INSTRUCTIONS: APPLICATION FOR COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION (Form CO)

Anyone who makes a creative or artistic work may register it with the United States Copyright Office for various periods of time. To apply for this copyright, you must complete an Application For Copyright Registration (Form CO). This form can be obtained from the website of the United States Copyright Office.

Application for Copyright Registration CO Step 1: Section one deals with a description of the work being registered. Indicate whether the work is literary, visual, performing arts, audiovisual, a sound recording, or a "single serial work" such as a newspaper or journal by checking the box to the correct description. You must also include the title and year work was completed. If you are registering a serial work, provide information about the volume, number, issue and number of pages within. All other fields are optional.

Application for Copyright Registration CO Step 2: Section two is for author information. You must provide either a personal or organizational name, indicate whether your citizenship and home are in the United States or elsewhere, and select what your contribution was from the options listed. All other fields are optional.

Application for Copyright Registration CO Step 3: Section three is for information about the person or organization claiming copyright. Their address must be provided unless the claimant's address is unknown. In this case, write "not known" in the city and state fields. If the claimant is not the author, they must explain how they came in possession of the right to copyright.

Application for Copyright Registration CO Step 4: Section four is optional if all parts of the work are new. Otherwise, note any old material that is not part of the copyright claim.

Application for Copyright Registration CO Step 5: Sections five, six and seven request the addresses for who to contact about rights and permissions, correspondence and where to mail the certificate. The same address provided for the first copyright claimant can be copied for all three or as many separate addresses as necessary can be provided.

Application for Copyright Registration CO Step 6: Print and sign your name in section eight, along with the date. If you have a deposit account set up with the United States Copyright Office, you may enter it here as well.