Noncommercial use of pre-1972 sound recordings.
37 C.F.R. § 201.37
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) General. This section prescribes the rules under which a user, desiring to make noncommercial use of a pre-1972 sound recording pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 1401(c), conducts a good faith, reasonable search to determine whether the sound recording is being commercially exploited, and if not, files a notice of noncommercial use with the Copyright Office. This section also prescribes the rules under which a rights owner of a pre-1972 sound recording identified in a notice of noncommercial use may file an opt-out notice opposing a proposed use of the sound recording, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(1)(C).
(b) Definitions. For purposes of this section:
(1) Unless otherwise specified, the terms used have the meanings set forth in 17 U.S.C. 1401.
(2) A pre-1972 sound recording is a sound recording fixed before February 15, 1972. A post-1972 remastered version of a pre-1972 sound recording that consists of mechanical contributions or contributions that are too minimal to be copyrightable qualifies as a pre-1972 sound recording for purposes of this section.
(3) For pre-1972 sound recordings of classical music, including opera:
(i) The title of the pre-1972 sound recording means, to the extent applicable and known by the user, any and all title(s) of the sound recording and underlying musical composition known to the user, and the composer and opus or catalogue number(s) of the underlying musical composition; and
(ii) The featured artist(s) of the pre-1972 sound recording means, to the extent applicable and known by the user, the featured soloist(s); featured ensemble(s); featured conductor; and any other featured performer(s).
(4) An Alaska Native or American Indian tribe is a tribe included in the U.S. Department of the Interior's list of federally recognized tribes, as published annually in the Federal Register.
(c) Conducting a good faith, reasonable search. (1) Pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(3)(A), a user desiring to make noncommercial use of a pre-1972 sound recording should progressively search for the sound recording in each of the categories below until the user finds the sound recording. If the user finds the sound recording in a search category, the user need not search the subsequent search categories. If the user does not find the pre-1972 sound recording after searching each of the categories below, her search is sufficient for purposes of the safe harbor in 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(4), establishing that she made a good faith, reasonable search without finding commercial exploitation of the sound recording by or under the authority of the rights owner. The categories are:
(i) Searching the Copyright Office's database of indexed schedules listing right owners' pre-1972 sound recordings (https://www.copyright.gov/music-modernization/pre1972-soundrecordings/search-soundrecordings.html);
(ii) Searching at least one major search engine, namely Google, Yahoo!, or Bing, to determine whether the pre-1972 sound recording is being offered for sale in download form or as a new (not resale) physical product, or is available through a streaming service;
(iii) Searching at least one of the following streaming services: Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, Spotify, or TIDAL;
(iv) Searching YouTube, to determine whether the pre-1972 sound recording is offered under license by the sound recording rights owner (e.g., record label or distribution service);
(v) Searching SoundExchange's repertoire database through the SoundExchange ISRC lookup tool (https://isrc.soundexchange.com/#!/search);
(vi) Searching at least one major seller of physical product, namely Amazon.com, and if the pre-1972 sound recording is of classical music or jazz, searching a smaller online music store that specializes in product relative to that niche genre, namely: ArkivJazz, ArkivMusic, Classical Archives, or Presto; in either case, to determine whether the pre-1972 sound recording is being offered for sale in download form or as a new (not resale) physical product; and
(vii) For pre-1972 ethnographic sound recordings of Alaska Native or American Indian tribes, searching, if such contact information is known to the user, by contacting the relevant Alaska Native or American Indian tribe and the holding institution of the sound recording (such as a library or archive) to gather information to determine whether the sound recording is being commercially exploited. If this contact information is not previously known to the prospective user, the user should use the information provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs' Tribal Leaders directory, which provides contact information for each federally recognized tribe.
(2) A search under paragraph (c)(1) of this section must include searching the title of the pre-1972 sound recording and its featured artist(s). If the user knows any of the following attributes of the sound recording, and the source being searched has the capability to search any of these attributes, the search must also include searching: alternate artist name(s), alternate title(s), album title, and the International Standard Recording Code (“ISRC”). A user is encouraged, but not required, to search additional known attributes, such as the label or version. A user searching using a search engine should draw reasonable inferences from the search results, including following those links whose name or accompanying text suggest that commercial exploitation might be found there, and reading additional pages of results until two consecutive pages return no such suggestive links. A user need not read every web page returned in a search result.
(3) A search under paragraph (c)(1) of this section must be conducted no later than 90 days of the user (or her authorized agent) filing a notice of noncommercial use under paragraph (d)(1) of this section to be sufficient for purposes of the safe harbor in 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(4).
(4) For purposes of the safe harbor in 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(4), a user cannot rely on:
(i) A search conducted under paragraph (c)(1) of this section by a third party who is not the user's authorized agent; or
(ii) A notice of noncommercial use filed under paragraph (d)(1) of this section by a third party (who is not the user's authorized agent).
(5) A user is encouraged to save documentation (e.g., screenshots, list of search terms) of her search under paragraph (c)(1) of this section for at least three years in case her search is challenged.
(d) Notices of noncommercial use—(1) Form and submission. A user seeking to comply with 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(1) (or her authorized agent) must submit a notice of noncommercial use identifying the pre-1972 sound recording that the user intends to use and the nature of such use using an appropriate form and instructions provided by the Copyright Office on its website. The Office may reject any submission that fails to comply with the requirements of this section.
(2) Content. A notice of noncommercial use shall contain the following:
(i) The user's full legal name, and whether the user is an individual person or corporate entity, including whether the entity is a tax-exempt organization as defined under the Internal Revenue Code. Additional contact information, including an email address, may be optionally provided.
(ii) The title and featured artist(s) of the pre-1972 sound recording desiring to be used.
(iii) If any are known to the user, the current or last-known rights owner (e.g., record label), alternate artist name(s), alternate title(s), album title, and International Standard Recording Code (“ISRC”).
(iv) The user may include additional optional information about the pre-1972 sound recording as permitted by the Office's form or instructions, such as the year of release.
(v) A description of the proposed noncommercial use, including a summary of the project and its purpose, how the pre-1972 sound recording will be used in the project, the start and end dates of the use, and where the proposed use will occur (i.e., the U.S.-based territory of the use). The user may include additional optional information detailing the proposed use, such as the tentative title of the project, the playing time of the pre-1972 sound recording to be used as well as total playing time of the project, a description of corresponding visuals in the case of audiovisual uses, and whether and how the user will credit the sound recording title, featured artist, and/or rights owner in connection with the project.
(vi) A certification that the user searched but did not find the pre-1972 sound recording in a search conducted under paragraph (c) of this section, or else conducted a good faith, reasonable search for, but did not find, the sound recording in the Copyright Office's database of indexed schedules listing right owners' pre-1972 sound recordings, or on services offering a comprehensive set of sound recordings for sale or streaming.
(vii) A certification that the individual submitting the notice of noncommercial use has appropriate authority to submit the notice, that the user desiring to make noncommercial use of the pre-1972 sound recording (or the user's authorized agent) conducted a search under paragraph (c) of this section or else conducted a good faith, reasonable search under 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(4), within the last 90 days without finding commercial exploitation of the sound recording, and that all information submitted to the Office is true, accurate, and complete to the best of the individual's knowledge, information, and belief, and is made in good faith.
(3) Noncommercial use of a pre-1972 recording under this section is limited to use within the United States.
(4) A notice of noncommercial use may not include proposed use for more than one pre-1972 sound recording unless all of the sound recordings include the same featured artist(s) and were released on the same pre-1972 album or other unit of publication. In the case of “greatest hits” or compilation albums, all of the sound recordings listed on a notice must also share the same record label or other rights owner information, as listed on the notice.
(5) The Copyright Office will assign each indexed notice of noncommercial use a unique identifier to identify the notice in the Office's public records.
(6) Legal sufficiency. (i) The Copyright Office does not review notices of noncommercial use submitted under paragraph (d)(1) of this section for legal sufficiency. The Office's review is limited to whether the procedural requirements established by the Office (including payment of the proper filing fee) have been met. The fact that the Office has indexed a notice is not a determination by the Office of the notice's validity or legal effect. Indexing by the Copyright Office is without prejudice to any party claiming that the legal or formal requirements for making a noncommercial use of a pre-1972 sound recording have not been met, including before a court of competent jurisdiction. Users are therefore cautioned to review and scrutinize notices of noncommercial use to assure their legal sufficiency before submitting them to the Office.
(ii) If a rights owner does not file an opt-out notice under paragraph (e) of this section, when the term of use specified in the notice of noncommercial use ends, the user must cease noncommercial use of the pre-1972 sound recording for purposes of remaining in the safe harbor in 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(4). Should the user desire to requalify for the safe harbor with respect to that same recording, the user must conduct a new search and file a new notice of noncommercial use under paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, respectively.
(7) Filing date. The date of filing of a notice of noncommercial use is the date when a proper submission, including the prescribed fee, is received in the Copyright Office. The filing date may not necessarily be the same date that the notice, for purposes of 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(1)(C), is indexed into the Office's public records.
(8) Fees. The filing fee to submit a notice of noncommercial use pursuant to this section is prescribed in § 201.3(c).
(9) Third-party notification. A person may request timely notification of filings made under paragraph (d)(1) of this section by following the instructions provided by the Copyright Office on its website.
(e) Opt-out notices—(1) Form and submission. A rights owner seeking to comply with 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(1)(C) (or her authorized agent) must file a notice opting out of a proposed noncommercial use of a pre-1972 sound recording filed under paragraph (d)(1) of this section using an appropriate form provided by the Copyright Office on its website and following the instructions for completion and submission provided on the Office's website or the form itself. The Office may reject any submission that fails to comply with the requirements of this section, or any relevant instructions or guidance provided by the Office.
(2) Content. An opt-out notice use shall contain the following:
(i) The user's name, rights owner's name, sound recording title, featured artist(s), an affirmative “yes” statement that the rights owner is opting out of the proposed use, and the unique identifier assigned to the notice of noncommercial use by the Copyright Office. Additional contact information for the rights owner, including an email address, may be optionally provided.
(ii) A certification that the individual submitting the opt-out notice has appropriate authority to submit the notice and that all information submitted to the Office is true, accurate, and complete to the best of the individual's knowledge, information, and belief, and is made in good faith.
(iii) Submission of an opt-out notice does not constitute agreement by the rights owner or the individual submitting the opt-out notice that the proposed use is in fact noncommercial. The submitter may choose to comment upon whether the rights owner agrees that the proposed use is noncommercial use, but failure to do so does not constitute agreement that the proposed use is in fact noncommercial.
(3) Where a pre-1972 sound recording has multiple rights owners, only one rights owner must file an opt-out notice for purposes of 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(5).
(4) If a rights owner files a timely opt-out notice under paragraph (e)(1) of this section, a user must wait one year before filing another notice of noncommercial use proposing the same or similar use of the same pre-1972 sound recording(s).
(5) Legal sufficiency. The Copyright Office does not review opt-out notices submitted under paragraph (e)(1) of this section for legal sufficiency. The Office's review is limited to whether the procedural requirements established by the Office (including payment of the proper filing fee) have been met. Rights owners are therefore cautioned to review and scrutinize opt-out notices to assure their legal sufficiency before submitting them to the Office.
(6) Filing date. The date of filing of an opt-out notice is the date when a proper submission, including the prescribed fee, is received in the Copyright Office.
(7) Fee. The filing fee to submit an opt-out notice pursuant to this section is prescribed in § 201.3(c).
(f) Fraudulent filings. If the Register becomes aware of abuse or fraudulent filings under this section by or from a certain filer or user, she shall have the discretion to impose civil penalties up to $1,000 per instance of fraud or abuse, and/or other penalties to deter additional false or fraudulent filings from that filer, including potentially rejecting future submissions from that filer for up to one year.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-37.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026