Why Foreigners Should Register in US

Full Question: 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?

Answer: Regardless of your country of residence or citizenship, there are certain statutory benefits afforded by U.S. copyright law that you only get if you register your copyrighted work with the U.S. Copyright Office. For instance, in order to claim statutory damages and attorney’s fees in an infringement action, and to obtain the evidentiary presumption of validity, the work must be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Consequently, if you think you might need to enforce your copyright in the United States, you will want to strongly consider registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office.

If you think you might need to enforce your copyright in the country of residence or citizenship, you may also want to consider registering your copyright in that county. We cannot advise you regarding the significance (if any) of a U.S. copyright registration under the laws of other countries, or how to obtain a copyright registration under the laws of any other country. For more information on international copyright issues, please visit the international page of our website at: https://copyright.gov/international-issues/.

current as of: 10/2020