How to Register a Copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office

A step-by-step, plain-English overview of registering your creative work with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Why register when protection is already automatic

Your work is protected by copyright the moment you create it, but registration creates a public record of your claim and is generally required before you can file a U.S. infringement lawsuit. Registering also opens the door to statutory damages and attorney's fees, which can be far more valuable than actual damages alone.

Step 1: Create an account with the Copyright Office

Registration happens through the U.S. Copyright Office's online system, eCO (Electronic Copyright Office). You'll create a free account before starting an application.

Step 2: Choose the right application type

The Copyright Office offers different application types depending on what you're registering — a single work, a group of photographs, a group of unpublished works, and other categories each have their own specific requirements.

Step 3: Describe your work and upload a copy

You'll fill out details about the work (title, author, year of creation) and upload a digital copy or deposit sample, depending on the type of work.

Step 4: Pay the filing fee and wait for processing

After paying the required filing fee, your application enters a processing queue. Processing times vary and change over time — confirm current typical timelines at copyright.gov.

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