U.S. Copyright Office Basics: "Fees"

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Note about Fees: Copyright Office fees are subject to change. For current fees, please check the Copyright Office website, write the Copyright Office, or call (202) 707-3000.

All remittances should be in the form of drafts, that is, checks, money orders, or bank drafts, payable to Register of Copyrights. Do not send cash. Drafts must be redeemable without service or exchange fee through a U. S. institution, must be payable in U. S. dollars, and must be imprinted with American Banking Association routing numbers. International Money Orders and Postal Money Orders that are negotiable only at a post office are not acceptable.

If a check received in payment of the filing fee is returned to the Copyright Office as uncollectible, the Copyright Office will cancel the registration and will notify the remitter. The filing fee for processing an original, supplementary, or renewal claim is nonrefundable, whether or not copyright registration is ultimately made. Do not send cash. The Copyright Office cannot assume any responsibility for the loss of currency sent in payment of copyright fees. For further information, request Circular 4 [temporarily unavailable], Copyright Fees.

Certain Fees and Services May Be Charged to a Credit Card

Some fees may be charged by telephone and in person in the office. Others may only be charged in person in the office. Credit card payments are generally authorized only for services that do not require filing of applications or other materials. An exception is made for fees related to items that are hand-carried into the Public Information Office.

Certifications and Documents Section: These fees may be charged in person in the office or by phone: additional certificates; copies of documents and deposits; searching, locating and retrieving deposits; certifications; and expedited processing.

Public Information Office: These fees may only be charged in person in the office, not by phone: standard registration request forms; special handling requests for all standard registration requests; requests for services provided by the Certifications and Documents Section when the request is accompanied by a request for special handling; search requests for which a fee estimate has been provided; additional fee for each claim using the same deposit; full term retention fees; appeal fees; Secure Test processing fee; short fee payments when accompanied by a Remittance Due Notice; in-process retrieval fees; and online service providers fees.

Reference and Bibliography Section: Requests for searches on a regular or expedited basis can be charged to a credit card by phone.

Records Maintenance Unit: Computer time on COINS, printing from the Optical Disk, and photocopying can be charged in person in the office.

Fiscal Control Section: Deposit Accounts maintained by the Fiscal Control Section may be replenished by credit card. See Circular 5 [temporarily unavailable], How to Open and Maintain a Deposit Account in the Copyright Office.

NIE recordations and claims filed on Form GATT may be paid by credit card if the card number is included in a separate letter that accompanies the form.

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What Is Copyright?

Who Can Claim Copyright?

-----Copyright and National Origin of the Work

What Works Are Protected?

What Is Not Protected by Copyright?

How to Secure Copyright

Publication

Notice of Copyright

-----Form of Notice for Visually Perceptible Copies

-----Form of Notice for Phonorecords of Sound Recordings

-----Position of Notice

-----Publications Incorporating U.S. Government Works

-----Unpublished Works

-----Omission of Notice and Errors in Notice

How Long Copyright Protection Endures

Transfer of Copyright

-----Termination of Transfers

International Copyright Protection

Copyright Registration

Registration Procedures

-----Original Registration

-----Preregistration

-----Special Deposit Requirements

-----Unpublished Collections

Effective Date of Registration

Corrections and Amplifications of Existing Registrations

Mandatory Deposit for Works Published in the United States

Use of Mandatory Deposit to Satisfy Registration Requirements

Who May File an Application Form?

Application Forms

-----Fill-in Forms Available

Fees

Search of Copyright Office Records

For Further Information

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Source: U.S. Copyright Office
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Revised July 2006
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