Help: Group Registration of Unpublished Works

Watch this video for step-by-step instructions for completing this application and uploading a digital copy of your works. Written instructions for this application are provided below.

Type of Works

You must identify the type of works being registered. To do so, select one of the categories listed below that best describes your works.

All of the works must fit within the same category. If the works do not fit within the same category, you must prepare a separate application for each type of work. For example, poems are considered “literary works” and cartoons are considered “works of the visual arts.” If the author created 5 poems and 5 cartoons, you should submit one application for the 5 poems (selecting the option for “Literary Work”) and a separate application for the 5 cartoons (selecting the option for “Work of the Visual Arts”).

Note: There is a limited exception for claims involving sound recordings. As discussed below, a group of sound recordings may be registered together with the musical work, literary work, or dramatic work embodied in each recording. But to do so, you must select the option for “sound recordings.”

Literary Work

Select Literary Work if you are registering a group of nondramatic literary works, such as a group of unpublished poems, short stories, essays, manuscripts, or computer programs.

Work of the Visual Arts

Select Work of the Visual Arts if you are registering a group of pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, such as a group of unpublished paintings, drawings, illustrations, posters, comic strips, logos, sculptures, jewelry designs, fabric designs, textile designs, wallpaper designs, technical drawings, or other types of artwork.

Sound Recording

Select Sound Recording if you are registering a group of sound recordings. Likewise, you should select Sound Recording if you are registering a group of sound recordings and the musical works that are embodied in each recording.

Note: To register a sound recording and the musical work contained in that recording, the author(s) and claimant(s) for both the sound recording and the musical work must be the same person(s).

Under the copyright law, the sounds that accompany a motion picture or other audiovisual work are not considered a “sound recording.” To register the sounds accompanying a group of motion pictures or audiovisual works you should select “Motion Picture/AV” as the “Type of Work.”

Work of the Performing Arts

Select Work of the Performing Arts if you are registering a group of musical works (with or without lyrics), a group of dramatic works (such as a screenplay, play, or other script), or a group of pantomimes or choreographic works.

Note: To register a musical work and a recording of that work you should select Sound Recording. To register a sound recording and the musical work contained in that recording, the author(s) and claimant(s) for both the sound recording and the musical work must be the same person(s).

Motion Picture/AV Work

Select Motion Picture/AV Work if you are registering a group of motion pictures or other audiovisual works, such as films, documentaries, television shows, animated features, videos, videogames, or similar types of works.

Incorrect Type of Work Selected

The Type of Work you select determines the options that will be available as you complete the application.

Once selected, the Type of Work selection cannot be changed. If the Type of Work selected is incorrect, you will need to begin a new application:

Click the Home link
Click the appropriate registration application under “Copyright Registration”
Click the “Start Registration” button to begin a new application
As you click on the entries in the Type of Work list, a description of the corresponding type will be provided

You should also discard the unused application:

Click the Home link
Click the Working Cases link under “Check Case Status”
Find the case to be discarded in the list of “Working Cases”
Click the corresponding “Discard” link

Note: Discarded cases cannot be re-opened

Titles of the Works

You must provide a title for each work being registered. This information should be provided on the “Titles” screen. As discussed below, the titles provided on this screen should also be included in the corresponding file name for each work you submit to the Copyright Office.

Begin by clicking the button marked “New.”

Enter the title for the first work in the field marked “Title of this work (One Title)”. Do not enter more than one title in this space.

Click the “Save” button to return to the previous screen. The title you entered will appear in the list marked “All Titles.” To enter the title for the next work, click the “New” button and repeat the steps described above.

Once you have provided a title for each work, click the “Continue” button at the top of the Titles screen.

Important Note: Only one title should be entered in the field marked “Title of this work (One Title)”. If you enter two or more titles in this space, the system may generate a warning message. If you see the message shown below, you should leave one of the titles in the field marked “Title of this work (One Title)” and delete the rest of the titles that you entered in this space. Then click “Save” and follow the steps described above to enter the titles for the rest of your works.

If a title has not been assigned to a particular work, you may enter a “working title” or an identifying or descriptive phrase. The phrase could identify the author, general subject matter, and/or type of work. For example: “Draft of comedic screenplay by Andrew Jones,” “Photo of Bald Eagle,” or “Kate’s Short Story for Children.”

Do not provide a “collection” title in the application. If you provide a “collection” title the Copyright Office will remove it from the registration record.

A title for the group as a whole will be added automatically to your application. The Copyright Office will use this title to identify this registration in its online public record. It will consist of the title of the first work shown in the chart marked “All Titles” followed by the phrase “and [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9] Other Unpublished Works” (depending on how many titles you entered in the application).

Important Note: After you complete your application, you must upload a digital copy of each work. The file name assigned to each work should match the corresponding title you provided on the “Titles” screen.

Example:

Annette intends to register four songs titled “The Birthday Party,” “The Dinner Party,” “The Bachelor Party,” and “The Wedding Party.” She plans to submit these songs in four separate mp3 files.

Annette should provide the following information on the “Titles” screen:

Title of this work: The Birthday Party
Title of this work: The Dinner Party
Title of this work: The Bachelor Party
Title of this work: The Wedding Party

The mp3 files that Annette submits to the Copyright Office should be named as follows: