403 Who Is the Correspondent?
When completing an application, the applicant must provide the name, address, and other contact information for the person or persons whom the Office should contact if the registration specialist has questions or concerns regarding the application. This person is referred to as the correspondent.
In most cases, the correspondent and the applicant are the same person, because the correspondent typically certifies and submits the application. In all cases, the correspondent must be:
• An author of the work;
• An owner who owns all of the exclusive rights in the work;
• An owner of one or more – but less than all – of the exclusive rights in the work; or
• A duly authorized agent of one or more of the foregoing parties.
As a general rule, the U.S. Copyright Office will send all communications concerning an application or a registration to the correspondent at the address provided in the registration record.
For guidance in completing the Correspondent field/space of the application, see Chapter 600, Section 622.2. For information on who may certify an application, see Chapter 600, Section 624.