17 U.S.C. 1304: Commencement of protection Taken from the U.S. Government Publishing Office in February 2016 17 U.S.C. Section Index Chapter 13: Protection of Original Designs Previous: §1303 | Next: §1305 §1304 Commencement of protection 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).