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Copyright Registration
Why Register Your Creative Work?
Although an author or artist acquires an enforceable copyright at the moment she creates her work, registration of the work with the U.S. Copyright Office enhances copyright protection and provides the artist or author with certain advantages if she is ever required to enforce her copyright through litigation. Foremost among these advantages is the ability to select an award of statutory damages in lieu of actual damages, and the recovery of actual attorney fees.
Types of Protected Works
Copyright law protects many types of creative works. Registration with the United States Copyright Office in Washington, DC is fairly straight forward. We can familiarize you or your staff with the various registration forms available from the Copyright Office and explain the ins and outs of the bureaucratic procedure. We also have the ability to complete the registration process for you.
The following types of creative works can be registered with the United States Copyright Office:
- Architectural Works
- Conceptual Drawings
- 3-Dimensional Models
- Construction Drawings
- Certain “as built” works
- Audio-Visual Works
- Interactive CDs
- Fine Art
- Graphic Art
- Literary Works
- Short stories
- Poems
- Articles
- Books/Novels
- Instructional Materials/Text Books
- Study Guides
- Collective Works/Anthologies
- Translations
- Motion Pictures
- Feature Films
- Documentaries
- Shorts
- Music
- Lyrics
- Original Compositions
- Sheet Music
- Recorded Audio Performances/CDs
- Photographs
- Sculptural Works
- Software
- Sound Recordings
- Certain Industrial Designs
- Photographs
- Mask Works
Registration Process
To register a creative work with the U.S. Copyright Office, a form relative to the type of work to be registered must be completed and signed by the author, artist or registrant. The form, filing fee and one or more samples of the work must all be submitted to the Copyright Office. Certain on-line applications are also available with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Within four to six months of filing an application an examiner will review your submission. If accepted, a Registration Certificate will be returned to you and your name and registration information will be entered in the Copyright Office’s database, which is searchable through its website. If for some reason your registration is not accepted (the wrong form was used, the work submitted is not subject to copyright protection, etc.) your will be notified in writing of the reasons for refusal and given an opportunity to respond.