CO Proposes Mandatory Deposit Requirement for Online-Only Books, Sound Recordings

The Copyright Office said it's seeking comment on whether to extend its existing requirement that online-only publications must deposit their works with the CO to also include online-only books and sound recordings. The CO adopted an interim rule in 2010 that enacted the mandatory deposit requirement for online-only publications, which it viewed as a limited exception to the office's exemption of online-only works from mandatory deposit requirements. The CO said in a Tuesday Federal Register notice that it issued a notice of inquiry on its proposal because the interim rule was intended to “inform a more permanent solution and rule.” The CO is seeking feedback on experiences with mandatory deposits of online-online publications and comments on the proposed extension of the deposit requirement to online-only books and sound recordings. The comments will help the CO decide how to focus requests for further written comments and potential stakeholder meetings, the CO said.