---
type: "LegalText"
title: "17 U.S.C. § 905"
description: "Exclusive rights in mask works"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 17
title_name: "COPYRIGHTS"
chapter_number: "9"
chapter_name: "PROTECTION OF SEMICONDUCTOR CHIP PRODUCTS"
section: "905"
citation: "17 U.S.C. § 905"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc17@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t17/s905"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-17/usc17.xml"
source_hash: "0a4ff63850854952891af746a5fcf48b713aef9142522c31eea8420a02349b23"
raw_snapshot_hash: "53c244d73050c7c92329dce6d1ccd78b9e2fece359d919b044b600b95258446c"
text_hash: "3b9eb7bb104485ca4a143d4cf515f4050b6cf4ed6eda573314b734231019d821"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 17 U.S.C. § 905 - Exclusive rights in mask works

## Text

The owner of a mask work provided protection under this chapter has the exclusive rights to do and to authorize any of the following:

(1) to reproduce the mask work by optical, electronic, or any other means;

(2) to import or distribute a semiconductor chip product in which the mask work is embodied; and

(3) to induce or knowingly to cause another person to do any of the acts described in paragraphs (1) and (2).

(Added Pub. L. 98–620, title III, § 302, Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3350.)