To register a work, send the following three elements in the
same envelope or package to:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000
A properly completed application form.
A nonrefundable filing fee of $30 for each application.
NOTE: Copyright Office fees are subject to
change.
A nonreturnable deposit of the work being registered. The deposit requirements
vary in particular situations. The general requirements follow.
If the work was first published in the United States on or after January
1, 1978, two complete copies or phonorecords of the best edition.
If the work was first published in the United States before January 1,
1978, two complete copies or phonorecords of the work as first published.
If the work was first published outside the United States, one complete
copy or phonorecord of the work as first published.
If sending multiple works, all applications, deposits, and fees should
be sent in the same package. If possible, applications should be attached
to the appropriate deposit. Whenever possible, number each package (e.
g., 1 of 3, 2 of 4) to facilitate processing.
What Happens if the Three Elements Are Not Received Together
Applications and fees received without appropriate copies, phonorecords,
or identifying material will not be processed and ordinarily will be returned.
Unpublished deposits without applications or fees ordinarily will be returned,
also. In most cases, published deposits received without applications and
fees can be immediately transferred to the collections of the Library of Congress.
This practice is in accordance with section 408 of the law, which
provides that the published deposit required for the collections
of the Library of Congress may be used for registration only if the deposit
is "accompanied by the prescribed application and fee...."
After the deposit is received and transferred to another service unit of
the Library for its collections or other disposition, it is no longer available
to the Copyright Office. If you wish to register the work, you must deposit
additional copies or phonorecords with your application and fee.
Renewal Registration
To register a renewal, send:
A properly completed application Form RE and, if necessary, Form RE Addendum,
and
A nonrefundable filing fee of $60 without Addendum; $90 with Addendum
for each application. Each Addendum form must be accompanied by a deposit
representing the work being reviewed.
NOTE:Complete the application form using black
ink pen or type. You may photocopy blank application forms. However,
photocopied forms submitted to the Copyright Office must be clear, legible,
on a good grade of 8-1/2-inch by 11-inch white paper suitable for automatic
feeding through a photocopier. The forms should be printed, preferably
in black ink, head-to-head so that when you turn the sheet over, the top
of page 2 is directly behind the top of page 1. Forms not meeting
these requirements may be returned resulting in delayed registration.
Special Deposit Requirements
Special deposit requirements exist for many types of works. The following
are prominent examples of exceptions to the general deposit requirements:
If the work is a motion picture, the deposit requirement is one complete
copy of the unpublished or published motion picture and
a separate written description of its contents, such as a continuity,
press book, or synopsis.
If the work is a literary, dramatic, or musical work published
only in a phonorecord, the deposit requirement is one complete
phonorecord.
If the work is an unpublished or published computer program, the deposit
requirement is one visually perceptible copy in source code of the first
25 and last 25 pages of the program. For a program of fewer than
50 pages, the deposit is a copy of the entire program.
If the work is in a CD-ROM format, the deposit requirement is one complete
copy of the material, that is, the CD-ROM, the operating software, and
any manual(s) accompanying it. If registration is sought for the computer
program on the CD-ROM, the deposit should also include a printout of the
first 25 and last 25 pages of source code for the program.
In the case of works reproduced in three-dimensional copies, identifying
material such as photographs or drawings is ordinarily required. Other examples
of special deposit requirements (but by no means an exhaustive list) include
many works of the visual arts such as greeting cards, toys, fabrics, oversized
materials; video games and other machine-readable audiovisual
works; and contributions to collective works.
If you are unsure of the deposit requirement for your work, write or call
the Copyright Office and describe the work you wish to register.
Unpublished Collections
Under the following conditions, a work may be registered in unpublished form
as a "collection," with one application form and one fee:
The elements of the collection are assembled in an orderly form;
The combined elements bear a single title identifying the collection as
a whole;
The copyright claimant in all the elements and in the collection as a
whole is the same; and
All the elements are by the same author, or, if they are by different
authors, at least one of the authors has contributed copyrightable authorship
to each element.
An unpublished collection is not indexed under the individual titles of the
contents but under the title of the collection.
NOTE: A Library of Congress Control Number
is different from a copyright registration number. The Cataloging in Publication
(CIP) Division of the Library of Congress is responsible for assigning
LC Control Numbers and is operationally separate from the Copyright Office.
A book may be registered in or deposited with the Copyright Office but
not necessarily cataloged and added to the Library's collections.
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