Registering Your Copyright

Registration of a copyright with the Copyright Office creates a public record of the basic facts of a particular copyright. Registration may be made any time before the term of copyright expires. Registration is not needed for copyright protection, but there are many good reasons to do so.

• Registration establishes a public record of the copyright.
• Registration is necessary before an infringement lawsuit may be brought.
• If registration is made within 3 months after selling or distributing the work to the public or prior to an infringement of the work, a copyright owner will be eligible for Statutory Damages if he or she sues for infringement and wins.

Please see the Registration page for information on how to register a copyright.

Effective Date Of Registration

A copyright registration is effective on the date the Copyright Office receives all the required items in acceptable form, no matter how long it the office takes to process the application and mail the certificate of registration.