FAQ
Copyright registration questions, answered.
Everything people ask about registering a copyright, in one place.
General
- How long does copyright registration take?
- We file your registration with the US Copyright Office within 2-3 business days of receiving your order. The Copyright Office typically takes 3-12 months to process registrations and issue your Certificate of Registration. You'll receive email updates throughout the process.
- What's included in the $149 price?
- Everything. Our service fee, the US Copyright Office filing fee ($65 for single works, $85 for collections), document preparation, filing, and status updates until your registration is complete. No hidden fees.
- Do I already have a copyright without registering?
- Yes, copyright exists automatically when you create an original work. However, registration provides critical legal benefits: you cannot file an infringement lawsuit without a registration, and registration makes you eligible for statutory damages up to $150,000 per infringement plus attorney's fees. Think of registration as the difference between having a lock on your door and having a security system with cameras.
- What file formats do you accept?
- We accept virtually any file format: PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, MP3, WAV, MP4, DOC, DOCX, PSD, AI, ZIP, and many more. If your work is in a format we can't process, we'll contact you within 1 business day.
- Can I copyright multiple works at once?
- Yes! Our Collection package ($249) allows you to register multiple related works as a single group, perfect for photo sets, album tracks, poetry collections, or art series. The works must be by the same author and published together or unpublished.
- What if there's an issue with my filing?
- We review every submission before filing. If we identify any issues, we'll contact you by email to resolve them before proceeding. If the Copyright Office requests additional information after filing, we handle the correspondence at no extra charge.
- Can I check the status of my order?
- Yes! Visit our Order Status page, enter your order number and email address, and you'll see real-time updates on your registration.
- Is my work kept confidential?
- Your uploaded files are stored securely and only accessed by our filing team. We never share, distribute, or use your creative work for any purpose other than filing your copyright registration. Files are deleted from our systems 30 days after your registration is complete.
- Do you file internationally?
- We currently file with the US Copyright Office only. US copyright registration provides protection in the US and in countries that are party to international copyright treaties (most countries worldwide through the Berne Convention).
- Can I get a refund?
- If we haven't yet filed your registration with the Copyright Office, we offer a full refund. Once filed, refunds are not available because the government filing fee is non-refundable. If there is an issue preventing us from filing, we will contact you and offer a full refund.
How to Register a Copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office
Read guide →- Do I have to register to have a copyright?
- No. Copyright exists automatically when you create an original work and fix it in a tangible form. Registration is optional, but it is required before you can file an infringement lawsuit and to be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees.
- Can I register a copyright myself?
- Yes, you can file directly with the U.S. Copyright Office. Many people use a filing service to avoid application errors that cause months of delay, since the service prepares and submits everything for you.
- What is the effective date of registration?
- Your registration takes effect on the date the Copyright Office receives a complete application, fee, and deposit, not the later date the certificate is issued.
How Much Does Copyright Registration Cost?
Read guide →- What is the cheapest way to register a copyright?
- Filing directly with the U.S. Copyright Office at the $45 single-author rate is the lowest government fee, when you qualify. A flat-rate filing service costs more but includes preparation and reduces the risk of costly application errors.
- Are copyright registration fees refundable?
- No. Government filing fees are non-refundable once submitted because the Office processes the application regardless of the result. This is why accurate preparation matters.
- Does one fee cover multiple works?
- Only through one of the group registration options, each with its own eligibility rules: $85 for up to ten unpublished works by the same author (GRUW), $65 for up to twenty musical works or sound recordings on one album (GRAM), or $55 for up to 750 photographs. Works that don't fit a group option are registered one application at a time.
How Long Does Copyright Registration Take?
Read guide →- Am I protected while I wait for the certificate?
- Yes. Copyright protection is automatic from creation, and your registration's effective date is when the Office receives a complete application, not when the certificate is issued. You don't lose protection during the wait.
- Can I speed up copyright registration?
- The Copyright Office offers expedited 'special handling' for urgent cases like litigation, for a much higher fee. Otherwise, the fastest thing you can control is filing a complete, correct application quickly.
- How fast can you file my application?
- FastCopyrightFiling.com files with the U.S. Copyright Office within 2-3 business days of receiving your order and uploaded work.
Do You Need to Register a Copyright?
Read guide →- Is my work copyrighted if I don't register?
- Yes. Copyright is automatic on creation. Registration is a separate step that makes the copyright enforceable in court and unlocks statutory damages and attorney's fees.
- What happens if I register after someone copies my work?
- You can still register and sue, but if you register after the infringement began (and more than three months after publication), you generally cannot recover statutory damages or attorney's fees for that infringement, only actual damages, which are harder to prove.
- Does the copyright symbol © replace registration?
- No. The © symbol is a notice of ownership but provides none of the legal remedies that registration does. It is not a substitute for registering with the Copyright Office.
How to Copyright Your Photographs
Read guide →- How many photos can I register at once?
- Through group registration of photographs, you can typically register up to 750 photographs in a single application for one government fee, when the works meet the eligibility requirements.
- Do I need to register photos I post on Instagram?
- Posting to social media is often considered publication. Registering before infringement (or within three months of publishing) preserves your eligibility for statutory damages, which is especially valuable for widely shared images.
- Who owns the copyright to a photo I was hired to take?
- Usually the photographer, unless there is a written work-made-for-hire agreement or a transfer of rights. The claimant on the application should reflect the actual owner.
How to Copyright Music, Songs, and Beats
Read guide →- Do I need to register the song and the recording separately?
- They are two different copyrights, but in many cases the same owner can register the musical composition and the sound recording efficiently. If ownership differs (for example, a label owns the master), the claimants will differ.
- Can I copyright a whole album at once?
- Often yes. The Copyright Office offers options for registering multiple sound recordings by the same creator together, which is far more efficient than filing each track on its own.
- Does registering with a PRO copyright my music?
- No. Performing rights organizations collect royalties but do not register your copyright. Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is a separate step.
How to Copyright a Book or Manuscript
Read guide →- Should I copyright my book before sending it to agents?
- It isn't necessary, your manuscript is already protected, and agents and publishers expect to handle registration in the normal course. Many authors register before or shortly after publication to preserve statutory damages.
- Does copyright cover my book's title?
- No. Titles, names, and short phrases are not protected by copyright. The text of the book is what's protected; a title may sometimes be protected under trademark law instead.
- Can I register an unpublished manuscript?
- Yes. You can register a work whether it is published or unpublished. The application simply reflects the publication status.
Poor Man's Copyright: Does It Actually Work?
Read guide →- Does mailing myself my work protect it?
- It doesn't add any legal protection. You already own the copyright automatically on creation. Mailing yourself a copy does not register the work and does not give you the right to sue or claim statutory damages.
- Will a court accept a sealed, postmarked envelope as proof?
- Courts give little weight to 'poor man's copyright' because such evidence is easy to fake and is not a substitute for registration. An official Certificate of Registration is far stronger.
- What should I do instead?
- Register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office. It creates an official public record and unlocks the right to sue plus statutory damages and attorney's fees when registered in time.
Statutory Damages Explained
Read guide →- How much are statutory damages?
- Generally $750 to $30,000 per work at the court's discretion, rising to as much as $150,000 per work for willful infringement. They're available only with timely registration.
- Do I have to prove my losses to get statutory damages?
- No, that's the point. Statutory damages can be awarded without proving actual financial harm, which is what makes them so valuable when real losses are hard to quantify.
- When must I register to qualify?
- Before the infringement begins, or within three months of first publication. Outside that window you're generally limited to actual damages and cannot recover attorney's fees.
How to Register Multiple Works at Once
Read guide →- How many works can I register in one group application?
- It depends on the group option. Photographs can often be registered up to 750 at a time; other options have their own limits. The works must share the same author or claimant and meet the option's eligibility rules.
- Does each work in a group get its own protection?
- Yes. A valid group registration creates a registration record for each work in the group, while costing a single government fee.
- Can I mix published and unpublished works in one group?
- Generally no. Group options usually require a consistent publication status, which is one reason it's important to file under the correct category.
Copyright vs. Trademark vs. Patent
Read guide →- Can I copyright my business name or logo?
- A business name or slogan is generally protected as a trademark, not a copyright. Original logo artwork can have a copyright in the artistic elements, but its use as a brand identifier is protected by trademark law.
- Do I need a patent or a copyright for software?
- Software source code is protected by copyright as a literary work. A patent may protect a novel, non-obvious technical process the software performs, but the code itself is copyright.
- Which is cheapest to obtain?
- Copyright registration is by far the least expensive, with government fees starting at $45 to $65. Trademarks and especially patents cost significantly more and take longer.
How Long Does Copyright Last?
Read guide →- How long does copyright last for a book I write today?
- Your life plus 70 years. After you die, your heirs hold the copyright for another 70 years before the work enters the public domain.
- Does copyright need to be renewed?
- No. For works created in 1978 or later, copyright runs for the full statutory term automatically with no renewal required.
- When does a work enter the public domain?
- When its copyright term expires. At that point the work can be used freely by anyone without permission or payment.
What Can and Cannot Be Copyrighted?
Read guide →- Can you copyright an idea?
- No. Copyright protects the specific expression of an idea, not the idea itself. To protect a written or recorded version of the idea, register that expression.
- Can I copyright a title or a name?
- No. Titles, names, and short phrases are not protected by copyright. A brand name or slogan may be eligible for trademark protection instead.
- Are recipes copyrightable?
- A bare list of ingredients is not protected, but the creative expression around it, such as explanatory text, photographs, and the arrangement of a cookbook, can be.
Work Made for Hire Explained
Read guide →- Does paying a freelancer make it a work made for hire?
- Not by itself. For commissioned work, it qualifies only if it falls into a specific statutory category and both parties sign a written work made for hire agreement. Otherwise the freelancer keeps the copyright unless they assign it in writing.
- Who registers a work made for hire?
- The employer or hiring party registers as the claimant and is named as the author, because the law treats them as the author of a work made for hire.
- Can I transfer copyright without work made for hire?
- Yes. A copyright can be transferred through a signed written assignment. This is the usual route when a commissioned work does not qualify as work made for hire.
What to Do About Copyright Infringement
Read guide →- Can I sue without registering my copyright?
- No. U.S. law requires a registration before you can file a copyright infringement lawsuit in federal court. You can still send a DMCA takedown or cease and desist without registering, but litigation requires registration.
- What is a DMCA takedown?
- It is a formal notice sent to a platform or web host asking them to remove infringing content. Most online services have a designated process and will act on a valid notice, often without any lawsuit.
- Is it too late to register after infringement?
- You can still register and sue, but registering after the infringement began (and more than three months after publication) generally limits you to actual damages rather than statutory damages and attorney's fees.
Copyright Glossary
Read guide →- What is a copyright claimant?
- The claimant is the person or organization that owns the copyright being registered. It is usually the author, unless the rights were transferred to someone else.
- What is a deposit copy?
- It is the copy of the work you submit with your application. It becomes part of the public record of your registration.
- What is the difference between an author and a claimant?
- The author created the work; the claimant owns it. They are often the same person, but they differ when the copyright has been transferred or the work was made for hire.
How to Copyright a Logo
Read guide →- Can you copyright a logo for free?
- The copyright in an original logo design exists for free the moment it is drawn, but registering it with the U.S. Copyright Office costs a $45 or $65 government fee. There is no free registration, and only registration lets you sue for infringement or claim statutory damages.
- Can I copyright a logo that is just my business name in a font?
- No. Names, words, and short phrases are not copyrightable, and neither is typeface or lettering, so a pure wordmark is refused by the Copyright Office. Protect a name-only logo as a trademark with the USPTO instead. If the logo also has an original graphic, register that graphic.
- Do I need a trademark if I copyright my logo?
- Copyright stops people from copying the artwork; it does not stop a competitor from using a similar name or a confusingly similar mark on related goods. If the logo identifies your business in the market, a USPTO trademark protects that role. Many businesses register the copyright first and pursue the trademark as the brand grows.
- Who owns the copyright in a logo I paid a designer to make?
- Usually the designer, until they sign a written assignment. A commissioned logo is not one of the nine work-made-for-hire categories, so payment alone does not transfer ownership unless the designer is your employee. Get the assignment in writing before you register your company as the claimant.
- How much does it cost to copyright a logo?
- The government fee is $45 for a single work by one author who is the sole owner, or $65 for the Standard Application, which most business logos need. FastCopyrightFiling.com prepares and files a single-work registration for $149, including the $65 fee. Trademark filing at the USPTO is separate and starts at $350 per class.
How to Get a Copy of Your Copyright Registration Certificate
Read guide →- Can I get my copyright certificate emailed to me?
- No. The Copyright Office states in Circular 2 that it cannot honor requests to deliver certificates by email or private courier. Certificates are printed and sent by postal mail to the address on the application. Scan yours when it arrives; extra copies cost $55 each.
- How much does an additional copyright certificate cost?
- The current fee is $55 per additional certificate of registration. It carries the seal and signature of the Register of Copyrights and has the same legal effect as the original. If you cannot supply the registration number, a records search costs $200 per hour with a two-hour minimum.
- How do I look up a copyright registration?
- Search the Copyright Public Records System at publicrecords.copyright.gov, which covers 1978 to the present. Search by title, author or claimant name, or registration number. Pending claims do not appear until they are registered and cataloged; older records are in the Virtual Card Catalog.
- How do I check the status of my copyright application?
- Log in to eCO and open the Case Summary from the Open Cases table on the welcome screen. Open means the claim is in process; Closed means a decision was made. Recent Office figures show an average of 4.1 months across all claims, and examiner emails come from cop-ad@loc.gov.
- What is the difference between an additional certificate and a certified copy?
- An additional certificate is a new certificate for an existing registration, $55. A certified copy is a sealed true copy of a specific record, such as the application, correspondence, or a recorded transfer, priced by the hour for certification and retrieval. Litigators usually need certified copies.
Can You Copyright a Song for Free?
Read guide →- Is my song copyrighted if I never register it?
- Yes. Copyright attaches automatically the moment the song is fixed in a recording or written down, at no cost. What you lack without registration is the right to sue in federal court and, with timely registration, eligibility for statutory damages and attorney's fees.
- Does uploading my song to YouTube or Spotify copyright it?
- No. Uploading or distributing a song publishes it and may let a platform match copies on that platform, but it does not register anything with the U.S. Copyright Office. Registration is a separate filing with a $45 or $65 government fee, and it is the only step that lets you sue.
- What is the cheapest way to register a song?
- File the $45 Single Application at copyright.gov if you are the only author and owner and the song is not a work made for hire. Batches are cheaper per song: up to ten unpublished songs for $85, or up to twenty songs on one released album for $65.
- Does mailing myself a copy of my song protect it?
- It adds nothing. You already own the copyright automatically, and the Copyright Office says the so-called poor man's copyright is not a substitute for registration. A sealed envelope does not let you sue and does not make you eligible for statutory damages.
- Do I need to register both the song and the recording?
- They are two separate copyrights: the composition and the sound recording. If you own both, one application can often cover both, and the same fees apply. If a producer or label owns the recording, that claim belongs to them and you register only the composition.
How to Copyright Software and Apps
Read guide →- Does copyrighting software protect the idea or the features?
- No. Copyright protects the source code and copyrightable screen displays as written; it does not protect the functionality, algorithms, logic, or system design (Circular 61). Someone can lawfully write different code that does the same thing. Protecting a novel process requires a patent, not a copyright.
- Do I have to submit my entire source code?
- Usually not. The standard deposit is the first 25 and last 25 pages of source code plus the copyright-notice page; if the program is 50 pages or fewer, submit all of it. If the code contains trade secrets, the Office allows specific redaction options, such as first and last 25 pages with less than half blocked out.
- Can I copyright an app that uses AI-generated code?
- You can register the human-written portions. The Copyright Office requires human authorship and expects AI-generated material that is more than de minimis to be disclosed and excluded from the claim in the application. Wholly AI-generated code is not registrable, and prompts alone do not make you its author.
- Do I need a new registration for every update?
- Each version with new copyrightable code is a separate work, and a registration covers only that version's new material. Most developers register the initial release and major versions. Unpublished versions can be grouped, up to ten in one application for an $85 fee.
- How much does it cost to copyright software?
- The government fee is $45 for a single program by one author who is the sole owner, or $65 for the Standard Application, which company-owned or team-written software needs. FastCopyrightFiling.com files a single-work software registration for $149, including the $65 fee, within 2-3 business days.
Copyright Registration for AI-Assisted Works
Read guide →- Can I copyright something I made with AI?
- Only the parts you authored. The Copyright Office requires human authorship, so purely AI-generated output is not registrable, but your own text, artwork, edits, or creative selection and arrangement of AI material can be, with the AI-generated portions disclosed and excluded from the claim.
- Do I have to tell the Copyright Office I used AI?
- Yes, when the AI-generated material is more than de minimis. The March 2023 guidance imposes a duty to disclose it and briefly describe the human contribution. Failing to disclose risks cancellation of the registration and a court disregarding it under 17 U.S.C. 411(b).
- Are detailed prompts enough to make me the author?
- No. The Office's January 2025 report concludes that with current technology prompts alone do not give a user sufficient control over the expressive elements. The machine decides how to carry out the instructions, so prompt output is treated as AI-generated rather than human-authored.
- Which application do I use for an AI-assisted work?
- The Standard Application, with a $65 government fee. Name only the human author, describe the human authorship in Author Created, and exclude the AI-generated material under Limitation of Claim, Material Excluded, Other. The Note to CO field can explain the tools you used.
- What if I already registered without mentioning AI?
- File a supplementary registration, $100 online, describing the human authorship, disclaiming the AI-generated material, and completing New Material Added. For a still-pending claim, contact the Public Information Office so a note is added for the examiner. Either step keeps the registration effective.
- Did the Supreme Court decide AI works can't be copyrighted?
- It declined to hear Thaler v. Perlmutter on March 2, 2026, leaving in place the lower-court rulings that a work generated autonomously by AI, with no human author, cannot be registered. It did not address how much human contribution is enough; the Office decides that case by case.