Copyright Office Begins Accepting Electronic Registrations
The Copyright Office just began accepting, through its eCO system, electronic copyright registrations. The Copyright Office accepts “basic” electronic registrations only, including:
- single works;
- collections of unpublished works by the same author that are owned by the same claimant; and
- multiple published works contained in the same unit of publication that are owned by the same claimant.
To register online, go to the Copyright Office's eCO site, complete the application, pay the fee (you can pay be credit/debit card, Pay.gov or with a deposit account), and submit the work – works can be submitted electronically or by printing a shipping slip to accompany a hard copy of the work.
According to the Copyright Office, here are some of electronic filing benefits:
- Reduced filing fees;
- Faster processing time (you do not have the mailing delay);
- Online tracking of registration status; and
- Electronic deposit of certain classes of works.
