Abstract: Orphan work refers to the work whose author or copyright owner cannot be identified. With the development of Internet and computer science, the issue of using and spreading orphan works is becoming increasingly poignant. The United States has conducted a decade-long official research on solution to the problem. Even though no substantial statute has been formulated yet, the federal copyright office submitted the drafts of orphan works act for several times. The most recent draft in 2015, for instance, is still not an active law, but may provide us with valuable reference for domestic legislation.

Key words: Orphan work,, U.S. federal copyright office, Copyright law