1112.7 (A) Databases That Do Not Consist Predominantly of Photographs
This Section discusses the deposit requirements for a database that does not consist predominantly of photographs.
In all cases, the applicant should prepare and submit a brief statement that describes the database. The specific requirements for this descriptive statement are discussed in Section 1112.7 (C).
The applicant does not need to submit a complete copy of the entire database. Instead, the applicant should gather a representative portion of the database using one of the methods discussed below and should submit one copy of that material to the U.S. Copyright Office in a form that is visually perceptible without the aid of a machine or device. See 37 C.F.R. § 202.20 (C) (2)(vii) (D).
As discussed in Section 1112.3, all the updates or revisions in the group must be created or published within a three-month period within the same calendar year. The applicant should select a representative date from that three-month period and gather fifty pages or fifty data records that appeared in the database on that date. See 37 C.F.R. § 202.20 (C) (2)(vii) (D) (5). The pages or records should be marked to show the copyrightable updates or revisions that were created or published on the selected date. The applicant does not need to specify every copyrightable change that appears in these pages or records. However, the applicant should identify a sufficient amount of new material to demonstrate that the updates or revisions constitute an original work of authorship. See Registration of Claims to Copyright, Registration and Deposit of Databases, 54 Fed. Reg. 13,177, 13,178-79 (Mar. 31, 1989).
Alternatively, the applicant may select a representative date from the three-month period, and gather fifty pages or fifty data records that appeared in the database on that date. The pages or records must consist entirely of new copyrightable material that was created or published on the selected date. In addition, the applicant should submit a cover letter confirming that the pages or records are comprised entirely of new copyrightable material that was created or published on the same date. See id.
In all cases, the applicant should write the name of the database on the first page or the first record that is included in the deposit material.
If the database has been fixed in a CD-ROM and if the group of updates or revisions can be discerned from that format, the applicant may submit one complete copy of the entire CD-ROM package, including a complete copy of any accompanying operating software and instructional manual. 37 C.F.R. § 202.20 (C) (2)(xix). If the registration specialist is unable to access the CD-ROM or unable to determine whether new copyrightable material was added to the database during the three-month period specified in the application, he or she will ask the applicant to submit a representative portion of the database using one of the methods discussed above.
If the database has been fixed or published in a CD-ROM and if the Office previously issued a group registration for that database, the applicant may submit a CD-ROM containing subsequent updates or revisions to that same database, provided that the descriptive statement (I) identifies the new material that was added to the database during the period specified in the application, and (ii) confirms that the updates or revisions are similar to the updates or revisions specified in the previous registration.
The deposit may be delivered by mail, commercial carrier, courier, or hand delivery to the Public Information Office. Packages that are delivered to the U.S. Copyright Office by mail or commercial carrier will be irradiated to destroy possible contaminants, such as anthrax. This process may damage CD-ROMs or other discs. To avoid this result, applicants are strongly encouraged to send these types of materials in boxes rather than envelopes. For additional guidance on delivering items to the Office, see Chapter 1500, Section 1508.2.