Pilot Program for Bulk Submission of Copyright Registration Applications
Issue No. 660 - May 9, 2017
The U.S. Copyright Office published a public notice today announcing a pilot program that will allow for the bulk submission of copyright registration applications in certain limited types of literary works. Specifically, at this time, the pilot program is limited to claims to single literary works that have a single author, where all content that appears in the work was created and is owned solely by that single author. Applicants that participate in the pilot will be required to provide author, title, and other pertinent information for each work they submit; upload a copy of each work; and pay the appropriate filing fee. But they will be able to bypass the Office’s online interface and transmit their claims directly into the electronic registration system, instead of filing them on an individual basis.
To participate in the pilot, applicants would have to comply with certain technical requirements. For example, applicants would need to cooperate with and obtain approval from the Office’s technology staff during each phase, as the Office creates a separate portal into the eCO system for each participant.
The Office is offering this pilot as part of its continuing effort to increase the efficiency of the registration system for both applicants and the Office alike.
The Office may limit the total number of participants based on its available resources, but interested applicants may contact the Office via the form located at https://www.copyright.gov/rulemaking/bulk-submission