1210.2 (C) Deposit of Identifying Material
The required deposit for a mask work consists of identifying material (“ID material”). The Register of Copyrights has broad authority to specify the identifying material to be deposited in connection with the claim for registration. In recognition of the need to preserve trade secrets or avoid public disclosure of sensitive information embodied in various identifying materials, the Office’s regulations provide different deposit options, depending upon whether the mask work has been commercially exploited and whether the deposit contains trade secret material. The U.S. Copyright Office encourages the fullest disclosure of the mask work within the deposit options established by the regulation. 37 C.F.R. § 211.5.
For more information on how to prepare the deposit for a mask work, see Section 1213 below.