Three Things Creators Should Know About the Upcoming Increase in U.S. Copyright Office Registration Fees
Over the course of 2026, the U.S. Copyright Office (USCO) has been considering increasing the fees it charges for various services, including copyright registration fees. After conducting cost studies and a public comment period on the issue, the Office submitted its formal proposal to Congress in July recommending that a majority of fees be increased. Congress is reviewing the proposal, but it is almost certain that the increases will go into effect as early as November 12. In preparation for the coming increases, here are the three things that creators and copyright owners should know about the Copyright Office’s upcoming copyright registration fee increases.
1. The Copyright Office’s Proposal Increases Fees Across the Board by 43%
The Copyright Office’s proposed fee increases, of which a good majority affect copyright registration fees, amounts to a 43% increase across the board. In its public study and reports leading up to its proposed schedule to Congress, the Office repeatedly pointed to “historic inflation of 33% since the last fee study [based on 2016 and 2017 costs] … as well as anticipated inflation over the next three years at a projected rate of 3%” as the main rationale for the proposal to increase fees. The Copyright Office states that the increases it is proposing will bring the Office’s cost recovery back to more normal, historic levels.
Below are a few of the many copyright registration related fee increases that creators and copyright owners should know about (the complete list is in the proposed schedule on page 19):
| Registration Type | Current Fee | Proposed New Fee | % Increase |
| Electronic Filing | |||
| – (single author, same claimant, on work, not a work made for hire) | $45 | $55 | +22% |
| – All other filings | $65 | $85 | +31% |
| Paper Filing (Forms PA, SR, TX, VA, SE) | $125 | $185 | +48% |
| Registration of a claim in a group of published photographs or a claim in a group of unpublished photographs (electronic filing only) | $55 | $85 | +55% |
| Registration of a group of works on an album (electronic filing only) | |||
| – Musical works | $65 | $85 | +31% |
| – Sound recordings, photographs, artwork, and liner notes | $65 | $130 | +100% |
| Registration of a group of short online literary works (electronic filing only) | $65 | $130 | +100% |
| Registration of a group of 2D artwork (electronic filing only) | $85 | $130 | +53% |
Indeed, while costs and inflation have gone up in the past six years, the Copyright Alliance, other creator organizations, and copyright owners have raised significant questions about the manner in which the Office arrived at the final fee increases.
2. Fee Increases Will Go into Effect on November 12
The Copyright Act states that once the Copyright Office submits its proposed fee schedule to Congress, Congress has 120 days to consider the proposal. If Congress does not enact a law stating in substance that it does not approve the fee schedule, then it will go into effect 120 days after the proposal was submitted. Since Congress is unlikely to enact such a law, the increased fees are virtually certain to be implemented.
For the current fee study, the Copyright Office submitted its proposal on July 14, meaning that the new fees, including the increases in copyright registration fees, will go into effect as early as November 12.
3. The Copyright Office Will Continue to Offer the Single Application Form (For Now)
When the Copyright Office formally launched its fee study in March of this year, it originally proposed to eliminate the Single Application registration option, which is used to register single works where there is only one author who is also the sole copyright claimant. As the Copyright Alliance pointed out in our comments to the Copyright Office, this registration option is frequently used by professional creators who regularly register single works. In our survey, 59% of respondent-creators who regularly register single works and who use the Single Application said that they would be less likely to file for copyright registration if the Copyright Office eliminated the Single Application option.
In its proposed fee schedule to Congress, the Copyright Office reconsidered the elimination of this option and instead proposed to keep it and increase the fee charged for this service by $10 (or approximately 22%). The Office also noted that it does not expect to make the single application option available in its new Enterprise Copyright System (ECS) Registration system that is due to go live in 2028.
Copyright Registration is Getting More Expensive. Does It Still Make Sense for Creators to Register Their Copyrights?
Creators and copyright owners may find it discouraging to know that fees to register their works will likely increase soon. Especially in a challenging digital environment where piracy and other infringement problems have worsened and recent court decisions have made it more difficult for creators to enforce their copyrights. But it’s important to understand the many benefits of registering their copyrighted works with the U.S. Copyright Office, including:
- Gaining the ability to bring infringement actions and enforce your copyrights in federal court or in Copyright Claims Board proceedings;
- Having proof of a valid copyright, which is particularly helpful in copyright ownership disputes and makes it harder for someone to challenge your copyright;
- Being eligible for statutory damages and attorneys’ fees instead of having to proof actual damages;
- Being eligible to participate in class action lawsuit settlements, especially the many AI class action suits that have been filed; and
- Getting a host of other benefits, the details of which you can read about in our FAQ on Registration Benefits.
Copyright registration is a choice that a creator or copyright owner makes based on numerous factors. Increased registration fees will put even more financial pressures on creative businesses and workflows, and the recent proposed increases may lead many creators and copyright owners to make a tough decision and not register their works or do so less frequently.
But the challenging digital piracy and AI pressures that creators face today make it more crucial than ever for creators of all genres to register their works so that they can have all of the benefits at their fingertips afforded by the Copyright Act. Creators and copyright owners lose out on these benefits by not registering their copyrights. As seen in a recent AI lawsuit settlement and in the ongoing lawsuits, the failure to register works has been a headache for creators and copyright owners who could have been excluded from class actions because they did not register their works.
In the meantime, we encourage creators and copyright owners to stay on top of news such as how the copyright registration modernization efforts are progressing as new developments and new solutions like alternative fee structures could make registration more affordable. A great way to do that is to join the Copyright Alliance as a Creator Member! It’s free and you can stay up-to-date on all the latest copyright developments and news.
If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!