COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION

Is It Possible to Change the Title of a Work That I’ve Registered? How Do I Get Copies of My Copyright Registrations Filed From 20 Years Ago? Does The Copyright Office Continue to Recommend Including Content Titles For Their Unpublished Works? I’m Hearing That an Updated eCO Registration Procedure Is in the Works. If So, Can You Elaborate? What Happens if a Photographer Either Incorrectly/Incompletely Submits an Application for Registration? Can We Get Rid of the 750 Image Limit Per Registration of Groups of Published Images? How Can I Copyright the Name of My Band? What Are Statutory Damages and Why Do They Matter? What Rights Do I Have to Prevent my Co-Writer to Change Our Copyright Registration? 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? Why Does It Take 8 to 12 Months to Receive a Copyright Registration? Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic? At what point in the creative process do you register a copyrighted work that is continuously being updated or revised, like a screenplay? How do I copyright my paintings? What’s the best way to go about registering hundreds or thousands of photographs? There seem to be some limits on what you can submit as a batch. Can you clarify what the limits are, if any? I would like to register images from my archives. As a commercial photographer, it is impossible to determine when images have been published by clients. Do I have to use my legal name to register a work? 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. Is There a Bulk Submission Option for Composers Who Wish to Register a Large Number of Compositions? How do I register my claims to copyright? Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic? Several Poems From my Book Were Previously Published, Should These Poems Be Registered Individually? Do I have to register with the Copyright Office to be protected? What is the difference between “Published” vs. “Unpublished” works, why does it matter, and how does the difference relate to Online vs. Print publishing? If I Fail to List the Date of 1st Publication, Does That Invalidate the Registration Even if They Get Their Certificate in the Mail? I have this idea for a phone app, and have written out a description of the product, and have drawn some potential interface layouts. Should I register my idea with the U.S. Copyright Office? What are the benefits of registering my work? I thought I owned my work as soon as I create it, so why do I need to pay money to register it? Is there such a thing as the “poor man’s copyright”? If not, does the postmark date provide a creator any value? If an image is inside of a registered work, like a book, is the image also registered? Similarly, if the registered book required a renewal registration, is the image’s registration also renewed? What is the best method to register when I have hundreds of unpublished images from over the years, but I have no idea when they were taken? What is the best way to register when I have 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"? It is unclear to many photographers what types of mediums or transactions make an image published for registration purposes? Which of the following scenarios would make an image published? If I license an image to a client that is actually incorporated into a published work, is the publication date the date it was published or the date I sent the image to the client? What is the rationale for having separate registration applications for published and unpublished works? Photographers are regularly modifying old photographs, so at what point would a photograph need to be re-registered? If a creator uses works in the public domain (e.g. Shakespeare play, the Bill of Rights, etc.), how does this affect the copyright registration application process? Is there a way to expedite the process for receiving a Certificate of Registration, and how long does that process take? If an author has a pending application with the Copyright Office, and now needs to expedite the process, can they do this? 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? When I’m registering a group of photographs, is it better to submit individual images, or should the images be grouped together on a one-page PDF file? If individual files are preferred, what is the best file size and type to deposit? Since the application for registration requires the deposit to be the “best edition” of a work, what kind of deposit does the Copyright Office recommend for an online-only publication? How long will I have to finish my online registration application once I’ve started it? In other words, is my application deleted if it is not submitted within a certain period of time? If I have made a mistake on my registration (e.g. wrong date of publication, etc.) or I have noticed a mistake made by the Copyright Office, must I notify the Copyright Office for the registration to be valid? And, if so, how should I go about correcting this information? Who is the best person to contact if there are problems with my specific application? For example, I have had problems with registrations being either lost or fraught with inaccuracies? Do you have any recommendations for saving money or moving a registration application more quickly through the registration process? Are there any common mistakes by registrants that can be easily avoided? What is the rationale for increasing registration fees? We have been unsuccessful in depositing electronic copies of images, so we deposit by mail. Are there any plans to upgrade or simplify the technology to handle mass deposit needs? Is the Copyright Office considering having a subscription option for fees, where a creator can register an unlimited number of works for one annual payment? Can you please explain why the timeline for receiving a Certificate of Registration has gone from three months to eight months?