17 U.S.C. § 409 — Application for copyright registration
submitted 50 years ago by Pub. L. 94-553 to r/title-17-COPYRIGHTS · 284 words · no verdicts yet
This law lists what a copyright registration application must include. It requires the claimant's name, facts about the author, and the work's title and creation date. It also requires publication details, if published, and facts about any earlier work it's based on.
The copyright registration application uses a form the Register of Copyrights prescribes. It must include:
(1) the copyright claimant's name and address;
(2) for a work that isn't anonymous or pseudonymous, the author's (or authors') name and nationality or home country, and, if any author has died, the date of death;
(3) for an anonymous or pseudonymous work, the author's (or authors') nationality or home country;
(4) if it's a "work made for hire," a statement saying so;
(5) if the claimant isn't the author, a brief statement of how the claimant got ownership of the copyright;
(6) the work's title, plus any earlier or alternate titles it could be identified by;
(7) the year the work's creation was finished;
(8) if published, the date and country of first publication;
(9) for a compilation* or a derivative work, what earlier work(s) it's based on or includes, and a brief statement of what new material the registration covers; and
(10) any other information the Register of Copyrights considers useful for identifying the work or figuring out who owns the copyright and how long it lasts.
If someone applies to register the renewed and extended copyright term under section 304(a)(3)(A), and the work was never registered for its original term, the Register may ask for information about the copyright's existence, ownership, or duration.
The application for copyright registration shall be made on a form prescribed by the Register of Copyrights and shall include—
the name and address of the copyright claimant;
in the case of a work other than an anonymous or pseudonymous work, the name and nationality or domicile of the author or authors, and, if one or more of the authors is dead, the dates of their deaths;
if the work is anonymous or pseudonymous, the nationality or domicile of the author or authors;
in the case of a work made for hire, a statement to this effect;
if the copyright claimant is not the author, a brief statement of how the claimant obtained ownership of the copyright;
the title of the work, together with any previous or alternative titles under which the work can be identified;
the year in which creation of the work was completed;
if the work has been published, the date and nation of its first publication;
in the case of a compilation* or derivative work, an identification of any preexisting work or works that it is based on or incorporates, and a brief, general statement of the additional material covered by the copyright claim being registered; and
any other information regarded by the Register of Copyrights as bearing upon the preparation or identification of the work or the existence, ownership, or duration of the copyright.
If an application is submitted for the renewed and extended term provided for in section 304(a)(3)(A) and an original term registration has not been made, the Register may request information with respect to the existence, ownership, or duration of the copyright for the original term.
Source credit: (Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2582; Pub. L. 102–307, title I, § 102(b)(1), June 26, 1992, 106 Stat. 266; Pub. L. 111–295, § 4(b)(2), Dec. 9, 2010, 124 Stat. 3180.)
- 1976Enacted · Pub. L. 94-553 · 90 Stat. 2582
- 1992Amended · Pub. L. 102-307 · 106 Stat. 266
- 2010Amended · Pub. L. 111-295 · 124 Stat. 3180
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 94-553 on 1976-10-19.
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