New Copyright Fees Effective August 1, 2009
On August 1st of this year, Copyright Office fees are scheduled to change. While basic electronic filing will still be $35.00 per claim, the fees for form CO filing (which is filed electronically, printed out, then mailed to the Office) will jump to $50.00. Paper applications for published photographs will increase to $65.00. Currently, the fee for form CO filing is $45.00 and the fee for a paper application for published photographs is only $45.00. The Copyright Office stated that increased fees for paper applications are associated with the higher cost of processing them.
A copyright protects the expression of your original works of authorship including literary, artistic, or musical compositions and sound recordings. For example, if you register an original set of song lyrics, you can prohibit others from reproducing them without your express authorization. In this manner you may be able to charge royalties in exchange for such authorization.
The change in fee structure may seem slight. However, in light of the current economy, any future increase in registration fees should provide you with the necessary reason to expedite your copyright application and submit it before the changes take effect.
My advice? Get your copyright applications filed before the fee changes! Don't forget to contact a good copyright or intellectual property lawyer to assist you.
