Copyright Renewal Act of 1992

Copyright Renewal Act of 1992, Pub.L. 102–307, 106 Stat. 264, enacted June 26, 1992, is an act of the United States Congress, that eliminated the longstanding requirement under US law that a second term of copyright protection is contingent on a renewal registration with the U.S. Copyright Office. It amended the 1976 Copyright Act.

Works copyrighted between January 1, 1964 and December 31, 1977 are affected by the 1992 Amendment. Renewal registration for these works was made optional by this amendment, and a second term was automatically secured.

Under the 1909 copyright, works copyrighted in the United States before January 1, 1978, were subject to a renewal system in which the term of copyright was divided into two consecutive terms. Strict time limits were imposed on Renewal registration to secure the second term and extending copyright to the maximum length. The current copyright law (title 17 of the United States Code) came into effect on January 1, 1978 and retained the renewal system for works that were copyrighted before 1978 and were still in their first terms on January 1, 1978. The statute, for these works, provides for a first term of copyright protection lasting 28 years, with the possibility for a second term of 47 years. This earlier system is also referred to as an "opt-in" system since authors would have to take the necessary steps required to claim the second term.

The 1992 amending legislation secures this second term for works copyrighted between January 1, 1964, and December 31, 1977 without a renewal registration requirement. However, if a copyright originally secured before January 1, 1964, was not renewed at the proper time, protection would have expired at the end of the 28th calendar year of the copyright.Under the 1909 copyright, works copyrighted in the United States before January 1, 1978, were subject to a renewal system in which the term of copyright was divided into two consecutive terms. Strict time limits were imposed on Renewal registration to secure the second term and extending copyright to the maximum length.

...
Wikipedia