44 USC § 2117 - Limitation on liability

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t44/s2117"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "44 USC § 2117 - Limitation on liability"
title_number: 44
title_name: "PUBLIC PRINTING AND DOCUMENTS"
section_number: "2117"
section_name: "Limitation on liability"
chapter_number: 21
chapter_name: "NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2025-02-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 90–620, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1291, § 2113; Pub. L. 94–553, § 105(b), Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2599; renumbered § 2117 and amended Pub. L. 98–497, title I, §§ 102(a)(1), 107(a)(7), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2280, 2286.)"
---


# § 2117. Limitation on liability

When letters and other intellectual productions (exclusive of patented material, published works under copyright protection, and unpublished works for which copyright registration has been made) come into the custody or possession of the Archivist, the United States or its agents are not liable for infringement of copyright or analogous rights arising out of use of the materials for display, inspection, research, reproduction, or other purposes.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 90–620, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1291, § 2113; Pub. L. 94–553, § 105(b), Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2599; renumbered § 2117 and amended Pub. L. 98–497, title I, §§ 102(a)(1), 107(a)(7), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2280, 2286.)

### Historical and Revision Notes

Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., § 400 (, title V, § 510, as added , ).

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1984—, substituted “Archivist” for “Administrator of General Services”.

1976— substituted “productions (exclusive of patented material, published works under copyright protection, and unpublished works for which copyright registration has been made) come into the custody or possession of the Administrator of General Services, the United States or its agents are not liable for infringement of copyright or analogous rights” for “productions, exclusive of material copyrighted or patented, come into the custody or possession of the Administrator of General Services, the United States or its agents are not liable for infringement of literary property rights or analogous rights”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as an Effective Date note preceding , Copyrights.