15 U.S.C. § 290e — United States copyright and renewal rights

(a) Despite the limits in 17 U.S.C. § 105 (which normally stops the government from holding copyrights), the Secretary may secure copyright — and renew it — for the United States, as author or owner, on any part of the standard reference data the Secretary prepares or makes available under this chapter. The Secretary may also authorize others to reproduce and publish that data. (b) When the government publishes or republishes material under this chapter — whether on its own or inside a public document — and that material is already copyrighted by someone else, publishing it this way does not cancel or weaken that existing copyright. It also does not give anyone permission to use or take that material without the copyright owner's consent.