610.3 Previous or Alternative Title
When completing an online application, the applicant should complete the field marked Previous or Alternative Title if the work:
• Was previously published under a different title.
• Is known by a different title or by a title that is written in a different language.
• Is likely to be searched in the U.S. Copyright Office’s records under a different title.
When completing a paper application, the applicant should enter these types of titles on space 1 under the heading Previous or Alternative Titles.
As a general rule, a subtitle is not considered a Previous or Alternative Title.
Examples:
• An application is submitted for a painting titled “My Old Ohio Home.” The work is commonly known as “Take Me Back To Cincinnati” among art aficionados. The applicant should provide “My Old Ohio Home” as the Title of Work Being Registered and “Take Me Back to Cincinnati” as the Previous or Alternative Title.
• An application is submitted for a novel titled The Black and the Red, which has been translated from the French novel, Le Noir et Le Rouge. The applicant should provide The Black and the Red as the Title of Work Being Registered, and Le Noir et Le Rouge as the Previous or Alternative Title.
• An application is submitted for a work with the title The United States of America! (The Book) and a subtitle that reads A Guide to Our Democracy. The applicant should provide the Title of Work Being Registered as The United States of America! (The Book): A Guide to Our Democracy.