Page:Copyright Office Compendium 3rd Edition - Full.djvu/149

Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition

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602.1 Completion of the Application

Applicants are encouraged to complete applications accurately and completely. Establishing a full, accurate record has a number of benefits: it serves the public interest by creating a more useful public record, it provides potential licensees with more accurate information, and it decreases the cost of copyright litigation by minimizing potential disputes about the work(s) that the registration covers. Where an applicant seeks assistance from the U.S. Copyright Office in preparing an application, the Office will instruct the applicant to complete the application in a clear and accurate manner.

602.2 Statutorily Required Information in the Application

Section 409 of the Copyright Act sets forth the required information for an application for copyright registration:

1. The name and address of the copyright claimant.
2. 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.
3. If the work is anonymous or pseudonymous, the nationality or domicile of the author or authors.
4. In the case of a work made for hire, a statement to this effect (i.e., a “work made for hire statement”).
5. If the copyright claimant is not the author, a brief statement of how the claimant obtained ownership of the copyright (i.e., a “transfer statement”).
6. The title of the work, together with any previous or alternative titles under which the work can be identified.
7. The year in which creation of the work was completed.
8. If the work has been published, the date and nation of its first publication.
9. 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.

17 U.S.C. § 409.

602.3 Requirements for Registration of a Basic Claim

The essential issues that should be resolved before the U.S. Copyright Office may complete a registration include the following:

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