17 USC 912
Relation to other laws

Executive summary:

This document contains one section of the U.S. Copyright Act (found in Title 17 of the United States Code). This page was last updated in October 2005. All of the sections of the Copyright Act are listed on the Index page.

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§912. Relation to other laws

(a)

Nothing in this chapter [17 USC § §901 et seq.] shall affect any right or remedy held by any person under chapters 1 through 8 or 10 of this title [17 USC § §101 et seq. through 801 et seq. or 1001 et seq.], or under title 35.

(b)

Except as provided in section 908(b) of this title [17 USC 908(b)], references to "this title" or "title 17" in chapters 1 through 8 or 10 of this title [17 USC § §101 et seq. through 801 et seq. or 1001 et seq.] shall be deemed not to apply to this chapter [17 USC § §901 et seq.].

(c)

The provisions of this chapter [17 USC § §901 et seq.] shall preempt the laws of any State to the extent those laws provide any rights or remedies with respect to a mask work which are equivalent to those rights or remedies provided by this chapter [17 USC § §901 et seq.], except that such preemption shall be effective only with respect to actions filed on or after January 1, 1986.

(d)

Notwithstanding subsection (c), nothing in this chapter [17 USC § §901 et seq.] shall detract from any rights of a mask work owner, whether under Federal law (exclusive of this chapter [17 USC § §901 et seq.]) or under the common law or the statutes of a State, heretofore or hereafter declared or enacted, with respect to any mask work first commercially exploited before July 1, 1983.