---
kind: "section"
citation: "17 U.S.C. § 1509"
title: "17"
title_heading: "Copyrights"
number: "1509"
heading: "Relationship to other district court actions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/17/1509"
units:
  - "Chapter 15 — Copyright Small Claims"
---

# §1509. Relationship to other district court actions

- (a) **Stay of District Court Proceedings.—** Subject to [section 1507(b)](/usc/17/1507.md?p=b), a district court of the United States shall issue a stay of proceedings or such other relief as the court determines appropriate with respect to any claim brought before the court that is already the subject of a pending or active proceeding before the Copyright Claims Board.
- (b) **Alternative Dispute Resolution Process.—** A proceeding before the Copyright Claims Board under this chapter shall qualify as an alternative dispute resolution process under [section 651 of title 28](/usc/28/651.md) for purposes of referral of eligible cases by district courts of the United States upon the consent of the [parties](/usc/17/1501.md?p=3).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 116–260, div. Q, title II, § 212(b), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2198.)