Copyright Office Proposes to Discontinue Form CO in Registration Practices

The Copyright Office is proposing to amend its regulations to discontinue use of the Form CO application as an option for applying for copyright registration and to remove the references to CON 1 and CON 2 sheets. Form CO applications comprise only a small percentage of all applications submitted, but they frequently contain a significant number of errors, thus requiring a disproportionate amount of the Office's time, effort, and resources to process. The proposed amendments would remove references to Form CO and would instead allow applicants a choice to file an application for registration either by filing the application electronically or by using the appropriate printed application form that relates to the subject matter of the application, for example, Form TX for nondramatic literary works, Form PA for works of the performing arts, Form VA for works of visual art, Form SR for sound recordings, and Form SE for serials. Additionally, the proposed amendment would remove the references to CON 1 and CON 2 sheets, which were never developed or made available to the public, and would instead refer only to the continuation sheets currently available for applicants filing paper applications. Comments are due November 29, 2011. (Read more.)

Updated Circular 92, which is Title 17 U.S.C., Is Available on Copyright Office Website

The new and complete up-to-date online edition of Circular 92, the text of the U.S. copyright law, is available on the Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov. The online pdf version of title 17 includes the amendments in 2009 and 2010 that extended the section 119 satellite statutory license (Pub. L. No. 111-118, Pub. L. No. 111-144, and Pub. Law No. 111-157). It also includes the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (Pub. L. No. 111-175), enacted May 27, 2010, and the Copyright Cleanup, Clarification, and Corrections Act of 2010, (Pub. L. No. 111-295), enacted December 9, 2010. Circular 92 will be available in booklet form from the Government Printing Office in several weeks. (Read more.)