InsideGov
Congress · Laws

A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to impose criminal sanctions for violation of software copyright.

Public Law 102-561 · S. 893 · 102nd Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Oct 28, 1992 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

Cosponsors (2): Sen. Dennis DeConcini,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Amends the Federal criminal code to revise the penalties for infringing a copyright willfully and for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain. Prescribes: (1) five years' imprisonment, a fine, or both for the unlawful reproduction or distribution of at least ten copies or phonorecords of a copyrighted work with a retail value of more than $2,500; (2) ten years' imprisonment, a fine, or both for a second or subsequent offense; and (3) one year's imprisonment, a fine, or both in any other case.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
  • Judiciary Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Oct 28, 1992Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-561.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 20, 1992PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 8, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments by Voice Vote.
  5. Oct 4, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
  6. Oct 3, 1992FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  9. FloorFloor · Mr. Hughes moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  10. Sep 30, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
  11. Sep 10, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  13. Aug 12, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  14. Jun 11, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  15. Jun 9, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  16. Jun 4, 1992FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  17. Apr 7, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
  18. Aug 1, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
  19. Jul 25, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  21. May 6, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  22. Apr 23, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.