The advantages of registering a copyright include the following:
- Establishes a public record of the copyright claim.
- Necessary for works of U.S. origin before an infringement suit can be filed in court.
- If made before or within 5 years of publication, establishes sufficient evidence in court concerning the validity of the copyright and the facts stated in the copyright certificate.
- If registration is made within 3 months of publication of the work or prior to an infringement of the work, the copyright owner is entitled to statutory damages and attorney’s fees in court actions. Without registration, only an award of actual damages and profits will be available.
- Allows the copyright owner to record the registration with U.S. Customs to protect against the importation of infringing copies.
LegalZoom can help you register your copyright without any hassles. Simply answer a few questions online and send in a copy of your work. LegalZoom will take care of the rest. The U.S. Copyright Office generally issues a certificate of copyright within 8 months of submission.
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