The guide below is copied verbatim from the Copyright Office. We’d love to make it simpler for you, but such is the way of government administration. We can, however, provide some answers to common questions as follows:
- If you want to register photographs as photographs, those can always be sent electronically.
- The same is true for paintings, sculpture, and jewelry. Read here for guidance on these types of works.
- For other works, if it was first published in a physical form, such as a paper book, CD, or DVD, the Copyright Office requires physical copies be mailed to them.
- If you are registering a book that includes photos, the book registration will cover the photos. BUT the same rule applies if the book is first published in physical form.
RightsClick can process registration applications requiring both physical and digital deposit copies. When physical copies are required, we email you the shipping slip, and you are responsible for sending the materials to the Copyright Office.
Ask RightsClick, and we’ll do our best to provide guidance.
USCO Guidelines
An electronic copy can be uploaded and is strongly encouraged when:
- Your work is unpublished.
- Your work was published ONLY in electronic format (such as an ebook released solely as a download) and NOT in a physical format (such as a hardcover or paperback book).
- Your work was published and identifying material is permitted or required (instead of sending a complete copy of the work). For more information, see section 1506, chapter 1500, of the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices Third Edition.
- Your work is first published abroad in electronic format regardless of whether it was later published in a physical format.
- You are registering a musical work that was published solely in an audio format (such as a CD, LP, or digital audio file) but was not published in a printed format, such as sheet music.
- You are registering an architectural work.
- You are seeking a group registration for:
- Up to 20 musical works that were published on the same album
- Up to 20 sound recordings and any photographs, artwork, or liner notes that were first published on the same album, if the album was distributed solely in a digital format and was not distributed in a physical format (such as CD, LP, etc.)
- Up to 750 photographs (published or unpublished)
A electronic deposit must be submitted when:
- You are seeking a group registration for:
- Up to 10 unpublished works
- Up to 3 months of issues from a serial publication, such as a magazine or journal
- A month of issues from the same newspaper or newsletter
- A group of works created by an individual author that were first published in a periodical
- A group of short online literary works created by an individual authors that were first published online
- A group of items prepared for use in a secure test
A physical deposit must be submitted when:
- Your work was first published in the United States BEFORE you submitted your claim to the Copyright Office, and the work was published in a physical format, such as a compact disc, DVD, or a paperback book
- You work was first published in the United States BEFORE you submitted your claim to the Copyright Office, and the work was published BOTH in a physical AND an electronic format (such as a sound recording that was released both on compact disc and as a download)
- Your work was first published abroad BEFORE you submitted your claim to the Copyright Office, and the work was first published in a physical format, such as a compact disc, DVD, or a paperback book