U.S. Copyright Office Launches Limited Pilot for Electronic Recordation System
Issue No. 819 - April 27, 2020
Today, the U.S. Copyright Office launched a limited pilot program for an electronic recordation system that will eventually replace the current paper-based process. The pilot focuses on electronic processing of ownership and other documents relating to copyright that fall under section 205 of title 17. It does not include notices of termination under sections 203, 304(c), and 304(d).
Pilot participants are a representative group of the system’s users based on frequency of submission, industry type, and organization size. The Office will add participants in new groups throughout the coming year, allowing the Office to gauge the system’s performance and support participants appropriately.
This pilot is the first offering in the Office’s Enterprise Copyright System (ECS). ECS is the Office’s planned new enterprise IT system that will integrate and improve the Office’s technology systems and will provide users with a consistent and optimal interface. The Office worked closely with the Library’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) by providing business information that OCIO, which undertakes the development work, uses to develop the system. Today’s release of this pilot represents the successful conclusion of the first part of recordation modernization by the Office and OCIO; the next phase turns to continuous development as we work to provide additional functionality in the coming years.
For more information on the ECS, and other modernization initiatives, see our modernization website.