924.6 (B) Completing the Application
When completing the application, applicants are encouraged to identify the specific artistic features that are being submitted for registration. For example, the U.S. Copyright Office may accept a claim in “pictorial design applied to surface of silverware” or “sculptural design incorporated into the back of a chair.”
If the application merely asserts a claim in the overall “design” of the useful article, the registration specialist may communicate with the applicant if the scope of the claim is unclear. If the applicant appears to be asserting a claim in the overall shape of the useful article, the specialist may simply refuse registration.