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Ask the Lawyer: New Online Copyright Process
Of particular interest to those who draft architectural drawings and plans, the U.S. Copyright Office in the Library of Congress has announced that online copyright registration is in full effect. Starting this month, the electronic system, which had been available on a limited experimental basis, now provides the primary means to register a copyright.
To log in and access the new eCO electronic registration form, click here. Creation of a user ID and password is required. For tips on how to use the eCO system, click here.
At $35 per application, the new electronic registration process is less costly than the $45 charged for the paper process, and applicants are able to monitor the progress of their registration through online tracking.
Approval of a registration application results in the issuance of a certificate of copyright, which does not create the copyright, but provides evidence of copyright ownership and confers important enforcement rights and benefits.
Using paper forms, it took about eight months to complete this process. The new online registration process is expected to be faster.
Paper applications can still be submitted, but the Copyright Office has revised them, combining all six previously used registration forms — including form VA for architecturall drawings — into a single new Form CO.
Effective July 1, any paper applicant seeking to register architectural plans or structures should use the new Form CO, which can be downloaded by clicking here. Paper applicants are advised to discard the old forms; using them will delay the registration process.
For more information, click here; or e-mail David Crump at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8491.
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