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Copyright
It’s your creation. Keep it safe
Registering your copyright greatly enhances your legal protections against infringement.
Tell me more
Protects creative work
A copyright can protect your ownership of an original work—including songs, books, articles, photographs, and other creative works that exist in a fixed and tangible form.
Enhances your rights
Among other things, registering your copyright establishes a public record of your copyright claim, can help prove ownership, and is required if you ever want to sue for copyright infringement.
Benefits creativity
Authors, artists, choreographers, architects, and other creative professionals all benefit from copyright registration.
What kinds of work can be protected by a copyright?
Copyright protections cover original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. Copyrighted work must be original, and it must be fixed into a "tangible form." Ideas themselves can't be copyrighted.
Learn more about works protected by copyrights.What are some advantages of registering?
Registering your copyright establishes a public record of your claim, allows you to take legal action against infringement, and may entitle you to statutory damages and attorney’s fees in court.
Other advantages of formally registering your copyright.Copyright, trademark and patent: what's the difference?
How it works
1. Select the IP protection that’s best for you.
2. Fill out a simple questionnaire to get started.
3. We’ll work with you to assemble your application and file it with the appropriate government agency.
Get started today
Copyright Registration
$114
+ Federal filing fees
Includes:
Electronic Filing
We'll file your copyright application with the U.S. Copyright Office
Delivery confirmation
You'll be notified of your package's arrival at the Library of Congress.
Ask away. We have answers.
Common questions
What are the rights of a copyright owner?
The owner of a copyright has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute copies (for sale or otherwise), publicly perform or display, or create derivative works of the copyrighted work.They also have the right to authorize others to do the same.
What works are protected by copyright law?
Copyright law protects "original works of authorship" that are fixed in a tangible form. Broadly, this includes literary works, musical works, dramatic works, pantomimes and choreographic works, pictorial, graphic and sculptural works, motion pictures and other audiovisual works, sound recordings and architectural works.
Does copyright law protect names, titles, slogans, logos or ideas?
Copyright law doesn’t protect names, titles, slogans or short phrases, though we may be able to help you protect these things by registering a trademark. In some circumstances, a logo may receive both copyright and trademark protection.
Copyrights cannot protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something. However, if you express those ideas in writing, drawings or another tangible form, that work may be protected through a copyright.
Copyrights cannot protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something. However, if you express those ideas in writing, drawings or another tangible form, that work may be protected through a copyright.
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Questions and answers
This public forum is not intended to provide legal advice and is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Unless specifically indicated, the content is not drafted, supported, or vetted by LegalZoom. It is simply a place for customers to help customers. If you need legal advice, LegalZoom can connect you to a licensed and independent attorney. If you are providing answers, please do not provide legal advice if you are not qualified or licensed to do so.
Register a Copyright Online with LegalZoom
Copyright registration can help protect your creative work, establishing a public record of the copyright claim and giving you the right to enforce a copyright in federal court. Under federal copyright law, copyright owners are given exclusive rights that they may exercise themselves or authorize others to exercise. These rights include reproducing copies of the work, distributing copies of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, performing and displaying the work publicly, and preparing derivative works based on the work. Copyright law protects “original works of authorship” that are fixed in a tangible form of expression, including books, songs, photographs, sound recordings, architectural drawings and other original works. Whether you want to register a copyright for a musical work or for a book you’ve written, it’s important to ensure that the details are handled properly during copyright registration. LegalZoom can help you register a copyright and protect your creative work at an affordable cost. The three-step process includes a simple questionnaire. We then assemble your copyright registration application, including a copy of your original work that you submit, and file it with the U.S. Copyright Office. Upon acceptance by the Copyright Office, your copyright registration is effective. Certificates of registration are typically received from the Copyright Office by mail. Give your intellectual property the benefits of federal registration by registering a copyright online through LegalZoom.
