" means a device or model used to make a mold for
the purpose of exact duplication, regardless of whether the
device or model has an intrinsic utilitarian function that is not
only to portray the appearance of the product or to convey
information.
(6) A "mold" means a matrix or form in which a substance for
material is used, regardless of whether the matrix or form has an
intrinsic utilitarian function that is not only to portray the
appearance of the product or to convey information.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 502, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2905; amended Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(9) [title V,
Sec. 5005(a)(3)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-593.)
-MISC1-
AMENDMENTS
1999 - Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 106-113 amended par. (3)
generally. Prior to amendment, par. (3) read as follows: "A
'vessel' is a craft, especially one larger than a rowboat, designed
to navigate on water, but does not include any such craft that
exceeds 200 feet in length."
EFFECTIVE DATE
Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 505, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2918, as amended by Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(9) [title
V, Sec. 5005(a)(2)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-593,
provided that: "The amendments made by sections 502 and 503
[enacting this chapter and amending sections 1338, 1400, and 1498
of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure] shall take effect on
the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 1998]."
JOINT STUDY OF EFFECT OF THIS CHAPTER
Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 504, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2917, as amended by Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(9) [title
IV, Sec. 4741(b)(1), title V, Sec. 5005(a)(1)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113
Stat. 1536, 1501A-586, 1501A-593, provided that:
"(a) In General. - Not later than November 1, 2003, the Register
of Copyrights and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual
Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark
Office shall submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the
Senate and the House of Representatives a joint report evaluating
the effect of the amendments made by this title [enacting this
chapter and amending sections 1338, 1400, and 1498 of Title 28,
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure].
"(b) Elements for Consideration. - In carrying out subsection
(a), the Register of Copyrights and the Under Secretary of Commerce
for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent
and Trademark Office shall consider -
"(1) the extent to which the amendments made by this title has
been effective in suppressing infringement of the design of
vessel hulls;
"(2) the extent to which the registration provided for in
chapter 13 of title 17, United States Code, as added by this
title, has been utilized;
"(3) the extent to which the creation of new designs of vessel
hulls have been encouraged by the amendments made by this title;
"(4) the effect, if any, of the amendments made by this title
on the price of vessels with hulls protected under such
amendments; and
"(5) such other considerations as the Register and the Under
Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of
the United States Patent and Trademark Office may deem relevant
to accomplish the purposes of the evaluation conducted under
subsection (a)."
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1302 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1302. Designs not subject to protection
-STATUTE-
Protection under this chapter shall not be available for a design
that is -
(1) not original;
(2) staple or commonplace, such as a standard geometric figure,
a familiar symbol, an emblem, or a motif, or another shape,
pattern, or configuration which has become standard, common,
prevalent, or ordinary;
(3) different from a design excluded by paragraph (2) only in
insignificant details or in elements which are variants commonly
used in the relevant trades;
(4) dictated solely by a utilitarian function of the article
that embodies it; or
(5) embodied in a useful article that was made public by the
designer or owner in the United States or a foreign country more
than 2 years before the date of the application for registration
under this chapter.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 502, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2906; amended Pub. L. 106-44, Sec. 1(f)(1), Aug. 5, 1999, 113 Stat.
222.)
-MISC1-
AMENDMENTS
1999 - Par. (5). Pub. L. 106-44 substituted "2 years" for "1
year".
-SECREF-
SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
This section is referred to in sections 1301, 1303 of this title.
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1303 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1303. Revisions, adaptations, and rearrangements
-STATUTE-
Protection for a design under this chapter shall be available
notwithstanding the employment in the design of subject matter
excluded from protection under section 1302 if the design is a
substantial revision, adaptation, or rearrangement of such subject
matter. Such protection shall be independent of any subsisting
protection in subject matter employed in the design, and shall not
be construed as securing any right to subject matter excluded from
protection under this chapter or as extending any subsisting
protection under this chapter.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 502, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2906.)
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1304 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1304. Commencement of protection
-STATUTE-
The protection provided for a design under this chapter shall
commence upon the earlier of the date of publication of the
registration under section 1313(a) or the date the design is first
made public as defined by section 1310(b).
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 502, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2907.)
-SECREF-
SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
This section is referred to in section 1305 of this title.
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1305 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1305. Term of protection
-STATUTE-
(a) In General. - Subject to subsection (b), the protection
provided under this chapter for a design shall continue for a term
of 10 years beginning on the date of the commencement of protection
under section 1304.
(b) Expiration. - All terms of protection provided in this
section shall run to the end of the calendar year in which they
would otherwise expire.
(c) Termination of Rights. - Upon expiration or termination of
protection in a particular design under this chapter, all rights
under this chapter in the design shall terminate, regardless of the
number of different articles in which the design may have been used
during the term of its protection.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 502, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2907.)
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1306 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1306. Design notice
-STATUTE-
(a) Contents of Design Notice. - (1) Whenever any design for
which protection is sought under this chapter is made public under
section 1310(b), the owner of the design shall, subject to the
provisions of section 1307, mark it or have it marked legibly with
a design notice consisting of -
(A) the words "Protected Design", the abbreviation "Prot'd
Des.", or the letter "D" with a circle, or the symbol "*D*";
(B) the year of the date on which protection for the design
commenced; and
(C) the name of the owner, an abbreviation by which the name
can be recognized, or a generally accepted alternative
designation of the owner.
Any distinctive identification of the owner may be used for
purposes of subparagraph (C) if it has been recorded by the
Administrator before the design marked with such identification is
registered.
(2) After registration, the registration number may be used
instead of the elements specified in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of
paragraph (1).
(b) Location of Notice. - The design notice shall be so located
and applied as to give reasonable notice of design protection while
the useful article embodying the design is passing through its
normal channels of commerce.
(c) Subsequent Removal of Notice. - When the owner of a design
has complied with the provisions of this section, protection under
this chapter shall not be affected by the removal, destruction, or
obliteration by others of the design notice on an article.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 502, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2907.)
-SECREF-
SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
This section is referred to in sections 1307, 1310, 1326 of this
title.
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1307 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1307. Effect of omission of notice
-STATUTE-
(a) Actions With Notice. - Except as provided in subsection (b),
the omission of the notice prescribed in section 1306 shall not
cause loss of the protection under this chapter or prevent recovery
for infringement under this chapter against any person who, after
receiving written notice of the design protection, begins an
undertaking leading to infringement under this chapter.
(b) Actions Without Notice. - The omission of the notice
prescribed in section 1306 shall prevent any recovery under section
1323 against a person who began an undertaking leading to
infringement under this chapter before receiving written notice of
the design protection. No injunction shall be issued under this
chapter with respect to such undertaking unless the owner of the
design reimburses that person for any reasonable expenditure or
contractual obligation in connection with such undertaking that was
incurred before receiving written notice of the design protection,
as the court in its discretion directs. The burden of providing
written notice of design protection shall be on the owner of the
design.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 502, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2907.)
-SECREF-
SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
This section is referred to in section 1306 of this title.
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1308 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1308. Exclusive rights
-STATUTE-
The owner of a design protected under this chapter has the
exclusive right to -
(1) make, have made, or import, for sale or for use in trade,
any useful article embodying that design; and
(2) sell or distribute for sale or for use in trade any useful
article embodying that design.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 105-304, title V, Sec. 502, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat.
2908.)
-SECREF-
SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
This section is referred to in section 1328 of this title.
-End-
-CITE-
17 USC Sec. 1309 01/19/04
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 17 - COPYRIGHTS
CHAPTER 13 - PROTECTION OF ORIGINAL DESIGNS
-HEAD-
Sec. 1309. Infringement
-STATUTE-
(a) Acts of Infringement. - Except as provided in subsection (b),
it shall be infringement of the exclusive rights in a design
protected under this chapter for any person, without the consent of
the owner of the design, within the United States and during the
term of such protection, to -
(1) make, have made, or import, for sale or for use in trade,
any infringing article as defined in subsection (e); or
(2) sell or distribute for sale or for use in trade any such
infringing article.
(b) Acts of Sellers and Distributors. - A seller or distributor
of an infringing article who did not make or import the article
shall be deemed to have infringed on a design protected under this
chapter only if that person -
(1) induced or acted in collusion with a manufacturer to make,
or an importer to import such article, except that merely
purchasing or giving an order to purchase such article in the
ordinary course of business shall not of itself constitute such
inducement or collusion; or
(2) refused or failed, upon the request of the owner of the
design, to make a prompt and full disclosure of that person's
source of such article, and that person orders or reorders such
article after receiving notice by registered or certified mail of
the protection subsisting in the design.
(c) Acts Without Knowledge. - It shall not be infringement under
this section to make, have made, import, sell, or distribute, any
article embodying a design which was created without knowledge that
a design was protected under this chapter and was copied from such
protected design.
(d) Acts in Ordinary Course of Business. - A person who
incorporates into that person's product of manufacture an
infringing article acquired from others in the ordinary course of
business, or who, without knowledge of the protected design
embodied in an infringing article, makes or processes the
infringing article for the account of another person in the
ordinary course of business, shall not be deemed to have infringed
the rights in that design under this chapter except under a
condition contained in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b).
Accepting an order or reorder from the source of the infringing
article shall be deemed ordering or reordering within the meaning
of subsection (b)(2).
(e) Infringing Article Defined. - As used in this section, an
"infringing article" is any article the design of which has been
copied from a design protected under this chapter, without the
consent of the owner of the protected design. An infringing article
is not an illustration or picture of a protected design in an
advertisement, book, periodical, newspaper, photograph, broadcast,
motion picture, or similar medium. A design shall not be deemed to
have been copied from a protected design if it is original and not
substantially similar in appearance to a protected design.
(f) Establishing Originality. - The party to any action or
proceeding under this chapter who alleges rights under this chapter
in a design shall have the burden of establishing the design's
originality whenever the opposing party introduces an earlier work
which is identical to such design, or so similar as to make prima
facie showing that such design was copied from such
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