Proposed Amendments to Regulations Governing the Group Registration of Serials
The U.S. Copyright Office is proposing to update its regulation governing the group registration option for serials—works such as magazines and journals. The proposed rule will make a number of changes to reflect current Office practices, promote efficiency of the registration process, and encourage broader participation in the registration system by reducing the burden on applicants.
Specifically, the proposed rule will require applicants to file an online application rather than a paper application, and upload a complete digital copy of each issue through the electronic registration system instead of submitting them in physical form. It will update the eligibility requirements for this group option in several respects, such as clarifying that each issue must be published under the same continuing title.
The rule would also specify that registration deposits submitted through the group registration option will not satisfy the copyright owner’s separate obligation to deposit copies of works for the benefit of the Library of Congress. The proposed rule would instead require copyright owners to provide complimentary subscriptions to serials that the Library determines are important for its collections.