What are the Types of Online Copyright Registration Applications?

Table of Contents

What are the Types of Online Copyright Registration Applications?

The U.S. Copyright Office offers a variety of copyright registration applications depending on the number of works, the number of authors (“author” is the legal term for the creator of the work), and the type of work. For those who have never registered a work before, it may be difficult to know which application to choose. This overview is intended to make it easier by providing important information about different types of applications. While there are both online and physical paper applications, this overview focuses on the online applications. This resource is intended as a general overview of the different registration applications. Creators and copyright owners who are interested in filing one of these application are encouraged to review the more detailed information provided by the Copyright Office for a full explanation of the eligibility requirements and other important information about a particular application. For information on the current fee for each of these applications, visit the Copyright Office’s website.

Applications for Registering One Work

There are two types of applications for registering a single work. There are subtle difference between the two applications. Be sure to choose the correct one for your purposes. Choosing the wrong application could mean losing your application fee and having to start over with a new application.

Single Application

The Single Application is a streamlined application for registering one work by one author. The Single Application can only be used to register works created and owned by a single individual. This means that a work cannot be registered using the Single Application if it was created jointly by two or more authors, is a work made for hire, is a work that incorporates material created by someone else, etc.

The Single Application is designed for the simplest registrations. Because the Copyright Office considers registration of architecture, choreography, websites, databases, collective works, and secure tests to be more complex, these works cannot be registered using the Single Application. Most motion pictures and sound recordings are also ineligible for the Single Application. For example, motion pictures featuring two or more people, or where the person featured is being recorded by someone else, cannot be registered using the Single Application. A sound recording cannot be registered using the Single Application unless it was produced and performed solely by the same person, and that person must also be the sole author of the underlying work (e.g., song or literary work).

The Copyright Office provides numerous examples of works that cannot be registered using the Single Application, including:

• A novel with excerpts from an upcoming work at the end, even if you are the sole author and owner of both the novel and the excerpts
• A script and accompanying illustrations by a different person
• A sound recording that includes beats or music purchased or licensed for use on the track
• A derivative work or adaptation of another author’s work
• A work that incorporates stock photographs, family photographs, clip art, or images found online
• A video taken by one person featuring another person performing a song

The Single Application can be accessed online through the eCO system using the application labelled “One Work by One Author.” The application can be submitted by either the author/copyright owner of the work or a third party authorized by the author/copyright owner.

*Important note about filling out the Single Application form: If a third party submits the registration application, the third party must list their own name and contact information in the correspondent section.

For more information about the Single Application, check out the Copyright Office’s circular and video tutorial on the Single Application.

Standard Application

The Standard Application is the default application for registering a single work. It has much fewer restrictions and conditions than the Single Application. The Standard Application can be used to register a variety of types of works including a work created by a single author, a work created jointly by two or more authors, a work made for hire, a derivative work, a compilation, a collective work, and a unit of publication. And since the Standard Application is the default, any work that can be registered using the Single Application can also be registered using the Standard Application. For that reason, if there’s any uncertainty as to whether a work is appropriate for the Single Application, it may be safest to use the Standard Application.

Recording artists, podcasters, and other creators of sound recordings should also note that sound recording copyright owners can also use the Standard Application to register a sound recording together with the underlying musical composition, literary work, or dramatic work embodied in the sound recording under certain circumstances (see the section titled “Registration of Sound Recording with Work Embodied in It” in the Copyright Office’s circular 34 for more information).

For more information about the Standard Application, check out chapter 1403 of the Copyright Office Compendium and the video tutorial on the Standard Application.

Applications for Registering a Group of Works

Under certain circumstances, copyright owners may register groups of certain kinds of works together in one application at a significantly discounted rate as compared to registering each work individually. Although the group of works is registered together using the same application, each work is considered to be registered as its own separate work. Before we describe the different types of group registrations, we will take a moment to explain the differences between group registrations and collective works and unit of publications, which often get confused.

Group Registrations vs. Collective Works

It is important to understand that a group registration is not the same as a registering a collective work. A collective work is a compilation of separate works assembled together to create a “collective whole.” Unlike a group registration where each work is registered as its own individual work, a collective work is registered as a single work based on the collection, arrangement, or coordination of the underlying works. The Copyright Office provides numerous examples of collective works, including a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical containing multiple articles, illustrations, and photographs, or a DVD containing a motion picture, theatrical trailers, deleted scenes, and audio commentary from the director. A collective work can be registered using the Standard Application. For more information about collective works, check out the Copyright Office circular on multiple works.

Group Registrations vs. Unit of Publication

Group registrations also should not be confused with a unit of publication. Works that are “physically packaged or bundled together as a single unit”—for example, a package of greeting cards or a box set of CDs alongside accompanying liner notes—and first published together as a single unit may be registered together as a “unit of publication.” A unit of publication can be registered using the Standard Application. For more information about a unit of publication, check out the Copyright Office circular on multiple works.

The following is a list of the different group registration options available:

Group Registration for Published Photographs (GRPPH)

A copyright owner can register up to 750 published photographs together through the “Group Registration of Published Photographs” application. To register the photographs using the GRPPH application, all of the photographs must have been created by the same author and published in the same calendar year, and the copyright owner for all of the photographs must be the same person or organization. It is up to the copyright owner to determine whether the works have been published based on the legal definition of “publication.” More information about publication is available here. The GRPPH application cannot be used to register a mix of published and unpublished photographs. Only published photographs can be registered using this application (there is a separate group option for unpublished photographs, discussed below), so it is important to make a determination about whether each photograph is published (and when it was published) before including it in the group.

For more information about GRPPH, check out this resource and the video tutorial on the Group of Published Photographs provided by the Copyright Office.

Group Registration for Unpublished Photographs (GRUPH)

A copyright owner can register up to 750 unpublished photographs together through the “Group Registration for Unpublished Photographs” application. To register the photographs using the GRUPH application, all of the photographs must have been created by the same author and be unpublished, and the copyright owner for all of the photographs must be the same person or organization. It is up to the copyright owner to determine whether the works are published or unpublished based on the legal definition of “publication.” More information about publication is available here. The GRUPH application cannot be used to register a mix of published and unpublished photographs. Only unpublished photographs can be registered using this application (there is a separate group option for published photographs, discussed above), so it is important to make a determination about whether each photograph is unpublished before including it in the group.

For more information about GRUPH, check out this resource and the video tutorial on the Group of Unpublished Photographs provided by the Copyright Office.

Group Registration of Works on an Album of Music (GRAM)

There are two group registration options for registering works published on the same album of music:

• Musical works from an album

Using the GRAM application, a copyright owner can register up to twenty musical works (i.e., the underlying composition—harmony, melody, and rhythm) that were published together on the same album, with or without accompanying lyrics.

• Sound recordings from an album

Using the GRAM application, a copyright owner can register up to twenty sound recordings (i.e., the recorded performance of the song) that were published together on the same album. Any photographs, artwork, or liner notes that were first published on the album can also be included in this group registration, as long as at least two sound recordings are included in the group (however, the musical works and lyrics cannot be included).

Works created by two or more authors can be registered on the same GRAM application, but there must be a common joint author for every work being registered in the group. In other words, where more than one author created the works, all of the works included in the group must share at least one common author.

All of the works included in the group must be published. It is up to the copyright owner to determine whether the works are published or unpublished based on the legal definition of “publication.” More information about publication is available here. The GRAM application cannot be used to register a mix of published and unpublished works. Only published works can be registered using this application, so it is important to make a determination about whether each work is published before including it in the group.

More information about registering groups of works on an album of music, including the rules about who may be named as the claimant on the application, is available here.

Group Registration for Short Online Literary Works (GRTX)

A group of up to 50 Short Online Literary Works can be registered using a “Short Online Literary Work” application. Examples of works that fall into this group include blog entries, social media posts, short stories, and articles. Each work must contain at least 50 words, but no more than 17,500, and each work must be first published on a website or online platform. In addition, the works must be created by the same author or the same joint authors, and each author must be named as a claimant for each work. The works must be published online within three calendar months of each other. It is up to the copyright owner to determine whether the works are published or unpublished based on the legal definition of “publication.” More information about publication is available here. Only published works can be registered using this application, so it is important to make a determination about whether each work is published before including it in the group.

For more information about GRTX, check out this resource and the video tutorial on Short Online Works provided by the Copyright Office.

Groups of Unpublished Works (GRUW)

Up to ten unpublished works can be registered together through the “Group of Unpublished Works” application. All of the works in the group must be unpublished. It is up to the copyright owner to determine whether the works are unpublished based on the legal definition of “publication.” More information about publication is available here. In addition, every work in the group must fall within the same administrative classification (i.e., performing arts, sound recording, visual arts, or literary work) and must have the same author or co-authors. For example, if A & B write six songs and B writes four songs, all ten cannot be registered together. The authorship of all of the works in the group must be identical. For more information about GRUW, check out this resource from the Copyright Office.

Group Registration of Published Serials

Groups of published serials can be registered using the application labeled “Certain Groups of Published Works” (by selecting “Serial Issues” from the dropdown menu). The Copyright Office defines a serial as “a work that is issued or intended to be issued on an established schedule in successive parts bearing numerical or chronological designations that are intended to be continued indefinitely.” Examples of serials include periodicals,* newspapers,* magazines, newsletters,* annuals, etc. Every issue must be a serial published under the same continuing title. Each issue must be an all-new collective work that has not been previously published, and each issue must be made for hire. The author and claimant for each issue must be the same person or organization. Each issue registered in the group must be published within three months within the same calendar year. It is up to the copyright owner to determine whether the works are published or unpublished based on the legal definition of “publication.” More information about publication is available here. Only published works can be registered using this application, so it is important to make a determination about whether each work is published before including it in the group. More information about registering groups of published serials is available here and here.

*There are different eligibility requirements for registering groups of periodicals, groups of newsletters, and groups of newspapers, as detailed below.

Group Registration of Newspapers

A full month of newspaper issues can be registered together using the application labeled “Certain Groups of Published Works” (by selecting “Daily Newspapers” from the dropdown menu). Every issue must be a serial published under the same continuing title. Each newspaper issue must be an all-new collective work that has not been previously published, and each issue must be a work made for hire. The author and claimant for each issue must be the same person or organization. Each issue registered in the group must be published within the same calendar month. It is up to the copyright owner to determine whether the works are published or unpublished based on the legal definition of “publication.” More information about publication is available here. Only published works can be registered using this application, so it is important to make a determination about whether each work is published before including it in the group.

For more information about registering groups of newspapers, check out this circular and the video tutorial on Group Registration of Newspapers provided by the Copyright Office.

Group Registration of Newsletters

A group of newsletters can be registered together using the application labeled “Certain Groups of Published Works” (by selecting “Daily Newsletters” from the dropdown menu). The Copyright Office defines a newsletter as “a serial that is published and distributed by mail, electronic media, or other medium. The issues must contain news or information chiefly of interest to a special group, such as trade and professional associations, colleges, schools, or churches. Newsletters are typically distributed through subscriptions, but are not distributed through newsstands or other retail outlets.” To be eligible for this group registration option, every issue must be published under the same continuing title. Each newsletter issue must be an all-new issue or all-new collective work that has not been previously published. The author and claimant for each issue must be the same person or organization. Each issue registered in the group must be published within the same calendar month. It is up to the copyright owner to determine whether the works are published or unpublished based on the legal definition of “publication.” More information about publication is available here. Only published works can be registered using this application, so it is important to make a determination about whether each work is published before including it in the group. More information about registering groups of newsletters is available here.

Groups of Contributions to Periodicals

Groups of Contributions to Periodicals can be registered using the application labeled “Certain Groups of Published Works.” A contribution to a periodical is a separate and independent work published in a periodical, like a photograph published in a magazine or an article published in a journal. There are two types of applications for registering contributions to periodicals. To register visual arts-based contributions, select “Contribution to Periodicals VA” from the dropdown menu. For primarily text-based contributions, select “Contribution to Periodicals TX.” All of the contributions in the group must be by the same author. These works cannot be works made for hire. The claimant for every contribution must be the same person or organization. Each of the works in the group must be published in a periodical within the same twelve-month period.

For more information about registering contributions to a periodical, check out this circular and the video tutorial on Contributions to Periodicals provided by the Copyright Office.

Other Group Registration Options

Groups of Database Updates and Revisions

Groups of updates to non-photographic databases may be registered together by using a paper application only (i.e., there is no online group registration application for databases). The work in question must qualify as a database, all of the updates/revisions must be original works of authorship, the revisions must be done under the same general title, and the subject of the updates must be similar in context. All of the works in the group must be owned by the same claimant, and the updates must have occurred within a three-month period. More information about this registration option is available here.

Groups of Questions, Answers, and Other Items Prepared for Use in a Secure Test

Groups of items for use in Secure Tests (i.e., questions, answers, and related materials) can be registered together using the Standard Application. This application is designed to keep the test items secure so that the items cannot be used improperly. To be eligible for this group registration option, the test must include a fixed set of test questions, answers, and other material that are administered under supervision at specified centers on scheduled dates where all copies of the test are accounted for and either destroyed or returned to locked storage after each administration. Note that submitting the application is only the first step. Applicants will also be required to fill out a questionnaire and attend an in-person appointment for further examination of the test items. More information about registering secure tests is available here and here.