{"data":{"id":"us/17-u.s.c.-204","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"17 U.S.C. § 204","heading":"Execution of transfers of copyright ownership","body":"(a) A transfer of copyright ownership, other than by operation of law, is not valid unless an instrument of conveyance, or a note or memorandum of the transfer, is in writing and signed by the owner of the rights conveyed or such owner’s duly authorized agent. (b) A certificate of acknowledgement is not required for the validity of a transfer, but is prima facie evidence of the execution of the transfer if—(1) in the case of a transfer executed in the United States, the certificate is issued by a person authorized to administer oaths within the United States; or (2) in the case of a transfer executed in a foreign country, the certificate is issued by a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States, or by a person authorized to administer oaths whose authority is proved by a certificate of such an officer.","path":["Title 17—COPYRIGHTS","CHAPTER 2—COPYRIGHT OWNERSHIP AND TRANSFER"],"source_url":"https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/103/xml_usc17@119-103.zip","current_through":"Public Law 119-103 (09/02/2026)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-10T05:56:47Z","sha256":"61be81e83fb8f2bbe9e5c012eed2bf07ed565beb391748fb5eaa147469a23e8b","source_id":"us","stale":false,"prev":"us/17-u.s.c.-203","next":"us/17-u.s.c.-205"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}