This section of the website is intended to answer copyright-related questions from individual creators, small business owners, and members of the public about copyright law in an FAQ format. The information on these pages, like the information on the rest of the website, should be used solely for educational purposes as it does not constitute legal advice. We urge creators who are looking for more detailed answers to their questions or assistance that goes beyond these copyright questions and answers to consult an attorney or a volunteer lawyer for the arts or law clinic for help. If there are particular questions that we do not address in this section or in our Copyright Law Explained section, please share them with us and we will try to post an answer to them.
Copyright Basics
Copyright and Other Forms of Intellectual Property
- What is copyright?
- How does copyright work?
- How Long Does a Copyright Last?
- When is my work protected by a copyright?
- Differences Between Copyright, Trademarks, Patents, and Trade Secrets?
- How Can I Copyright the Name of my Band?
- Do copyright laws apply on the internet?
What Does Copyright Protect?
- What Does Copyright Law Protect?
- What Is Not Protected by Copyright Law?
- Are works by the U.S. government protected by copyright?
- What Types of Dances are Copyrightable?
- Can You Copyright Fashion Designs?
- Are Tattoos Protected by Copyright?
- Are Tweets Protected by Copyright?
- Are Emojis Protected by Copyright?
- Is Fake News Protected by Copyright?
- How Jewelry Is Protected by Copyright Law
- Are Recipes and Cookbooks Protected by Copyright?
- Are Flower Arrangements Copyrightable?
- Does Copyright Law Protect Gravestones?
Copyright Notice
- What is a Copyright Notice?
- Is There Value in Marking an Image with a Copyright Symbol?
- Is There Value in Signing and Dating an Image?
- what is “All Rights Reserved”?
The Public Domain
- Is It Public Domain?
- Am I allowed to use archived or public domain works that are found online?
- Can works that have fallen into the public domain be freely used?
Copyright Registration
Copyright Registration, Generally
- What are the Types of Online Copyright Registration Applications?
- How Do I Get Copies of my Copyright Registrations Filed 20 years ago?
- Can Incarcerated Creators Register and Own a Copyright?
- How Do I Copyright My Paintings?
- Several Poems From My Book Were Previously Published, Should These Poems be Registered Individually?
- Should I Register My Idea with the U.S. Copyright Office?
- Is There Such a Thing as the “Poor Man’s Copyright”?
- If an Image Is Inside of a Registered Work, Is the Image Also Registered?
- How do I register my claims to copyright?
- How do you register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office?
- How do I obtain a copyright?
- Do you have to be an American citizen to be able to register works with the Copyright Office?
Timing and Fees
- Do You Have Any Recommendations for Saving Money or Moving a Registration Application More Quickly Through the Registration Process?
- What Is the Rationale for Increasing Registration Fees?
- Will There Be A Copyright Registration Subscription?
- Can You Expedite a Copyright Registration?
- When Should You Update a Photography Copyright?
- Can You Expedite Already Pending Copyright Applications?
- When do you register a copyrighted work that is continuously being updated or revised?
Completing the Application
- Does the Copyright Office Recommend Including Content Titles for Their Unpublished Works?
- Can You Register Your Copyright Under a Pseudonym?
- If I Fail to List the Date of 1st Publication, Does That Invalidate the Registration?
- If a Creator Uses Works in the Public Domain, How Does This Affect the Copyright Registration Application Process?
- How Long Will I Have to Finish My Online Registration Application Once I’ve Started It?
- Who Is the Best Person to Contact if There Are Problems With My Specific Application?
- Can We Get Rid of the 750 Image Limit Per Registration of Groups of Published Images?
- What is the Best Way To Register Group Photographs?
- What Kind of Deposit Does the Copyright Office Recommend for an Online-Only Publication?
- Are There Any Plans to Upgrade or Simplify the Technology to Handle Mass Deposit Needs?
- What’s the Best Way to Register Thousands of Photographs?
Registration Adjustments and Mistakes
- How Do I Update my Address with the Copyright Office?
- Do I Have to Re-Register a Musical Work to Show Changes in the Gender of Performer?
- Is It Possible to Change the Title of a Work That I’ve Registered?
- What Happens if a Photographer Incorrectly/Incompletely Submits an Application for Registration?
- What Rights Do I Have to Prevent My Co-Writer to Change Our Copyright Registration?
- I Registered a Sound Recording Copyright in 1988. I Am Listed as The Creator, But The Copyright Was Placed in My Now Deceased Mother’s Name, as It Was a Gift to Her.
- Do You Have to Notify the Copyright Office of a Registration Mistake for the Registration to Be Valid?
Published V. Unpublished
- How to Register Images From Archives?
- What is the difference between “Published” vs. “Unpublished” works, why does it matter, and how does the difference relate to Online vs. Print publishing?
- How to Register Unpublished Images When You Have No Idea When They Were Taken?
- What Is the Best Way to Register Hundreds of Published Images That I’ve Taken This Year?
- What Is the Best Way to Register When I Have Hundreds of Published Images From Over the Years, but I Have No Idea When They Were Taken?
- What Is the Copyright Office Policy Regarding Registration of Published and Unpublished Works?
- What Is the Copyright Office’s Definition of “Published”?
- What Types of Mediums or Transactions Make an Image Published for Registration Purposes?
- Is the Publication Date the Date It Was Published or the Date I Sent the Image to the Client?
- Why Are Their Separate Registration Applications for Published and Unpublished Works?
- Is There a Bulk Submission Option for Composers?
Benefits of Registering
- What Are The Benefits of Registration?
- Do I have to register with the Copyright Office to be protected?
- What are statutory damages and why do they matter?
- Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?
- If a Photograph Was Previously Registered Inside of a Collection or a Group, and Has Now Gained Independent Success, Should the Image Be Re-Registered as a Single Work to Maximize the Benefits of Registration?
Copyright Ownership
- Do I have the right to use photographs taken by my late father in the 60s and 70s in a book?
- What does it mean when a work is “Made for Hire”?
- Why does it matter if a work is “Made for Hire”?
- What rights do copyright owners have?
Copyright Transfers
- Exclusive and Non-Exclusive Licenses: What’s The Difference?
- I’m making a short film and want to add music, but how am I supposed to contact famous artists to get permission?
- What is copyright licensing?
- How do I obtain permission to use works?
- What is a Creative Commons license?
- How do I find out who owns the copyright so I can obtain a license?
- I requested permission from the copyright owner but have not heard back. Can I use the material anyway?
- How to Get Copyright Permission or License?
Limitations on a Copyright Owner’s Rights
- Why Is Parody Considered Fair Use but Satire Isn’t?
- Does the first sale exception apply to licensed copies?
- If a copy is obtained through a legal download can I transfer my copy to someone else under the first sale doctrine?
- What is fair use?
- Is It Considered Fair Use for a Political Campaign to Use Music or Other Copyrighted Works?
- How do I know if something is fair use and not copyright infringement?
- Is there a blanket exemption for educational uses or uses by educational institutions?
Copyright Infringement
- Must a creator have a physical Certificate of Registration to bring a lawsuit in federal court?
- Can the Copyright Alliance help me pursue the infringer or stop the infringement?
- Where else can I report copyright infringement?
- Can I copy and paste the article into my company’s internal newsletter or upload it onto the company’s intranet?
- Can I post or upload news articles from an online publication that I subscribe to onto my company’s intranet or network?
- What remedies can I get once I prove that another person infringed my copyright?
- If I didn’t know that what I was doing violated the copyright law, isn’t that a good defense or could I still be found guilty of infringement?
- I found something on the internet I want to use. Do I need permission?
- Is it legal to upload and download copyrighted works to or from a peer-to-peer network?
- If a photographer registers 500 images using either the group registration for published or unpublished photographs, does each image receive individual statutory protection, or is the group only eligible for one single statutory damage award?
- I received a notice saying that my internet connection was used to distribute infringing material but I didn’t know I was uploading copyrighted files.
Artificial Intelligence
- Is AI-Generated Output Protected by Copyright?
- Who Owns the Copyright to AI-Generated Works?
- How to Register AI-Generated Works with the Copyright Office?
- How to Register Works Containing AI-Generated Elements?
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
- What is the DMCA notice and takedown process?
- How do I send a DMCA notice to get infringing material taken down from a site?
- Can I send a DMCA notice to get material taken down that is not an infringement of my copyrights?
- How can I find out the identity of an infringer that posted anonymously?
International Aspects of Copyright
- Is my copyright valid and enforceable in other countries?
- Should I register my copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office if I am living outside of the United States or if I am not a U.S. citizen?
- Do you have to be an American citizen to be able to register works with the Copyright Office?
- If a foreign creator registers work in their home country, do they receive protection in the U.S.?
Copyright Claims Board FAQs
- CCB Basics
- Fees to Bring or Defend a Case Before the CCB
- Filing a Claim with the CCB
- Notifying a Respondent About the Claims Filed Against Them
- Defending Against a Claim Before the CCB
- Opting Out of a Proceeding Before the CCB
- CCB Processes and Procedures
- What Happens After a Claimant Files a Claim with the CCB & the Case Becomes an Active Proceeding
- Decisions by the CCB
- May 16, 2022: CCB Panel Q&As
- Remedies Available at the CCB