Example:
- An application is submitted for a French translation of an English novel. The application states that the work was completed in 2007, but the deposit copies state, “English edition published 2007; French translation © 2011.” The registration specialist will ask the applicant to provide the year of completion for the French translation.
In some cases it may be possible to register multiple versions of the same work with one application, provided that all of the versions are unpublished and the applicant complies with the requirements for registering those versions using the option for unpublished collections. In this situation, the applicant should provide the year of completion for the most recent version that is being registered.
Examples:
- Raul Hernandez submits an application to register three versions of his unpublished screenplay, which were created in 2009, 2011, and 2012. The applicant provides 2012 as the year of completion. The application will be accepted.
- A paper application is submitted on Form TX for two unpublished poems titled “My First House” and “My First House, Five Years Later.” The applicant provides “2005–2010” as the year of completion. The registration specialist will amend the year of completion to read 2010 and will register the claim. In addition, the specialist will add an annotation, such as: “Regarding year of completion: application states 2005–2010.”
For a general discussion of unpublished collections, see Chapter 1100, Section 1106.
611.4 Year of Completion Apparently Incorrect
The registration specialist may communicate with the applicant if the year of completion is inconsistent with or contradicted by other dates that appear in the registration materials.
For instance, the year of completion cannot be later than the date of publication specified in the application. If the date of publication predates the year of completion in an online application, the application will not be accepted by the electronic registration system. If the date of publication precedes the year of completion in a paper application, the specialist will communicate with the applicant to determine the correct completion and publication dates.
Moreover, the year of completion cannot be later than the date that the application is certified or the date that the application is received in the U.S. Copyright Office. The electronic registration system will not accept an online application if the date of submission precedes the year of completion. If the date of certification or the date of
