- 601 What This Chapter Covers
- 602 General U.S. Copyright Office Examination Practices
- 602.1 Completion of the Application
- 602.2 Statutorily Required Information in the Application
- 602.3 Requirements for Registration of a Basic Claim
- 602.4 General Standards for Examination of an Application
- 602.5 General Practices for Processing Information Provided in a Paper Application
- 602.6 General Policy Regarding Location of Information
- 602.7 General Practices Regarding Missing Information
- 602.8 General Policy Regarding Extraneous Information
- 602.9 General Policy Regarding Social Security Numbers, Driver’s License Numbers, Credit Card Numbers, and Bank Account Numbers
- 602.10 General Practices Regarding Cataloging Information
- 603 Variances
- 603.1 Immaterial Variances
- 603.2 Material Variances
- 603.2 (A) Material Variances That May Be Resolved by Amending the Registration Record without Annotating
- 603.2 (B) Material Variances That May Be Resolved by Amending and Annotating the Registration Record
- 603.2 (C) Material Variances That Cannot Be Resolved by Amending or Annotating the Registration Record
- 604 Annotations
- 604.1 Addressing Variances in the Registration Materials
- 604.2 Adding Comments to the Registration Record
- 604.3 Adding Missing Information to the Registration Record
- 604.4 Documenting Communications with the Applicant
- 604.5 Placement of the Annotation
- 604.6 Annotations Are Part of the Registration Record
- 605 Communications Between the Applicant and the Registration Specialist
- 605.1 General Policies
- 605.2 Communicating with the U.S. Copyright Office
- 605.3 Communications from the U.S. Copyright Office
- 605.3 (A) The U.S. Copyright Office’s Email Addresses
- 605.3 (B) When the U.S. Copyright Office Will Communicate with the Applicant
- 605.3 (C) Records Concerning U.S. Copyright Office Communications
- 605.3 (D) Communication from the U.S. Copyright Office May Address Multiple Issues
- 605.3 (E) Oral Communications
- 605.3 (F) Written Communications
- 605.4 Case Numbers, Service Request Numbers, THREAD ID Numbers, and Correspondence Identification Numbers
- 605.5 Applicant’s Internal Tracking Number
- 605.6 Deadlines for Responding to Communications from the U.S. Copyright Office
- 605.7 File Closed Following a Failure to Respond to a Written Communication from the U.S. Copyright Office
- 605.8 Procedure for Reopening a Closed Application
- 605.9 Withdrawing an Application
- 606 Warnings
- 607 Registration Made Under the Rule of Doubt
- 608 Refusal to Register
- 609 Identifying the Work That the Applicant Intends to Register
- 610 Title of the Work
- 610.1 Title Types
- 610.2 Title of Work Being Registered / Title of this Work
- 610.3 Previous or Alternative Title
- 610.4 Works Containing Separate and Independent Works: Units of Publication, Collective Works, and Contributions to Collective Works
- 610.5 Series Title
- 610.6 Examination Guidelines: Title of Work
- 610.6 (A) Untitled Works
- 610.6 (B) Descriptive Titles That Appear to Be Incorrect
- 610.6 (C) Titles Consisting of Roman Letters and Arabic Numerals
- 610.6 (D) Title of the Work: Variances
- 610.6 (D) (1) Variances between the Title Provided in the Application and the Title That Appears on the Deposit Copy (ies)
- 610.6 (D) (2) Title That Appears on the Deposit Copy (ies) is More Complete Than the Title Provided in the Application
- 610.6 (D) (3) Edition Number, Version Number, or Other Identifying Information Not Provided
- 610.6 (D) (4) Material Variances Between the Title Provided in the Application and the Title That Appears on the Deposit Copy (ies)
- 611 Year of Completion / Year in Which Creation of This Work Was Completed
- 612 Date of Publication
- 612.1 General Policy
- 612.2 What Constitutes Publication?
- 612.3 Determining whether the Work Is Published or Unpublished
- 612.4 What Is the Date of First Publication?
- 612.5 What Is the Nation of First Publication?
- 612.6 Completing the Application: Date and Nation of First Publication
- 612.7 Examination Guidelines: Date and Nation of First Publication
- 612.7 (A) Claim in a Published Work Contradicted by Information Provided Elsewhere in the Registration Materials
- 612.7 (B) Claim in an Unpublished Work Contradicted by Information Provided Elsewhere in the Registration Materials
- 612.7 (C) Nation of Publication Given in a Paper Application without a Date of Publication
- 612.7 (D) Extraneous Statements Concerning Publication
- 612.7 (E) Month, Day, and Year Required for the Date of First Publication
- 612.7 (F) Exact Date of Publication Unknown
- 612.7 (G) Multiple Dates of Publication
- 612.7 (H) Future Date of Publication
- 612.7 (I) Impossible, Impractical, or Implausible Date of Publication
- 612.7 (J) Nation of First Publication: Works Published in Multiple Countries
- 612.7 (K) Nation of First Publication Unclear
- 612.7 (L) Nation of First Publication Unknown
- 613 Name of Author (s)
- 613.1 Who Is the Author?
- 613.2 When Authorship Is Determined
- 613.3 Identifying the Authors Who Should Be Named in the Application
- 613.4 Identifying the Authors of a Work Made for Hire
- 613.5 Identifying the Authors of a Joint Work
- 613.6 Identifying the Author of a Derivative Work
- 613.7 Identifying the Author of a Compilation
- 613.8 Identifying the Author of a Collective Work or a Contribution to a Collective Work
- 613.9 Completing the Application: Name of Author
- 613.10 Examination Guidelines: Name of Author
- 613.10 (A) Name of Author Unclear
- 613.10 (B) Name of Author: Variances
- 613.10 (C) Name of Author Not Required
- 613.10 (D) Name of Author Unknown
- 613.10 (E) Name of the Author Omitted: Works Created by a Single Author
- 613.10 (F) Name of an Author Omitted: Works Created by Large Numbers of Authors
- 614 Works Made for Hire
- 614.1 Completing the Application: Works Made for Hire
- 614.1 (A) Year of Completion and Date of Publication
- 614.1 (B) Identifying the Author of a Work Made for Hire
- 614.1 (C) Identifying the Citizenship and / or Domicile of the Author
- 614.1 (D) Year of Birth and Death Not Required for Works Made for Hire
- 614.1 (E) Registering a Work Made for Hire as an Anonymous or Pseudonymous Work
- 614.1 (F) Identifying the Claimant for a Work Made for Hire
- 614.2 Examination Guidelines: Works Made for Hire
- 614.2 (A) Identifying the Work as a Work Made for Hire
- 614.2 (B) Identifying the Author of a Work Made for Hire
- 614.2 (B) (1) Was the Work Created by an Employee Acting within the Scope of His or Her Duties?
- 614.2 (B) (2) Was the Work Specially Ordered or Commissioned as a Work Made for Hire?
- 614.2 (B) (3) Naming the Employee or the Individual Who Actually Created the Work as the Author of a Work Made for Hire
- 614.2 (B) (4) Volunteer Created Work Made for Hire
- 614.2 (B) (5) Organization Named as the Author of a Work Made for Hire
- 614.2 (B) (6) Individual Named as Author of a Work Made for Hire
- 614.2 (B) (7) Individual and Incorporated Organization Named Together as the Authors of a Work Made for Hire
- 614.2 (B) (8) Individual and Unincorporated Organization Named Together as the Authors of a Work Made for Hire
- 614.1 Completing the Application: Works Made for Hire
- 615 Anonymous and Pseudonymous Works
- 616 Year of Author’s Birth and Death
- 617 Citizenship and Domicile of the Author
- 617.1 What Is the Author’s Citizenship and Domicile?
- 617.2 Determining the Author’s Citizenship or Domicile for a Published Work
- 617.3 Determining the Author’s Citizenship or Domicile for a Work Made for Hire
- 617.4 Determining the Author’s Citizenship or Domicile for Anonymous and Pseudonymous Works
- 617.5 Determining the Author’s Citizenship or Domicile for Compilations and Derivative Works
- 617.6 Completing the Application: Citizenship and Domicile
- 617.7 Examination Guidelines: Citizenship and Domicile
- 618 Author Created / Nature of Authorship
- 618.1 Asserting a Claim to Copyright
- 618.2 Limiting the Claim to Copyright
- 618.3 The Relationship Between the Author Created / Limitation of Claim Fields in the Online Application and the Relationship Between Spaces 2, 5, 6 (a), and 6 (b) in the Paper Application
- 618.4 Completing the Application: Author Created / Nature of Authorship
- 618.5 Derivative Works
- 618.6 Compilations
- 618.7 Collective Works
- 618.7 (A) Asserting a Claim to Copyright in a Collective Work
- 618.7 (B) Asserting a Claim to Copyright in a Contribution to a Collective Work
- 618.7 (C) Asserting a Claim to Copyright in a Serial Publication
- 618.7 (D) Examples for Asserting a Claim to Copyright in a Collective Work and / or a Contribution to a Collective Work
- 618.8 Examination Guidelines: Author Created / Nature of Authorship
- 618.8 (A) Authorship Unclear
- 618.8 (A) (1) Design
- 618.8 (A) (2) Game
- 618.8 (A) (3) Packaging
- 618.8 (A) (4) Author, Artist, Writer, Songwriter, Editor, and Other Professional Designations
- 618.8 (A) (5) Story, Story Idea, Story Concept, Story Line
- 618.8 (A) (6) Conceived, Conception
- 618.8 (A) (7) Plot
- 618.8 (A) (8) Character (s)
- 618.8 (A) (9) Research
- 618.8 (A) (10) Unclear Terms for Musical Works and Sound Recordings
- 618.8 (A) (11) Entire Work and Other Unspecific Terms
- 618.8 (B) Percentage of Authorship
- 618.8 (C) Uncopyrightable Material Claimed in the Author Created Field or the Nature of Authorship Space
- 618.8 (C) (1) Deposit Copy (ies) Containing Copyrightable Authorship and Uncopyrightable Material; No Claim Asserted in Uncopyrightable Material
- 618.8 (C) (2) Claim in Copyrightable Authorship and Uncopyrightable Material
- 618.8 (C) (3) Claim in Uncopyrightable Material: Deposit Copy (ies) Contain Copyrightable Authorship
- 618.8 (C) (4) Claim in Uncopyrightable Material: Acceptable Authorship Statement Used to Describe Uncopyrightable Material
- 618.8 (C) (5) Claim in Uncopyrightable Material: Works Created by Two or More Authors
- 618.8 (C) (6) Claim in Uncopyrightable Material: Registration Refused
- 618.8 (D) De Minimis Material Claimed in the Author Created Field or the Nature of Authorship Space
- 618.8 (D) (1) Deposit Copy (ies) Contain Copyrightable Authorship and De Minimis Material; No Claim Asserted in the De Minimis Material
- 618.8 (D) (2) Claim in Copyrightable Authorship and De Minimis Material
- 618.8 (D) (3) Claim in De Minimis Material: Works Created by Two or More Authors
- 618.8 (D) (4) Claim in De Minimis Material: Registration Refused
- 618.8 (E) Variances Between the Information Provided in the Application and Elsewhere in the Registration Materials
- 618.8 (F) Material Claimed in the Author Created Field or Nature of Authorship Space Not Found in the Deposit Copy (ies)
- 618.8 (G) Copyrightable Material in the Deposit Copy (ies) That Has Not Been Claimed in the Application
- 618.8 (H) Nature of Authorship Statement Omitted from a Paper Application
- 618.8 (I) Nature of This Work
- 618.8 (A) Authorship Unclear
- 619 Name of Claimant
- 619.1 Who Is Eligible to Be a Copyright Claimant?
- 619.2 The Claimant Must Be an Individual or a Legal Entity
- 619.3 When Is an Individual or Legal Entity Eligible to Be a Copyright Claimant?
- 619.4 Claimants Distinguished from the Owner of a Copy or Phonorecord of the Work
- 619.5 Claimants Distinguished from the Applicant and the Correspondent
- 619.6 Naming the Author as Claimant
- 619.7 The Author May Be Named as Claimant Even if the Author Has Transferred the Copyright to Another Party
- 619.8 Naming a Transferee as Claimant
- 619.9 A Party That Owns One or More — but Less than All — of the Exclusive Rights May File an Application to Register a Copyright Claim, but Cannot Be Named as the Copyright Claimant
- 619.10 A Nonexclusive Licensee Cannot Be a Claimant
- 619.11 One Registration Per Work
- 619.12 Completing the Application: Name of Claimant
- 619.13 Examination Guidelines: Name of Claimant
- 619.13 (A) Nicknames, First Names, Last Names, and Abbreviated Versions of the Claimant’s Name
- 619.13 (B) Initials
- 619.13 (C) Identifying the Author of a Pseudonymous Work as the Copyright Claimant
- 619.13 (D) Identifying the Author of an Anonymous Work as the Copyright Claimant
- 619.13 (E) Two or More Names Provided in the Name of Claimant Field / Space
- 619.13 (E) (1) Applications Submitted on Behalf of the Copyright Claimant
- 619.13 (E) (2) Two or More Names Separated by Conjunctions or Punctuations Marks in a Paper Application
- 619.13 (E) (3) Individual Name Listed Above or Below the Name of a Legal Entity in a Paper Application
- 619.13 (F) Group of Individuals Provided in the Name of Claimant Field / Space
- 619.13 (G) Individual and Unincorporated Business Organization Provided in the Name of Claimant Field / Space
- 619.13 (H) Individual and Incorporated Organization Provided in the Name of Claimant Field / Space
- 619.13 (I) Partnership Named as Claimant
- 619.13 (J) Trust or Estate Named as Claimant
- 619.13 (K) Variances Between the Name Provided in the Name of Claimant Field / Space and Elsewhere in the Registration Materials
- 619.13 (L) Variance Between the Name Provided in the Name of Claimant Field / Space and the Copyright Notice
- 619.13 (M) Statements Concerning the Claim to Copyright in the Name of Claimant Field / Space
- 619.13 (N) Percentage of Copyright Ownership in the Name of Claimant Field / Space
- 619.13 (O) Owner of Copyright for a Limited Term
- 619.13 (P) Future and Contingent Interests
- 619.13 (Q) Deceased Individual or Defunct Entity Named as a Claimant
- 619.13 (R) Identifying the Claimant by Referring to Other Records
- 619.13 (S) Name of Claimant Unknown
- 619.13 (T) Name or Address of Claimant Omitted
- 620 Transfer Statement
- 620.1 What Is a Transfer of Copyright Ownership?
- 620.2 What Is a Transfer Statement?
- 620.3 Transfer Statement Distinguished from an Instrument or Conveyance That Transfers the Copyright from One Party to Another
- 620.4 When Is a Transfer Statement Required?
- 620.5 Joint Works
- 620.6 Works by Two or More Authors That Do Not Meet the Statutory Definition of a Joint Work
- 620.7 Derivative Works and Compilations
- 620.8 Collective Works
- 620.9 Completing the Application: Transfer Statement
- 620.10 Examination Guidelines: Transfer Statement
- 620.10 (C) Unacceptable Transfer Statements
- 620.10 (C) (1) Transfer by Oral Agreement
- 620.10 (C) (2) Transfer of One or More — but Less than All — of the Rights under Copyright
- 620.10 (C) (3) Transfer Statements That Merely Describe the Relationship between the Author and the Copyright Claimant
- 620.10 (C) (4) Transfer or Possession of Material Object
- 620.10 (D) No Transfer Statement Given
- 620.10 (D) (2) Same Person Is Named as Author and Claimant
- 620.11 Extraneous Information Provided in the Transfer Statement Field / Space
- 621 Limitation of Claim
- 621.1 What Is Unclaimable Material?
- 621.2 Unclaimable Material That Need Not Be Excluded from the Application
- 621.3 The Relationship Between the Author Created / Limitation of Claim Fields in the Online Application and the Relationship Between Spaces 2, 6 (a), and 6 (b) of the Paper Application
- 621.4 Previously Published Material
- 621.5 Previously Registered Material
- 621.6 Public Domain Material
- 621.7 Copyrightable Material That Is Owned by an Individual or Entity Other Than the Claimant
- 621.8 Completing the Application: Limitation of Claim
- 621.8 (A) Identifying the Material That the Author Created
- 621.8 (B) Identifying Unclaimable Material That Should Be Excluded from the Claim
- 621.8 (C) Identifying the New Material That the Applicant Intends to Register
- 621.8 (C) (1) The Online Application: New Material Included Field
- 621.8 (C) (2) Paper Applications: Space 6 (b)
- 621.8 (D) Completing an Application to Register a Compilation, a Collective Work, and / or a Contribution to a Collective Work
- 621.8 (E) Examples for Identifying Unclaimable Material and the New Material That the Applicant Intends to Register
- 621.8 (F) Identifying Previously Registered Material That Should Be Excluded from the Claim
- 621.8 (G) Identifying Preregistered Material
- 621.9 Examination Guidelines: Limitation of Claim
- 621.9 (A) Limitation of Claim Not Required
- 621.9 (B) Identifying the Author of a Work That Contains an Appreciable Amount of Unclaimable Material
- 621.9 (C) Authorship Unclear
- 621.9 (D) Claim Clarified by Information Provided Elsewhere in the Registration Materials
- 621.9 (D) (1) Claim Clearly Defined by the Title of the Work
- 621.9 (D) (2) Claim Clarified by Information Provided in the Author Created Field or Nature of Authorship Space
- 621.9 (D) (3) Claim Clarified by Information Provided in the Limitation of Claim Screen or Spaces 6 (a) and / or 6 (b) of the Paper Application
- 621.9 (D) (4) Claim Clarified by Information Provided in Space 5 of the Paper Application
- 621.9 (D) (5) Claim Clarified by Information Provided in the Deposit Copy (ies)
- 621.9 (E) Uncopyrightable Material Claimed in the New Material Included Field or Space 6 (b)
- 621.9 (E) (1) Deposit Copy (ies) Contain Copyrightable Authorship and Uncopyrightable Material; No Claim Asserted in the Uncopyrightable Material
- 621.9 (E) (2) Claim in Copyrightable Authorship and Uncopyrightable Material
- 621.9 (E) (3) Claim in Uncopyrightable Material: Deposit Copy (ies) Contain Copyrightable Authorship
- 621.9 (E) (4) Claim in Uncopyrightable Material: Acceptable Authorship Statement Used to Describe Uncopyrightable Material
- 621.9 (E) (5) Claim in Uncopyrightable Material: Works Created by Two or More Authors
- 621.9 (E) (6) Claim in Uncopyrightable Material: Registration Refused
- 621.9 (F) De Minimis Material Claimed in the New Material Included Field or Space 6 (b)
- 621.9 (F) (1) Deposit Copy (ies) Contain Copyrightable Authorship and De Minimis Material; No Claim Asserted in the De Minimis Material
- 621.9 (F) (2) Claim in Copyrightable Authorship and De Minimis Material
- 621.9 (F) (3) Claim in De Minimis Material: Works Created by Two or More Authors
- 621.9 (F) (4) Claim in De Minimis Authorship: Registration Refused
- 621.9 (G) Discrepancies Between the Limitation of Claim Fields and the Deposit Copy (ies)
- 621.9 (H) Discrepancies Involving the Copyright Notice
- 621.9 (H) (1) Published Works
- 621.9 (H) (2) Unpublished Works
- 621.9 (I) Discrepancies Involving the Registration Number or Year of Registration in a Paper Application
- 621.9 (J) Reference to Previous Registration Clearly Erroneous
- 621.9 (K) Reference to a Preregistration in the Previous Registration Field/Space
- 622 Rights and Permissions Information / Correspondent / Mail Certificate
- 623 Special Handling
- 623.1 What Is Special Handling?
- 623.2 Justification for Special Handling
- 623.3 Examination Guidelines: Special Handling
- 623.4 Timeline for Special Handling Requests
- 623.5 Procedure for Requesting Special Handling
- 623.6 Special Handling Fee
- 623.7 Special Handling for Multiple Applications That Share the Same Deposit Copy
- 624 Certification
- 624.1 The Significance of the Certification
- 624.2 Who May Certify the Application?
- 624.2 (A) Application Certified by the Author or the Author’s Duly Authorized Agent
- 624.2 (B) Application Certified by a Party That Owns All the Rights under Copyright That Initially Belonged to the Author or That Party’s Duly Authorized Agent
- 624.2 (C) Application Certified by an Owner of One or More — but Less than All — of the Exclusive Rights or That Party’s Duly Authorized Agent
- 624.3 Completing the Application: Certification
- 624.4 Examination Guidelines: Certification
- 625 Registration Decision Date and Effective Date of Registration
- 625.1 Minimum Requirements for an Acceptable Application
- 625.2 Minimum Requirements for Acceptable Deposit Copy (ies)
- 625.2 (A) Acceptable File Formats for the Deposit Copy (ies) Accompanying an Online Application
- 625.2 (B) Unacceptable File Formats for the Deposit Copy (ies) Accompanying an Online Application
- 625.2 (C) Corrupted Deposit Copy (ies) Files Accompanying an Online Application
- 625.2 (D) Shipping Slips for Mailing Physical Deposit Copy (ies) to Accompany an Online Application
- 625.3 Minimum Requirements for an Acceptable Filing Fee
- 625.4 Minimum Requirements for Establishing an Effective Date of Registration Distinguished from the Requirements for Issuing a Certificate of Registration
Copyright Compendium
Chapter 100
- 101 The U.S. Copyright Office
- 101.2 Organization of the U.S. Copyright Office
- 101.2 (B) Office of the General Counsel
- 101.2 (C) Office of Policy and International Affairs
- 101.2 (D) Office of Registration Policy and Practice
- 101.2 (E) Office of Public Information and Education
- 101.2 (F) Office of Public Records and Repositories
- 101.2 (G) Copyright Modernization Office
- 101.2 (H) Office of the Chief Financial Officer
- 101.2 (I) Office of the Chief of Operations
Chapter 200
- 201 What This Chapter Covers
- 202 Purposes and Advantages of Registration
- 202.2 Registration Distinguished from Preregistration
- 202.3 Registration Distinguished from Recordation
Chapter 300
- 301 What This Chapter Covers
- 302 The Legal Framework
- 303 Copyrightability Is Determined Based on U.S. Copyright Law
- 304 Eligibility
- 305 The Fixation Requirement
- 306 The Human Authorship Requirement
- 307 Copyrightable Subject Matter
- 308 The Originality Requirement
- 308.2 Creativity
Chapter 400
- 401 What This Chapter Covers
- 402 Who Is the Applicant?
- 403 Who Is the Correspondent?
- 404 Who Is the Claimant?
- 405 Applications Filed by or on Behalf of the Author
- 405.2 Minors
- 405.3 Intellectually Disabled Persons
- 405.4 Prisoners
- 405.5 Deceased Authors
- 405.6 Foreign Authors
Chapter 500
- 501 What This Chapter Covers
- 502 A Copyright Registration Covers a Claim in a Work of Original Authorship
- 503 Identifying the Original Authorship That the Applicant Intends to Register
- 503.1(C) Compilations and Derivative Works
- 503.1(D) Work of Authorship Distinguished from the Medium of Expression
- 503.1(E) Copyrightable Authorship
Chapter 600
- 601 What This Chapter Covers
- 602 General U.S. Copyright Office Examination Practices
- 602.2 Statutorily Required Information in the Application
- 602.3 Requirements for Registration of a Basic Claim
- 602.4 General Standards for Examination of an Application
- 602.4 (B) Scope of the Examination
- 602.4 (C) Factual Determinations and Administrative Notice
- 602.4 (D) No Searches or Comparison of Works
- 602.4 (E) Duplicate Claims
Chapter 700
- 701 What This Chapter Covers
- 702 The Literary Division
- 703 What Is a Literary Work?
- 704 Literary Works Distinguished from Works of the Performing Arts
- 705 Fixation of Literary Works
- 706 Copyrightable Authorship in Literary Works
- 707 Uncopyrightable Material
- 707.2 Research
- 707.3 Book Design
Chapter 800
- 801 What This Chapter Covers
- 801.2 What Is a Work of the Performing Arts?
- 801.3 Fixation of Works of the Performing Arts
- 801.3 (B) Phonorecords
Chapter 900
- 901 What This Chapter Covers
- 902 Visual Arts Division
- 903 What Is a Visual Art Work?
- 903.2 Architectural Works
Chapter 1000
- 1001 What This Chapter Covers
- 1002 Definitions
- 1002.2 Website Content
- 1002.3 Hypertext
- 1002.4 Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
- 1002.5 Cascading Style Sheets
- 1002.6 Databases
Chapter 1100
- 1101 What This Chapter Covers
- 1102 [Reserved]
- 1103 The Unit of Publication Option
- 1103.1 What Is a Unit of Publication?
- 1103.1 (A) The Unit Must Contain Separately Fixed Component Works
- 1103.1 (B) The Unit Must Contain an Actual Copy or Phonorecord of the Works
- 1103.1 (C) The Works Must Be Physically Bundled in the Unit
- 1103.1 (D) The Works Must Be Distributed to the Public in the Unit
- 1103.1 (E) Works That Do Not Qualify as a Unit of Publication
- 1103.2 Eligibility Requirements
- 1103.3 Registration Requirements
- 1103.4 Completing the Application
- 1103.4 (A) Type of Work
- 1103.4 (B) Title
- 1103.4 (C) Publication / Completion
- 1103.4 (D) Authors of the Component Works
- 1103.4 (E) Manufacturer, Publisher, Producer, Packager, or Creator of the Unit of Publication
- 1103.4 (F) Author Created / Nature of Authorship
- 1103.4 (G) Claimants / Transfer Statement
- 1103.4 (H) Limitation of Claim
- 1103.4 (I) Rights and Permissions Information
- 1103.4 (J) Correspondent / Mailing Address for the Certificate of Registration
- 1103.4 (K) Special Handling
- 1103.4 (L) Certification
- 1103.1 What Is a Unit of Publication?
- 1104 The Sound Recording / Recorded Work Option
- 1105 Group Registration
- 1106 Group Registration of Unpublished Works
- 1106.1 Eligibility Requirements
- 1106.1 (A) The Group Must Be Limited to Unpublished Works
- 1106.1 (B) Works That May Be Registered with this Option
- 1106.1 (C) The Number of Works That May Be Included in the Group
- 1106.1 (D) The Works Must Be Registered in the Same Administrative Class
- 1106.1 (E) The Author and Claimant for Each Work Must Be the Same
- 1106.2 Application Requirements
- 1106.3 Filing Fee Requirements
- 1106.4 Deposit Requirements
- 1106.5 Completing the Application: Group Registration of Unpublished Works
- 1106.5 (A) Type of Works
- 1106.5 (B) Titles of the Works
- 1106.5 (C) Year of Completion / Year of Creation
- 1106.5 (D) Authors / Claimants
- 1106.5 (E) Anonymous and Pseudonymous Works
- 1106.5 (F) Works Made for Hire
- 1106.5 (G) Author Created
- 1106.5 (H) Limitation of Claim
- 1106.5 (I) Rights and Permissions Information
- 1106.5 (J) Correspondent / Mailing Address for the Certificate of Registration
- 1106.5 (K) Special Handling
- 1106.5 (L) Certification
- 1106.6 Unpublished Collections Eliminated March 15, 2019
- 1106.1 Eligibility Requirements
- 1107 Group Registration of Serials
- 1107.1 What Is a Serial?
- 1107.2 Eligibility Requirements
- 1107.3 Application Requirements
- 1107.4 Filing Fee Requirements
- 1107.5 Deposit Requirements
- 1107.6 Completing the Application: Group Registration of Serials
- 1107.6 (A) Type of Group
- 1107.6 (B) Identifying the Serial
- 1107.6 (C) International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 1107.6 (D) Nation of First Publication / Author’s Citizenship
- 1107.6 (E) Volume, Number, Issue Date, and Date of Publication
- 1107.6 (F) Author / Claimant
- 1107.6 (G) Rights and Permissions Information
- 1107.6 (H) Correspondent / Mailing Address for the Certificate of Registration
- 1107.6 (I) Special Handling
- 1107.6 (J) Certification
- 1107.7 Scope of Protection for Serial Issues Registered Under the Group Registration Option
- 1108 Group Registration of Newspaper Issues
- 1108.1 What Is a Newspaper?
- 1108.2 Eligibility Requirements
- 1108.3 Application Requirements
- 1108.4 Filing Fee Requirements
- 1108.5 Deposit Requirements
- 1108.6 Completing the Application: Group Registration of Newspaper Issues
- 1108.6 (A) Type of Group
- 1108.6 (B) Identifying the Newspaper
- 1108.6 (C) International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 1108.6 (D) Publication Dates for the Issues in the Group
- 1108.6 (E) Nation of First Publication
- 1108.6 (F) Number of Issues in the Group
- 1108.6 (G) Author / Claimant
- 1108.6 (H) Rights and Permissions Information
- 1108.6 (I) Correspondent / Mailing Address for the Certificate of Registration
- 1108.6 (J) Special Handling
- 1108.6 (K) Certification
- 1108.7 Scope of Protection for Newspaper Issues Registered Under the Group Registration Option
- 1109 Group Registration of Newsletters
- 1109.1 What Is a Newsletter?
- 1109.2 Eligibility Requirements
- 1109.3 Application Requirements
- 1109.4 Filing Fee Requirements
- 1109.5 Deposit Requirements
- 1109.6 Completing the Application: Group Registration of Newsletter Issues
- 1109.6 (A) Type of Group
- 1109.6 (B) Identifying the Newsletter
- 1109.6 (C) International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 1109.6 (D) Publication Dates for the Issues in the Group
- 1109.6 (E) Nation of First Publication
- 1109.6 (F) Number of Issues in the Group
- 1109.6 (G) Author / Claimant
- 1109.6 (H) Rights and Permissions Information
- 1109.6 (I) Correspondent / Mailing Address for the Certificate of Registration
- 1109.6 (J) Special Handling
- 1109.6 (K) Certification
- 1109.7 Scope of Protection for Newsletter Issues Registered Under the Group Registration Option
- 1110 Group Registration for Contributions to Periodicals
- 1110.1 What Is a Contribution to a Periodical?
- 1110.2 Eligibility Requirements
- 1110.3 Application Requirements
- 1110.4 Filing Fee Requirements
- 1110.5 Deposit Requirements
- 1110.6 When May an Application for a Group Registration Be Filed?
- 1110.7 Completing the Application: Group Registration of Contributions to Periodicals
- 1110.7 (A) Type of Group
- 1110.7 (B) Identifying the Works Included within the Group
- 1110.7 (B) (1) Identifying the Contributions
- 1110.7 (B) (2) Identifying the Periodicals
- 1110.7 (C) Identifying the Author
- 1110.7 (D) Identifying the Copyrightable Material that the Author Created
- 1110.7 (E) Identifying the Copyright Claimant
- 1110.7 (F) Rights and Permissions Information
- 1110.7 (G) Correspondent / Mailing Address for the Certificate of Registration
- 1110.7 (H) Special Handling
- 1110.7 (I) Certification
- 1110.8 Contributions That Do Not Satisfy the Group Registration Requirements
- 1111 Group Registration of Short Online Literary Works
- 1111.1 What Is a Literary Work?
- 1111.2 What Is a Short Online Literary Work?
- 1111.3 Eligibility Requirements
- 1111.3 (A) All of the Works Must Be Short Online Literary Works
- 1111.3 (B) The Number of Works That May Be Included in the Group
- 1111.3 (C) The Number of Words in Each Work
- 1111.3 (D) All the Works Must Be First Published Online within Three Consecutive Calendar Months
- 1111.3 (E) The Author and Claimant for Each Work Must Be the Same Individual
- 1111.4 Application Requirements
- 1111.5 Filing Fee Requirements
- 1111.6 Deposit Requirements
- 1111.7 Completing the Application: Group Registration of Short Online Literary Works
- 1111.7 (A) Preparing the List of Titles, File Names, Publication Dates, and Word Counts
- 1111.7 (B) Type of Group
- 1111.7 (C) Title of the Group
- 1111.7 (D) Number of Works in the Group
- 1111.7 (E) Year of Completion
- 1111.7 (F) Earliest / Latest Publication Date
- 1111.7 (G) Nation of First Publication
- 1111.7 (H) File Name for the List
- 1111.7 (I) Titles of the Individual Works
- 1111.7 (J) Authors / Claimants
- 1111.7 (K) Anonymous and Pseudonymous Works
- 1111.7 (L) The Author’s Country of Citizenship or Domicile
- 1111.7 (M) Limitation of Claim
- 1111.7 (N) Rights and Permissions Information
- 1111.7 (O) Correspondent / Mailing Address for the Certificate of Registration
- 1111.7 (P) Special Handling
- 1111.7 (Q) Certification
- 1112 Group Registration of Database Updates and Revisions
- 1112.1 What Is a Database?
- 1112.2 The Scope of a Group Registration for a Database
- 1112.3 The Scope of a Group Registration for a Photographic Database
- 1112.4 Eligibility Requirements
- 1112.5 Application Requirements
- 1112.6 Filing Fee Requirements
- 1112.7 Deposit Requirements
- 1112.8 Completing the Application: Group Registration of Databases
- 1112.8 (A) Space 1: Title
- 1112.8 (B) Space 2: Name of Author / Nature of Authorship
- 1112.8 (C) Space 3 (a): Year in which Creation of This Work Was Completed
- 1112.8 (D) Space 3 (b): Date and Nation of First Publication of This Particular Work
- 1112.8 (E) Space 4: Copyright Claimant (s)
- 1112.8 (F) Spaces 5 & 6: Previous Registration / Derivative Work or Compilation
- 1112.8 (G) Space 8: Certification
- 1112.8 (H) Spaces 7 & 9: Correspondent and Mailing Address for the Certificate
- 1112.9 Effective Date of Registration for a Group of Revisions or Updates to a Database
- 1112.10 Databases That Do Not Satisfy the Group Registration Requirements
- 1113 [Reserved]
- 1114 Group Registration of Photographs
- 1114.1 Eligibility Requirements
- 1114.2 Application Requirements
- 1114.3 Filing Fee Requirements
- 1114.4 Deposit Requirements
- 1114.5 When May an Application for a Group Registration Be Filed?
- 1114.6 Completing the Application: Group Registration of Photographs
- 1114.6 (A) Preparing the Title List
- 1114.6 (B) Type of Group
- 1114.6 (C) Title of the Group
- 1114.6 (D) Title and Publication Information for Each Photograph
- 1114.6 (E) Number of Photographs in the Group
- 1114.6 (F) Year of Completion
- 1114.6 (G) Earliest / Latest Publication Date
- 1114.6 (H) Nation of Publication
- 1114.6 (I) Identifying the Author of the Photographs
- 1114.6 (I) (1) Photos Shot by an Individual Photographer
- 1114.6 (I) (2) Photos Created as Works Made For Hire
- 1114.6 (I) (3) The Author’s Country of Citizenship or Domicile
- 1114.6 (J) Identifying the Copyrightable Material that the Author Created
- 1114.6 (K) Identifying the Copyright Claimant
- 1114.6 (L) Rights and Permissions Information
- 1114.6 (M) Correspondent / Mailing Address for the Certificate of Registration
- 1114.6 (N) Special Handling
- 1114.6 (O) Certification
- 1114.7 Photographs That Do Not Satisfy the Group Registration Requirements for GRUPH or GRPPH
- 1115 [Reserved]
- 1116 Serials, Newspapers, and Newsletters at a Glance
- 1117 Photographs at a Glance
Chapter 1200
- 1201 What This Chapter Covers
- 1202 What Is a Mask Work?
- 1203 Mask Work Protection Distinguished from Copyright Protection
- 1204 Protectable Mask Works
- 1204.2 Originality
- 1204.3 Protectable Expression
- 1204.4 Eligibility Based on Nationality of Owner or Nation of First Commercial Exploitation
- 1204.5 Registration
- 1204.5 (B) Effective Date of Registration
- 1204.5 (C) Benefits of Registration
Chapter 1300
- 1301 What This Chapter Covers
- 1302 Vessel Design Protection Distinguished from Copyright Protection
- 1303 Definitions
- 1303.2 Hull
- 1303.3 Make Public
- 1303.4 Mold
- 1303.5 Original
- 1303.6 Plug
- 1303.7 Useful Article
- 1303.8 Vessel
Chapter 1400
- 1401 What This Chapter Covers
- 1402 Applications
- 1402.2 Statutory Requirements for Applications
- 1402.3 Types of Applications
Chapter 1500
- 1502 Deposit for Registration Distinguished from Mandatory Deposit
- 1503 Deposit for Registration
- 1503.2 Refusal to Register
Chapter 1600
- 1601 What This Chapter Covers
- 1602 What Is Preregistration?
- 1603 Eligibility Requirements
- 1603.1 Works That Are Eligible for Preregistration
- 1603.2 The Work Must Be Copyrightable
- 1603.3 A Portion of the Work Must Be Fixed
- 1603.4 The Work Must Be Unpublished
- 1603.5 The Work Must Be Intended for Commercial Distribution
- 1604 Preregistration Distinguished from Registration
- 1604.2 Uses of Preregistration
Chapter 1700
- 1701 What This Chapter Covers
- 1702 Registration Refused After Examination
- 1703 First Request for Reconsideration
- 1703.2 Review of the First Request for Reconsideration
Chapter 1800
- 1801 What This Chapter Covers
- 1802 Supplementary Registration: Correcting or Amplifying the Information in a Registration
- 1802.2 When May an Application for a Supplementary Registration Be Filed?
- 1802.3 Records That May Be Corrected or Amplified with a Supplementary Registration
- 1802.4 Records That Cannot Be Corrected or Amplified with a Supplementary Registration
- 1802.5 What Type of Information May Be Corrected or Amplified with a Supplementary Registration?
- 1802.6 Supplementary Registration Appropriate
- 1802.6 (B) Change in Name or Address
- 1802.6 (C) Title of the Work
- 1802.6 (D) Author (s) of the Work
- 1802.6 (E) Work Made for Hire
- 1802.6 (F) Copyright Claimant (s)
- 1802.6 (G) Year of Completion
- 1802.6 (H) Citizenship, Domicile, and Nation of First Publication
- 1802.6 (I) Publication Issues
- 1802.6 (J) The Claim to Copyright
Chapter 1900
- 1903 The Significance of Publication
- 1904 General Policies Concerning Publication
- 1904.2 Facts Stated in the Application
- 1904.3 Claim in a Published or Unpublished Work Contradicted by Information Provided Elsewhere, such as in the Registration Materials
Chapter 2000
Chapter 2100
- 2101 What This Chapter Covers
- PART I General Background
- 2102 Copyright Renewal
- PART II THE COPYRIGHT RENEWAL ACT OF 1992
- 2104 Affected Works
- 2105 Registration for the Original Term Is Not Required
- 2106 Renewal Registration Before Expiration of Original Term Is Optional
- 2107 Benefits Secured by Timely Renewal Registration
- 2108 Renewal Registration Is Possible Through Renewal and Extended Terms
- 2109 Benefits of Renewal Term Registration
Chapter 2200
- 2201 What This Chapter Covers
- 2202 Works Exempt From the Notice Requirement
- 2202.2 Post-Berne Works
- 2202.2 (B) Examination Guidelines for Post-Berne Works
Chapter 2300
- 2301 What This Chapter Covers
- 2302 The Recordation Section
- 2303 Recordation Distinguished from Registration
- 2304 What Types of Documents May or Must Be Recorded with the U.S. Copyright Office?
- 2304.1 (C) Designation of Agent to Receive Notifications of Alleged Infringement Under Section 512 (c) of the Copyright Act
Chapter 2400
- 2314 The Visual Arts Registry
- 2314.2 A Work of Visual Art Distinguished from Visual Art Works and Works of the Visual Arts
- 2314.3 The Purpose of the Visual Arts Registry
- 2314.4 Registration Distinguished from the Visual Arts Registry
- 2314.5 Recordation Requirements for a Visual Arts Registry Statement
- 2314.6 Who May Record a Visual Arts Registry Statement?
- 2314.7 When May a Visual Arts Registry Statement Be Recorded?
- 2314.8 How to Record a Visual Arts Registry Statement
- 2314.8 (B) Statements Submitted by or on Behalf of Building Owners
- 2403 Contact Information for RRCS
- 2404 The Public Records Reading Room
- 2405 Limitations on U.S. Copyright Office Services and Information
- 2405.2 Restricted Records
- 2405.3 Limitations on Services
- 2405.4 Delays for Requests Submitted by Mail