How much does it cost to register a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office?
The answer depends on whether you file an application online or on paper.
If you file a paper application with the Copyright Office, the cost to formally register a copyright is $85.
If you file an application online, the fee will be either $35 or $55. You can file a “Single Application” for $35 if the following requirements are met:
(1) the application is filed electronically;
(2) all the authorship contained in the work is by the same author;
(3) there is only one work (collections of individual works are excluded);
(4) the work is by a single author (joint works and works made for hire are excluded);
(5) the author must be the sole claimant or owner of the copyright; and
(6) the application must be submitted by the author/claimant or an authorized third party.
If the above requirements cannot be met, you can file a “Standard Application” for $55. For a person who wants to register a copyright that will cover multiple creative works (e.g., multiple songs in an album), he or she would file a Standard Application.
For sound recordings, you can register one song, or an entire CD full of songs, as registering each song individually can be expensive and time consuming. Similarly, if you are a blogger and wanted to register your work, you could register each individual blog post you make, or more conveniently, you could collect your articles and register them together every few months or years.
If you have any questions about the formal copyright registration process or the rules of the U.S. Copyright Office, feel free to contact New Media Rights via our contact form to find out whether you qualify for free or reduced fee legal services. We also offer competitive full fee legal services on a selective basis. For more information on the services we provide, click here.
