How to Establish a Copyright

Copyrights may be established online.

While a copyright is established once a work is created, it is difficult to claim ownership of the copyright unless the creator of the work registers the work with the U.S. Copyright Office.Registering a copyright for any type of work can be completed online. Copyrights are enforceable for 70 years after the death of the creator, unless the work was done for hire, in which case it is enforceable for 120 years after creation or 95 years after it was first published, whichever comes first.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet connection Valid credit card Electronic copy of work

Instructions

1. Go to the electronic Copyright Office (eCO) section of copyright.gov by clicking "eCO Login" and then "Continue to eCO."

2. Sign in or register for a new account if you do not already have one.

3. Fill out the copyright holder information.

4. Submit payment via credit card.

5. Upload the work in a common electronic format, such as pdf or doc for documents, jpg or gif for images, or mp3 for audio recordings.

References

• Title 17 of the U.S. Code

Resources

• U.S. Copyright Office