204.3(A) Deposit Copy(ies) Submitted in Electronic Format
The applicant may submit deposit copy(ies) electronically through the online registration system if the work meets any of the following requirements:
- The work is unpublished;
- The work has been published only in a digital format; or
- The work has been published and identifying material is the appropriate deposit for that type of work. (For a detailed discussion of identifying material, see Chapter 1500, Section 1506.)
An applicant must submit the deposit copy(ies) in an acceptable file format. Failure to submit the deposit copy(ies) in an acceptable file format may delay the examination of the claim, and the applicant may be required to submit an acceptable file type that the U.S. Copyright Office can access. The Office will not establish an effective date of registration until the Office receives a file type that can be opened and examined by a registration specialist. The currently acceptable file formats are listed on the Office’s website at www.copyright.gov/eco/help-file-types.html.
If an applicant submits an online application and the work does not meet the requirements listed above, the applicant must submit deposit copy(ies) in a physical format. Likewise, applicants who submit a paper application must submit the deposit copy(ies) in a physical format by mail, courier, or hand delivery (not electronically). For a discussion of the procedure for submitting the deposit copy(ies) in physical format, see Section 204.3(B) below.
204.3(B) Deposit Copy(ies) Submitted in Physical Format
Physical deposit copies should be submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office by mail, courier, or hand delivery if (i) the work does not meet the requirements listed in Section 204.3(A), (ii) the applicant is submitting a paper application rather than an online application, or (iii) if the applicant prefers to submit the deposit copy(ies) in a physical format rather than a digital format.
When completing an online application, the applicant will be given an opportunity to print a deposit copy shipping slip that corresponds to the online application. The applicant must print the shipping slip, attach it to each deposit copy, and send all of these items in a single package to the address specified on the shipping slip. (For further information concerning this procedure, see Chapter 600, Section 625.2(D) and Chapter 1500, Sections 1508.2 through 1508.5.) In such cases, the effective date of registration is based on the date the Office receives the deposit copy(ies) along with the corresponding shipping slip. If an applicant does not include the shipping slip with each mailed physical deposit the Office will not be able to connect the deposit to an application.
When submitting a paper application, an applicant should send the completed application, proper filing fee, and complete and clear deposit copy(ies) in a single
