Literary Works
GROUP REGISTRATION OF SHORT ONLINE LITERARY WORKS (GRTX)
The Copyright Office has implemented a new group registration option for short online literary works, such as blog entries, social media posts, and short online articles. Read more.
GROUP REGISTRATION OF UNPUBLISHED WORKS (GRUW)
Read more about the new group registration option for unpublished works.
A literary work is a work that explains, describes, or narrates a particular subject, theme, or idea through the use of narrative, descriptive, or explanatory text, rather than dialog or dramatic action. Generally, literary works are intended to be read; they are not intended to be performed before an audience.
Statutory Definition
The Copyright Act defines “literary works” as “works, other than audiovisual works, expressed in words, numbers, or other verbal or numerical symbols or indicia, regardless of the nature of the material objects, such as books, periodicals, manuscripts, phonorecords, film, tapes, disks, or cards, in which they are embodied.” (17 U.S.C. § 101)
Works Commonly Registered In This Category
- Abridgements
- Advertisements (printed text)
- Advertising / Marketing Materials (printed text)
- Anthologies
- Articles
- Autobiography / Memoirs
- Blogs
- Board Games (text)
- Book (Fiction / Non-Fiction)
- Catalogs (textual aspects)
- Cookbooks
- Craft Books
- Dictionaries
- Dissertations
- Directories
- Educational Workbooks
- Fiction
- Genealogies
- Historical Works
- How-To Books
- Instructions
- Interviews
- Magazines
- Manuscripts
- Medical & Legal Publications
- Newsletters
- Newspapers
- Periodicals
- Poems
- Reference Works
- Research Papers
- Serials
- Short Stories
- Tests
- Text Only
- Text w/Artwork included
- Textbooks
- Translations
- User Manuals
Resources
Video Tutorials
- Standard Application (Video: 10m 28s)
- Single Application (Video: 9m 58s)
- Submit Your Work to the Copyright Office (Video: 2m 46s)
- Group of Unpublished Works (Video: 11m 50s)
- Contributions to Periodicals (Video: 6m 47s)
- Group Registration of Newspapers (Video: 11m 35s)
- Supplementary Registration (Video: 6m 28s)
- Group of Short Online Literary Works (Video: 25m 48s)
Other Services
Paper Applications
Group Options
- Unpublished Works
- Short Online Literary Works
- Newspapers
- Newsletters
- Serials
- Contributions to Periodicals
- Database