work being prepared for commercial distribution
Defined in 2 places across 2 titles of the United States Code.
Definition.—In this subsection, the term “work being prepared for commercial distribution” means—
(A) a computer program, a musical work, a motion picture or other audiovisual work, or a sound recording, if, at the time of unauthorized distribution—
(i) the copyright owner has a reasonable expectation of commercial distribution; and
(ii) the copies or phonorecords of the work have not been commercially distributed; or
(B) a motion picture, if, at the time of unauthorized distribution, the motion picture—
(i) has been made available for viewing in a motion picture exhibition facility; and
(ii) has not been made available in copies for sale to the general public in the United States in a format intended to permit viewing outside a motion picture exhibition facility.
Source
- 2005–202617 U.S.C. § 506Copyrights · Criminal offenses · in this section
In this subsection, the term “work being prepared for commercial distribution” means—
(A) a computer program, a musical work, a motion picture or other audiovisual work, or a sound recording, if, at the time of unauthorized distribution—
(i) the copyright owner has a reasonable expectation of commercial distribution; and
(ii) the copies or phonorecords of the work have not been commercially distributed; or
(B) a motion picture, if, at the time of unauthorized distribution, the motion picture—
(i) has been made available for viewing in a motion picture exhibition facility; and
(ii) has not been made available in copies for sale to the general public in the United States in a format intended to permit viewing outside a motion picture exhibition facility.
Source
- 2026–present17 U.S.C. § 506Copyrights · Criminal offenses · in this section
the term “work being prepared for commercial distribution” has the meaning given the term in section 506(a) of title 17.
Source
- 2005–present18 U.S.C. § 2319Crimes and Criminal Procedure · Criminal infringement of a copyright · as used in this section