Steps
- Make sure your work is a literary work. Literary works may be published or unpublished and include nondramatic textual works with or without illustrations. Computer programs and databases also are considered literary works.
- Decide where to registerThere are a number of specialist international copyright registration organizations, and most will store a copy of your work as evidence of your claim, and will be able to produce it as evidence to help prove your claim in the event of a copyright dispute.
- If you are a US citizen, you will need to register with the US Copyright Office (Library of Congress) before you are able to make a claim in a US court. Registration may also entitle you to statutory damages in a US court case.
- For registration outside the US, choose a reputable service or speak to your solicitor. The links below should help.
- Register your work - US citizens
- Obtain Form TX or Short Form TX (choose which form to use) from the Library of Congress.
- Fill out the application and post it along with a copy of your work and the registration fee.
- If your submission is in order, you should receive a certificate of registration in about 4 to 5 months.
- Register your work - Outside the US
- Historically, many people used to simply lodge copies with a solicitor, but these days there are a number of specialist services such as the UKCS are cheaper and take better care of your work than a solicitor, and are generally much faster than a US registration.
Tips
- Re-check form prior to mailing, to make sure you have signed and dated it, and attached the check.
- Make a copy of the forms for safe keeping in case the original gets lost in the mail.
Warnings
- Registration deposits are normally non-returnable. Send a copy of your work, not the original.
- In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the British Library should also be sent a copy of any published book within one month of publication, (your publisher will normally take care of this for you).
References
Where to register copyrightCopyright adviceAlternatives to registration
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