612.6 Completing the Application: Date and Nation of First Publication 612.6 (A) Date of First Publication
When completing an online application, the applicant should indicate whether the work is published or unpublished. The applicant will be asked to provide this information on the Publication / Completion screen by selecting “yes” or “no” in the drop down menu marked “Has this work been published?”
If the work has been published, the applicant should provide the specific month, day, and year that copies or phonorecords of the work were distributed for the first time or were offered to a group of persons for further distribution, public performance, or public display for the first time. This information should be provided in the field marked Date of First Publication.
If the applicant indicates that the work has been published, but fails to provide the specific month, day, and year that publication occurred, the application will be not be accepted by the Office’s electronic registration system.
When completing a paper application, the applicant should enter the month, day, and year of first publication on space 3 (B) under the heading Date and Nation of First Publication of This Particular Work. If the work has not been published, space 3 (B) should be left blank.