How to Ask for a Copyright
According to the U.S. government's copyright website (reference 1), Americans who create "original works of authorship," such as books, music, works of art, poetry, movies, architecture and computer software, can receive copyright protection from the moment they create it. In other words, you do not have to file any papers to assert your rights over original works, even if they are unpublished. But before you can protect those rights in court against unscrupulous entities that might attempt to take credit for your work, the government requires you to register your copyright. You can now register most copyrights over the Internet at the government's copyright.gov website.
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Things You'll Need
- A credit card, debit card, or bank account to pay the copyright fees (the standard fee for a basic claim is $35)
- A computer with an active Internet connection
- An electronic copy of your original work that can be uploaded to the copyright office for deposit in the Library of Congress. (Check the copyright.gov website for a list of acceptable file types. Some works require hard copy deposits. See the website for more information.)
Instructions
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Step 1
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Access the electronic copyright Office. Open a web browsing application such as Internet Explorer, Firefox or Opera and go to www.copyright.gov. At the top right-hand corner of the page, you will see a colored icon for the electronic copyright office. Click on it and then the next page, review the information about online copyright registration and then click on the electronic copyright office icon again where the screen says "login to eCO." If you have not visited this website before, you will need to create an account before you can register your copyright. Click on the "if you are a new user, click here to register" link on the left-hand side of the screen, below the log-in box. Fill in the prompts for your name, address, desired username, password and other pertinent information and then select "finish" on the last page to complete the website registration. When you return to the main page, enter your new username and password to log in.
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Fill out the application for your copyright. On the first page after you log in, choose the option "register a new claim" under the heading "copyright services" listed on the left-hand side of your screen. On the next page you will find information on the steps in the registration process: completing an application, making your payment and submitting your work. When you are ready to begin the registration, click the "start registration" button at the top of the window. Fill out your application, completing 12 sections such as "title, "authors" and "certification." Then review the information you have submitted. Refer to the copyright.gov tutorial for assistance and clarification on these steps if you need it. After you review the information you have entered, click the "add to cart" button in the upper right-hand corner of the window to access the payment screen.
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Make the payment for your copyright submission. After you clicked the "add to cart" button, you will have the option to "add more services" (more copyrights to register, if you have any) or "check out." If you have no more copyrights to register at this time, select the "check out" option. On the next screen, you will have the option to go back and "change order" or to make your payment using an electronic funds transfer, a deposit account or a credit/debit card. Make your payment options choice and then fill in the required payment information. Then submit your payment. You will receive an e-mail confirming your application and payment after you submit the payment. After your payment is accepted, you will be able to choose the option to "continue" your registration.
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Submit a copy of your work to accompany your registration. Your copyright registration will not receive approval if you fail to submit a copy of your work. Some work can be submitted electronically online while others will need to be submitted by mail in a hard-copy format. If you submit your work electronically, the copyright.gov registration process will guide you through uploading your work. Refer to the instructions on the copyright.Gov website to determine if your work must be submitted by mail. If you take this route, the registration process will assist you in printing out a shipping label for your submission.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit black copyright symbol image by Angie Chauvin from Fotolia.com
