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17 U.S.C. § 1204

Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov ↗
  1. (a)Any person who violates section 1201 or 1202 willfully and for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain—
    1. (1)shall be fined not more than $500,000 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both, for the first offense; and
    2. (2)shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both, for any subsequent offense.
  2. (b)Subsection (a) shall not apply to a nonprofit library, archives, educational institution, or public broadcasting entity (as defined under section 118(f)).
  3. (c)No criminal proceeding shall be brought under this section unless such proceeding is commenced within 5 years after the cause of action arose.