How to Copyright a Stand-up Comedy Routine
On a Friday night, a young comedian performs a killer set, but the next night when he checks out a veteran comic's act, he realizes that the old man has stolen all his best jokes and is repeating them verbatim. Copyright protection allows the young comedian to sue the older comedian for infringement. Though a copyright does not protect ideas, it does protect how ideas are expressed in fields such as poetry, literature, music and performance. To protect a stand-up act, a comedian must visit the U.S. Copyright Office website to register his work.
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Instructions
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Online Registration
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Record your stand-up act on a CD.
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Visit the U.S. Copyright Office's website (copyright.gov) and click on "Electronic Copyright Office."
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Click "Login to eCO," and create a new account.
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Click "Register a new claim" to start a new registration.
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Click "Start Registration," and select "Sound Recording" to register the CD recording of your stand-up act.
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Provide a title to your stand-up act by clicking "New" and entering the title.
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Select "No" when prompted with the question of whether your work has been published, and enter the year you created the stand-up act you are registering.
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Click "Add Me" to enter your name as the author of the work you are registering. Enter your first, middle and last name, pseudonym, citizenship and year of birth.
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Provide your full name, address, email address and contact information on the "Correspondent Contact" page. This provides contact information for the Copyright Office if it has questions about your application.
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Provide your full name, address and email address where you want the registration certificate to be sent.
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Select "Special Handling" for a rush request if you have pending litigation, a customs matter or some kind of deadline. As of September 2011, the special handling fee is $760.
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Certify the application by clicking on the box to the left of a statement that certifies you as the author of the work being registered. Type your name in the "Name of certifying individual" box.
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Review the application for completeness and select a fee payment method. As of September 2011, the online fee for a basic claim is $35. You can pay by credit or debit card, or electronic funds transfer.
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Enter your email address and click the box to the right of a statement that you agree to pay the fee amount. Click "Submit payment" and wait to see a confirmation notice.
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Upload the CD of your stand-up act. Click "Submit Files to Copyright Office" after the file has been uploaded and wait for confirmation that your file was successfully uploaded.
Paper Registration
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Visit the U.S. Copyright Office website (copyright.gov) and click the "Electronic Copyright Office" logo.
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Review the forms available under the "Alternate Registration Methods" section halfway down the page.
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Select "Form SR" under Sound Recordings, which generates a PDF of the application form. You can use your computer keyboard to type directly onto the form.
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Type the title of your stand-up act, your name, nationality and date of birth.
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Type the year you first performed the stand-up act, and type your full name and address as the copyright claimant.
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Provide your name, address, email address, fax number and daytime phone number so the Copyright Office can contact you if it has questions.
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Certify that you are the author of the stand-up act by clicking the box next to "Author." Type your name and date and provide a signature after you have printed out the form.
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Type your name and full address where the official copyright certificate should be sent.
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Write a check or obtain a money order for $65, payable to the Register of Copyrights. Include a copy of the CD recording of your stand-up act and mail the package to:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office-SR
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20559-6238
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Tips & Warnings
Check the Copyright Office's website to determine acceptable audio file formats.
Use a tracking method when you send your copyright application through the postal service.
The average processing time is three months for online applications and 10 months for paper registrations.
The effective date of your copyright is the date the Copyright Office receives your application with the correct fee and acceptable copy of your original work.
You cannot file an infringement suit unless you have registered your work with the Copyright Office.
References
Resources
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