2 USC § 179q - Seal of National Film Registry

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t2/s179q"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "2 USC § 179q - Seal of National Film Registry"
title_number: 2
title_name: "THE CONGRESS"
section_number: "179q"
section_name: "Seal of National Film Registry"
chapter_number: 5
chapter_name: "LIBRARY OF CONGRESS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 104–285, title I, § 107, Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3381; Pub. L. 109–9, title III, § 302(d), Apr. 27, 2005, 119 Stat. 225.)"
---


# § 179q. Seal of National Film Registry

**(a)** **Use of seal**

**(1)** **Prohibition on distribution and exhibition** No person shall knowingly distribute or exhibit to the public a version of a film or any copy in any format of a film which bears the seal described in section 179m(a)(3) of this title if such film—

**(A)** is not included in the National Film Registry; or

**(B)** is included in the National Film Registry, but such film or film copy has not been approved for use of the seal by the Librarian pursuant to section 179m(a)(1)(D) of this title.

**(2)** **Prohibition on promotion** section 179m(a)(3) of this title

No person shall knowingly use the seal described in  to promote any version of a film in any format other than a Registry version.

**(b)** **Effective date of seal** section 179m(a)(3) of this titlesection 179m(a)(2) of this title

The use of the seal described in  shall be effective for each film after the Librarian publishes in the Federal Register, in accordance with , the name of that film as selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 104–285, title I, § 107, Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3381; Pub. L. 109–9, title III, § 302(d), Apr. 27, 2005, 119 Stat. 225.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2005—Subsec. (a)(1). , inserted “in any format” after “or any copy” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(2). , substituted “in any format” for “or film copy”.