The United States Copyright Office offers a short version of some of its application forms to make registering a copyright claim easier. The information requested is minimal, and the instructions are brief.

Who May Use the Short Forms PA, TX, and VA?

A living author who is the only author of his or her work if that author is the sole owner of the copyright in the work.

None: If there is more than one author of the work or if a business organization is the copyright claimant, the standard form must be used.

Other Requirements for Using the Short Forms

The work must be completely new in the sense that it does not contain material that has been previously published or registered or that is in the public domain.

The work must not be a work made for hire. A “work made for hire” is defined as a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment; or a work specially ordered or commissioned for certain uses, if the parties expressly state in a written agreement signed by them that the work shall be considered a work made for hire.

If all the above conditions are not met, use the standard application forms. Short Forms are not appropriate for an anonymous author (one whose name does not appear on the copy of the work) who does not want to reveal his or her identity.

Forms PA, TX, and VA Are Available in Short Version

Short Form PA: to register published and unpublished works of the performing arts, including dramas, music, and lyrics. Audiovisual works, including motion pictures, must be registered on the standard forms.

Short Form TX: to register published and unpublished nondramatic literary works, including fiction and nonfiction, books, short stories, poems, collections of poetry, essays, articles in serials, and computer programs.

Short Form VA: to register published and unpublished works of the visual arts, including pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.

Short Form SE is for registration of serials and has different filing requirements. For further information, see www.copyright.gov/circs/circ62.html or call (202) 707-3000.

Rights and Permissions Information

Short Forms PA, TX, and VA each include an optional space to record the name and address of the person or organization to contact for permission to use the work.

How to Get Short Forms

Call the Forms and Publications Hotline 24 hours a day at (202) 707-9100 and leave a recorded message, or write:

Library of Congress
Copyright Office
Publications Section, LM-455
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000

Or you may obtain copyright application forms via the Internet. The Short Forms as well as all other copyright application forms and circulars may be downloaded from the Copyright Office website and printed for use in registering a claim to copyright. Connect to the Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov.

You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader^® installed on your computer to view and print the forms. The free Adobe Acrobat Reader may be downloaded from Adobe Systems Incorporated through links from the same website at which the forms are available.

Print forms head to head (top of page 2 is directly behind the top of page 1) on a single piece of good quality, 8-1/2-inch by 11-inch white paper. To achieve the best quality copies of the application forms, use a laser printer.

To speak with an information specialist to find out which form to use or to request further information, call (202) 707-3000 (TTY: (202) 707-6737) between 8:30 and 5:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday to Friday, except federal holidays.

Fill-In Forms Available

Most Copyright Office forms are available on the Copyright Office website in fill-in version. Go to www.copyright.gov/forms and follow the instructions. The fill-in forms allow you to enter information while the form is displayed on the screen by an Adobe Acrobat Reader product. You may then print the completed form and mail it to the Copyright Office. Fill-in forms provide a clean, sharp printout for your records and for filing with the Copyright Office.

SL-7, Rev. October 2002