U.S. Copyright Office Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Relating to the Single Application
Issue No. 707 - February 6, 2018
To coincide with technical upgrades to its current electronic registration system, the U.S. Copyright Office is proposing to amend its regulations to clarify the eligibility requirements for the Single Application, an online registration option that allows a single author to register a claim in one work that is solely owned by the same author and is not a work made for hire. Among other things, the proposed rule confirms that the Single Application may be used to register one sound recording and one musical work, literary work, or dramatic work—notwithstanding the fact that a sound recording and the work embodied in that recording are separate works. In addition, the proposed rule will eliminate the “short form” version of the Office’s paper applications. The proposed rule will also allow for paper applications to be certified with an electronic signature by removing the requirement that certification includes a “handwritten” signature of the certifying party.
The Office seeks public comments on the proposed amendments, which will be considered in promulgating a final rule.
The proposed regulations and instructions on how to submit a comment are available here. Written comments must be received no later than March 8, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.