[Federal Register: December 28, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 248)]

[Rules and Regulations]               

[Page 77636-77637]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr28de04-7]                         



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS



Copyright Office



37 CFR Parts 202, 211, and 212



[Docket No. RM 2004-5]



 

Reconsideration Procedure



AGENCY: Copyright Office, Library of Congress.



ACTION: Final rule.



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SUMMARY: The Copyright Office is publishing a final rule concerning 

reconsideration procedures. With a few modifications, this regulation 

continues procedures adopted by the U.S. Copyright Office in 1995 that 

permit copyright applicants to request reconsideration of its decisions 

to refuse registration. This regulation amends those procedures and 

incorporates them into Copyright Office regulations. Copyright 

applicants will continue to have two opportunities to seek 

reconsideration of a Copyright Office decision to refuse registration. 

A significant modification is that the reconsideration procedures are 

also made applicable to the Office's refusals to register mask works 

and vessel hull designs.



EFFECTIVE DATE: January 27, 2005.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marilyn J. Kretsinger, Associate 

General Counsel, or Renee Coe, Senior Attorney at this address: 

Copyright GC/I&R, P.O. Box 70400, Washington, DC 20024-0400. Telephone: 

(202) 707-8380. Telefax: (202) 707-8366.



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 13, 2004, the Copyright Office 

published a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on its 

proposed revision of parts 202, 211 and 212 of subchapter A of Chapter 

II, 37 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to announce the final rule.

    This regulation establishes procedures for applicants to request 

that the Copyright Office reconsider refusals to register copyright 

claims and claims in mask works or vessel hull designs. There are two 

opportunities for reconsideration of a refusal to register. At the 

first level of reconsideration, the Examining Division of the Copyright 

Office reviews its initial decision to refuse registration. At the 

second level, the Review Board conducts the review of a refusal to 

register. For administrative reasons, the Copyright Office is making 

one change in the membership of the Review Board which considers the 

second request for reconsideration. The Review Board is composed of 

three members; the first two members are the Register of Copyrights and 

the General Counsel or their respective designees. The third member 

will be designated by the Register. This rule also establishes 

procedures for mailing or hand delivering requests for reconsideration 

and related documents.

    In response to the publication of the proposed rule, the Copyright 

Office did not receive any comments. Consequently, the Copyright Office 

is adopting the previously proposed text, as a final rule, with the one 

administrative change noted above and without substantive change, as 

follows:



List of Subjects



37 CFR Part 202



    Claims, Copyright.



37 CFR Part 211



    Freedom of Information.



37 CFR Part 212



    Vessels.



Proposed Regulations



0

In consideration of the foregoing, the Copyright Office amends parts 

202, 211 and 212 of 37 CFR, chapter II in the manner set forth below:



PART 202--REGISTRATION OF CLAIMS TO COPYRIGHT



0

1. The authority citation for part 202 continues to read as follows:



    Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702.





0

2. Add Sec.  202.5 to read as follows:





Sec.  202.5  Reconsideration Procedure for Refusals to Register.



    (a) General. This section prescribes rules pertaining to procedures 

for administrative review of the Copyright Office's refusal to register 

a claim to copyright, a mask work, or a vessel hull design upon a 

finding by the Office that the application for registration does not 

satisfy the legal requirements of title 17 of the United States Code. 

If an applicant's initial claim is refused, the applicant is entitled 

to request that the initial refusal to register be reconsidered.

    (b) First reconsideration. Upon receiving a written notification 

from the Examining Division explaining the reasons for a refusal to 

register, an applicant may request that the Examining Division 

reconsider its initial decision to refuse registration, subject to the 

following requirements:

    (1) An applicant must request in writing that the Examining 

Division reconsider its decision. A request for reconsideration must 

include the reasons the applicant believes registration was improperly 

refused, including any legal arguments in support of those reasons and 

any supplementary information. The Examining Division will base its 

decision on the applicant's written submissions.

    (2) The fee set forth in Sec.  201.3(d)(4) of this chapter must 

accompany the first request for reconsideration.

    (3) The first request for reconsideration and the applicable fee 

must be received by the Copyright Office no later than three months 

from the date that appears in the Examining Division's written notice 

of its initial decision to refuse registration. When the ending date 

for the three-month time period falls on a weekend or a Federal 

holiday, the ending day of the three-month period shall be extended to 

the next Federal work day.

    (4) If the Examining Division decides to register an applicant's 

work in response to the first request for reconsideration, it will 

notify the applicant in writing of the decision and the work will be 

registered. However, if the Examining Division again refuses to 

register the work, it will send the



[[Page 77637]]



applicant a written notification stating the reasons for refusal within 

four months of the date on which the first request for reconsideration 

is received by the Examining Division. When the ending date for the 

four-month time period falls on a weekend or a Federal holiday, the 

ending day of the four-month period shall be extended to the next 

Federal work day. Failure by the Examining Division to send the written 

notification within the four-month period shall not result in 

registration of the applicant's work.

    (c) Second reconsideration. Upon receiving written notification of 

the Examining Division's decision to refuse registration in response to 

the first request for reconsideration, an applicant may request that 

the Review Board reconsider the Examining Division's refusal to 

register, subject to the following requirements:

    (1) An applicant must request in writing that the Review Board 

reconsider the Examining Division's decision to refuse registration. 

The second request for reconsideration must include the reasons the 

applicant believes registration was improperly refused, including any 

legal arguments in support of those reasons and any supplementary 

information, and must address the reasons stated by the Examining 

Division for refusing registration upon first reconsideration. The 

Board will base its decision on the applicant's written submissions.

    (2) The fee set forth in Sec.  201.3(d)(4) of this chapter must 

accompany the second request for reconsideration.

    (3) The second request for reconsideration and the applicable fee 

must be received in the Copyright Office no later than three months 

from the date that appears in the Examining Division's written notice 

of its decision to refuse registration after the first request for 

reconsideration. When the ending date for the three-month time period 

falls on a weekend or a Federal holiday, the ending day of the three-

month period shall be extended to the next Federal work day.

    (4) If the Review Board decides to register an applicant's work in 

response to a second request for reconsideration, it will notify the 

applicant in writing of the decision and the work will be registered. 

If the Review Board upholds the refusal to register the work, it will 

send the applicant a written notification stating the reasons for 

refusal.

    (d) Submission of reconsiderations. (1) All mail, including any 

that is hand delivered, should be addressed as follows: 

RECONSIDERATION, Copyright R&P Division, P.O. Box 71380, Washington, DC 

20024-1380. If hand delivered by a commercial, non-government courier 

or messenger, a request for reconsideration must be delivered between 

8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to: Congressional Courier Acceptance Site, located 

at Second and D Streets, NE., Washington, DC. If hand delivered by a 

private party, a request for reconsideration must be delivered between 

8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to: Room 401 of the James Madison Memorial 

Building, located at 101 Independence Avenue, SE., Washington, DC.

    (2) The first page of the written request must contain the 

Copyright Office control number and clearly indicate either ``FIRST 

RECONSIDERATION'' or ``SECOND RECONSIDERATION,'' as appropriate, on the 

subject line.

    (e) Suspension or wavier of time requirements. For any particular 

request for reconsideration, the provisions relating to the time 

requirements for submitting a request under this section may be 

suspended or waived, in whole or in part, by the Register of Copyrights 

upon a showing of good cause. Such suspension or waiver shall apply 

only to the request at issue and shall not be relevant with respect to 

any other request for reconsideration from that applicant or any other 

applicant.

    (f) Composition of the Review Board. The Review Board shall consist 

of three members; the first two members are the Register of Copyrights 

and the General Counsel or their respective designees. The third member 

will be designated by the Register.

    (g) Final agency action. A decision by the Review Board in response 

to a second request for reconsideration constitutes final agency 

action.



PART 211--MASK WORK PROTECTION



0

3. The authority citation for part 211 continues to read as follows:



    Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702 and 908.





0

4. Add Sec.  211.7 to read as follows:





Sec.  211.7  Reconsideration procedure for refusals to register.



    The requirements prescribed in Sec.  202.5 of this chapter for 

reconsideration of refusals to register copyright claims are applicable 

to requests to reconsider refusals to register mask works under 17 

U.S.C. chapter 9, unless otherwise required by this part.



PART 212--PROTECTION OF VESSEL HULL DESIGNS



0

5. The authority citation for part 212 continues to read as follows:



    Authority: 17 U.S.C. chapter 13.





0

6. Add Sec.  212.7 to read as follows:





Sec.  212.7  Reconsideration procedure for refusals to register.



    The requirements prescribed in Sec.  202.5 of this chapter for 

reconsideration of refusals to register copyright claims are applicable 

to requests to reconsider refusals to register vessel hull designs 

under 17 U.S.C. chapter 13, unless otherwise required by this part.



    Dated: December 3, 2004.

Marybeth Peters,

Register of Copyrights.

    Approved by:

James H. Billington,

Librarian of Congress.

[FR Doc. 04-28396 Filed 12-27-04; 8:45 am]



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