1103.1 (A) The Unit Must Contain Separately Fixed Component Works
The unit of publication option may not be used to register works that have been fixed in the same medium of expression, such as multiple essays published in the same book.
As a general rule, an applicant should prepare a separate application, filing fee, and deposit for each work that is submitted for registration. The unit of publication option is a narrow and limited exception to this rule. It provides a means for registering multiple works with one submission in cases where multiple submissions would otherwise be required and where no other statutory or regulatory accommodation exists. Often, when multiple items are fixed in the same medium of expression, they may be considered a derivative work, a compilation, or a collective work. If so, there is no need to rely on the unit of publication option, because the statute already provides a means for obtaining a registration. Moreover, if applicants could register multiple works as a unit of publication whenever they happen to be fixed in the same medium of expression, the regulatory accommodation would displace the statutory scheme, and this narrow exception would become the default method for registering published works.