Steps to Obtaining a Copyright

Registration

• An author can obtain a copyright by filing an application with the U.S. Copyright Office. An online application is available at copyright.gov. This is the fastest way to file an application. An applicant can also submit a paper application to the Copyright Office. Paper applications take considerably longer to process, because more than 600,000 applications are submitted each year.

Fees

• An online application must be submitted with a $35 filing fee, payable by electronic check, credit card or debit card. The fee for a paper application is $50, payable by check or money order.

Submission Requirements

• The Copyright Office must receive a copy of the work to be copyrighted. If an electronic copy is available, it can be attached with the online application. Otherwise, the applicant must print a unique shipping slip, generated when he submits his online application, and submit the work by mail. If submission is made by mail, the application, filing fee and a copy of the work must be mailed in one complete package. Submissions will not be returned and copies of the work are deposited at the Library of Congress.