Creators: Be Aware of the Copyright Office Rule Change!
Remember that a copyright cannot be enforced if the work has not been registered with the Copyright Office—and registering before infringement makes a big difference in what you can recover. Making registration a matter of habit is a good resolution for the New Year—but it is important to know that the rules have changed. Used to be, all creators could register an unlimited amount of unpublished work on a single form, for a single fee. Not any more.
It is still possible to register multiple unpublished works, but the Copyright Office has now capped the number of unpublished works permitted per application at TEN. This applies to written works and non-photographic works of visual art. Photographers may still register up to 750 images at once, provided they use the proper form.
It’s not as good a deal as it used to be—but group registration of unpublished work is still the best deal around, and remains an important tool for creators to protect their work.