Law mentioning public domain software

For those who are not aware that there exists a law that mentioned public domain software, here is the information.

Section 805 of Public Law 101-650, 104 Stat. 5089 (1990) that became law on 12-01-1990:

    SEC. 805. RECORDATION OF SHAREWARE.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Register of Copyrights is

          authorized, upon receipt of any document designated
          as pertaining to computer shareware and the fee
          prescribed by section 708 of title 17, United States
          Code, to record the document and return it with
          a certificate of recordation.



          (b) MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS; PUBLICATION

          OF INFORMATION- The Register of Copyrights is
          authorized to maintain current, separate records
          relating to the recordation of documents under
          subsection (a), and to compile and publish at
          periodic intervals information relating to such
          recordations. Such publications shall be offered for
          sale to the public at prices based on the cost of
          reproduction and distribution.



          (c) DEPOSIT OF COPIES IN LIBRARY OF

          CONGRESS- In the case of public domain computer
          software, at the election of the person recording
          a document under subsection (a), 2 complete
          copies of the best edition (as defined in section
          101 of title 17, United States Code) of the computer
          software as embodied in machine-readable form
          may be deposited for the benefit of the
          Machine-Readable Collections Reading Room
          of the Library of Congress.



          (d) REGULATIONS- The Register of Copyrights

          is authorized to establish regulations not
          inconsistent with law for the administration of the
          functions of the Register under this section. All
          regulations established by the Register are
          subject to the approval of the Librarian of Congress.

Code of Federal Regulations, Title 37, Volume 1, Section 201.26(b)(3), 37 CFR 201.26(b)(3):

     (3) Public domain computer software means software
     which has been publicly distributed with an explicit
     disclaimer of copyright protection by the copyright owner.

The above law can be obtained at http://thomas.loc.gov and the regulations at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html.

Joseph Pietro Riolo
<josephpietrojeungriolo[_at_]gmail.com>
<riolo[_at_]voicenet.com>

Number of days left until 1-1-2019 when all knowledge of 1923 in the land of the U.S.A. will be freed from their copyright owners' prisons: 4,710

Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain. Received on Wed Feb 08 2006 - 23:05:01 GMT