The Third Edition does not comprehensively cover all U.S. Copyright Office practices under the prior copyright law. To the extent that issues arise that are not addressed by the Third Edition, Compendiums I and II remain in effect and continue to be the governing administrative manuals for practices involving those issues.
In particular, the Third Edition generally does not address practices under the Copyright Act of 1909. Compendium I continues to be the controlling manual for registrations, renewals, and recordations issued by the Office prior to January 1, 1978, and for the registration requirements for works published before January 1, 1978 that were never registered for the original copyright term. For ease of reference, however, Chapter 2100 of the Third Edition summarizes most of the relevant practices from Compendium I concerning the registration and renewal of such works.
Similarly, the Third Edition does not address all practices involving provisions of the Copyright Act of 1976 that have been amended or repealed since 1978. As a general rule, Compendium II continues to be the relevant administrative manual for registrations, renewals, and recordations issued by the Office between January 1, 1978 and the effective date of the Third Edition. In particular, Chapter 1200 of Compendium II continues to be the governing manual concerning the manufacturing clause, although that Chapter only applies to works published before June 30, 1986, which is the date that the manufacturing clause expired.
Using the Compendium
The U.S. Copyright Office makes the Compendium available in PDF format. The complete manual may be accessed or downloaded in its entirety or on a chapter-by-chapter basis. Each chapter can be accessed through the link set forth in the table of contents for the Compendium as a whole. Additionally, the Compendium includes a glossary of terms that are commonly used in registration and recordation practice. These terms are defined and linked throughout the chapters. Certain frequently used phrases are defined for convenience.
How to Search the Compendium
The “find” feature allows users to search for specific words or phrases within the entire Compendium or within specific chapters. To conduct a search, follow these steps:
Step 1:
- Select Find from the Edit pull-down menu in the toolbar at the top of your screen. In the alternative, you may press Ctrl+ F to active the Find feature. A box labeled “Find” will appear on the right side of your screen.
Step 2:
- Enter the word or phrase you would like to find in the box labeled Find. To search for specific provisions of the Copyright Act, U.S. Copyright Office regulations, or the Compendium, enter the section number you would like to find, such as “409(1)” or “202.1.”
