Have a Question about Copyright Registration?

Before You Write or Call Us, Please Note Some of the More Frequently Asked Questions

How Will I Know if My Application Was Received?

You will not receive an acknowledgment that your application has been received because the Office receives more than 600,000 applications annually. However, if your application is in order, you may generally expect to receive within approximately 4-5 months* of submission a certificate of registration to indicate the work has been registered. If the Office must correspond with you or if further information is needed, it will take longer to process your application. If the application cannot be accepted, you will receive a letter explaining why it has been rejected.

*NOTE: The time the Copyright Office requires to process an application varies, depending on the amount of material the Office is receiving.

If you want to know when the Copyright Office receives your material, send it by registered or certified mail and request a return receipt from the Postal Service. Due to the large volume of mail received by the Office daily, you should allow at least 4-6 weeks for the return of your receipt.

What Is the Status of My Application?

We cannot provide free written information about the status of applications that have been in the Copyright Office less than 6 months. If you must have this information confirmed in writing, contact the Certifications and Documents Section at (202) 707-6787. This Section can provide the information upon payment of applicable fees. If a claim is older than 6 months, the Office will do an in-process search without charge to determine why the certificate has been delayed.

When Is My Registration Effective?

A copyright registration is effective on the date that all the required elements (application, fee, and deposit) are received in acceptable form in the Copyright Office, regardless of the length of time it takes the Copyright Office to process the application and mail the certificate of registration. You do not have to receive your certificate before you publish or produce your work, nor do you need permission from the Copyright Office to place a notice of copyright on your material.

How Do I Mail Material to the Copyright Office?

Please use the following address when sending us mail:

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

Include your daytime telephone number, email address, and fax number (if available). Make certain to send your nonrefundable filing fee, completed application form, and nonreturnable deposit (copies, phonorecords, or identifying material) in the same package.

How Many Forms May I Receive?

We do not send unlimited quantities of our application forms and publications. If you need additional application forms or circulars, you may order a limited supply by calling the Copyright Office Forms and Publications Hotline anytime day or night at (202) 707-9100 and leaving a message on the recorder. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery of your order.

We encourage you to photocopy our circulars, blank application forms, and other informational material. All Copyright Office application forms are available on the Internet and may be printed. Access and download forms from 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 Copyright Office Website.

Photocopied forms and those downloaded from the Internet must be printed 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. Black ink is preferred. To achieve the best quality copies of the application forms downloaded from the Internet, use a laser printer. Forms not meeting these requirements will be returned.

How Can I Keep Up on Developments in the Copyright Office?

You may subscribe to U.S. Copyright Office NewsNet, a free electronic mailing list originating from the Copyright Office. NewsNet issues periodic email messages to alert subscribers to hearings, deadlines for comments, new and proposed regulations, new publications, and other copyright-related subjects of interest. NewsNet is not an interactive discussion group.

• To subscribe, send a message to: listserv@loc.gov
• In the body of the message, say: subscribe uscopyright

Or go to the Web-based subscription form on the Copyright Office Website at www.copyright.gov. Go to "Announcements" and click on "NewsNet Bulletins." There you will find a fill-in form to subscribe to NewsNet.

You will receive a standard welcoming message indicating that your subscription to U.S. Copyright Office NewsNet has been accepted.

How Can I See a Record of My Copyright Registrations?

On the Internet, you may view the official record of your copyright registrations that have been made since Jan. 1, 1978. Connect to the Copyright Office Website at www.copyright.gov click on "Search Copyright Records," and follow the instructions.

It may take 2 or 3 months after you receive your certificate for your registration to appear in these permanent files.

SL-9, Rev. January 2002

Copyright Office Home - Library of Congress Home Contact Us 06-Nov-2003