202.3 Registration Distinguished from Recordation
Registration and recordation are two separate procedures: claims to copyright are registered, while documents related to copyright claims, such as agreements to transfer or grant a mortgage in copyrights, are recorded. As discussed in Section 204, an applicant must submit an application, deposit copy(ies), and a filing fee to register a claim to copyright, and together these items are the primary source of information for the claim. As a general rule, the applicant does not need to submit additional documents substantiating the information provided in these materials.
Registering a claim to copyright is not a substitute for recording a document with the U.S. Copyright Office, and recording a document is not a substitute for registering a claim to copyright. See 17 U.S.C. § 205. For a detailed discussion of the practices and procedures for recording a document with the Office, see Chapter 2300.