Copyright Registration: Protect Your Creation
You've worked hard to create it. Now Copyright it
- 6000+ of copyrights filed with the U.S. Copyright Office
- 35,000+ five-star reviews
- Attorney support if you need it
How Copyright Registration works?
Answer a few questions
Complete our simple questionnaire to begin the copyright registration process. Most people finish in as little as 7 minutes.
Compile application
We create the official copyright application for you and send it to you online for your review and approval.
Application filing
When you upload or send us your work, we will file your copyright application with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Clear, Flat-Fee Pricing with Zero Hidden Costs and No Surprises
Skip the uncertainty of hourly billing. With clear up-front pricing, you’ll know exactly what your USPTO application costs before you start. Plus, our experts work with you to avoid expensive DIY mistakes, like improper class descriptions that trigger extra fees. Get professional help without the surprise bills. Read more to see how it works.
USPTO Trademark Registration FAQs
Our team of experienced trademark professionals are ready to help. Call us at +1 (888) 985-4640
What can I Copyright?
Usually, determining whether something can be copyrighted is easy. Books, movies, and songs are copyrightable. Artistic drawings, paintings and photographs are also copyrightable. When you start moving towards more technical works and drawings, it can become a little trickier. Generally speaking, drawings, photographs, and other two-dimensional and three-dimensional expressions that visually depict three-dimensional objects are copyrightable. At IP Mark Firm, we can help you copyright your:
- Written work such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, textbooks, reference works or articles
- Directories or catalogs, advertising copy
- Computer programs
- Website or online materials
- Photograph
- Art Work
- Maps
- Technical Drawings
- Recorded performance of music or sound
- Written music & Lyrics, Screenplay or script
- A Choreographic work
- A recorded score for a movie or play
- Feature film, documentary film, animated film, television show, video, or other Audio-Visual Work
What is a common law copyright?
The law in the United States provides that you are granted a copyright in your work the minute you create it regardless of whether you register your work. Assuming your work is original and has a basic amount of creativity, you may claim ownership and protection. The problem is without registering, you have an incomplete form of protection in that you cannot enforce your rights in a court of law in America.
What's the difference between copyright, patent and trademark?
A trademark generally protects a word, phrase, symbol and/or design that distinguishes the source of the goods — what we think of as brand name and brand recognition. A patent generally protects an invention, including the functionality or design, or in other words, “any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.” 35 U.S.C. § 101. Copyrights, meanwhile, generally protect artistic works such as books, photographs, arts, movies and music.
What are the benefits to registering your work with the copyright office?
While you do not have to register your work in order to receive copyright protection, registration will guarantee you several additional protections including:
- The ability to file a lawsuit: If your work is not registered with the copyright office, you cannot file suit for copyright infringement.
- Statutory damages: If not timely filed, you cannot sue for statutory damages. You would therefore have to prove that someone’s copying of your work caused you actual damages that you can calculate and tie to the infringement of the other person. (more on this below)
- Protection from imported infringing copies: Registration also allows you to record the registration with the U.S. Customs Service for protection against the importation of infringing copies.
- Firm claim of ownership: Registration makes it more difficult for infringers to argue that they were unaware of their infringement as it acts as a notice to everyone that you own the copyright.
- Image of Establishment: In some industries (such as film scripts), registration of copyright is a prerequisite to get some people (like agents) to take you seriously.
How long does a copyright last?
In most cases, a copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years. If the author of the work died in 2070, then the copyright, in most situations, would last until 2140. For works made for hire, and for anonymous and pseudonymous works, the duration of copyright is 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation (whichever is shorter).
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