Title 17 U.S.C., § 501. (1976 Copyright Act)
Infringement of copyright
•(a) Anyone who violates any of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner as provided by sections 106 through 118 or of the author as provided in section 106A(a), is an infringer of the copyright or right of the author, as the case may be.
•(b) The legal or beneficial owner of an exclusive right under a copyright is entitled, subject to the requirements of section 411, to institute an action for any infringement of that particular right committed while he or she is the owner of it. The court may require such owner to serve written notice of the action with a copy of the complaint upon any person shown, by the records of the Copyright Office or otherwise, to have or claim an interest in the copyright, and shall require that such notice be served upon any person whose interest is likely to be affected by a decision in the case. The court may require the joinder, and shall permit the intervention, of any person having or claiming an interest in the copyright.
Title 18 U.S.C., § 2319.
Criminal infringement of a copyright
•(a) Whoever violates section 506(a) (relating to criminal offenses) of title 17 shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of this section and such penalties shall be in addition to any other provisions of title 17 or any other law.
•(b) Any person who commits an offense under subsection (a) of this section -
•(1) shall be imprisoned not more than 5 years, or fined in the amount set forth in this title, or both, if the offense consists of the reproduction or distribution, during any 180-day period, of at least* 10 copies of phonorecords, or 1 or more copyrighted works, with a retail value of more than $2,500;
*Note:
•(2) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, or fined in the amount set forth in this title, or both, if the offense is a second or subsequent offense under paragraph (1); and
•(3) shall be imprisoned not more than 1 year, or fined in the amount set forth in this title, or both, in any other case.
•(c) As used in this section - (2) the terms ''reproduction'' and ''distribution'' refer to the exclusive rights of a copyright owner under clauses (1) and (3) respectively of section 106 (relating to exclusive rights in copyrighted works), as limited by sections 107 through 120, of Title 17.