Responding to a Demand for Mandatory Deposit

if You Choose to Register Your Work

Copyright registration provides legal benefits to copyright owners. If you receive a Demand for Mandatory Deposit and would like to register your work at the same time as you deposit the required copies, this circular provides instructions for how to do so. It covers

1. Packaging an electronic shipping slip with a physical deposit when you register online
2. Bundling a deposit and filing fee with a paper application

All copyright-protected works published in the United States are subject to the mandatory deposit provision of the copyright law. As a general rule, the law requires depositing two copies of the best edition with the Copyright Office within three months of publication in the United States. The Office may issue a Demand for Mandatory Deposit any time after a work has been published in the United States. If you receive a demand, you must respond within three months by submitting the required number of copies. You may also submit these copies in support of an application for registration, which provides additional legal benefits. This circular covers the process for responding to a demand by applying to register the copyright in your work and submitting the required copies.

For more information about mandatory deposit, see Mandatory Deposit of Copies or Phonorecords for the Library of Congress (Circular 7D) (PDF, 230KB) or contact the Acquisitions & Deposits division at ad@copyright.gov or (202) 707-7125.¹

Registering online

1. Upon receiving a Demand for Mandatory Deposit, submit an application to register the copyright for each work via the online system at copyright.gov/registration.

2. Bundle together all deposit copies for a single work.

3. Print the Deposit Copy Shipping Slip produced by the online registration system.

4. Attach the Demand for Mandatory Deposit and the shipping slip directly to the deposits. If you are submitting multiple applications, attach individual shipping slips to each matching deposit. Place the Demand for Mandatory Deposit on top of the submission so it is visible when the package is opened.

5. Proceed with steps outlined in the “Mailing Materials” section below.

Registering using a paper application

1. Upon receiving the Demand for Mandatory Deposit, complete a paper application to register the copyright for each work.

2. Bundle together all deposit copies for a single work.

3. Attach the Demand for Mandatory Deposit, the completed application form, and the non-refundable filing fee directly to the deposit for each work you submit. Place the Demand for Mandatory Deposit on top so it is visible when the package is opened.

4. Proceed with steps outlined in the “Mailing Materials” section below.

Mailing materials

Send all items in a single package to the address on the shipping slip. To confirm arrival of your shipment, ship the package with a tracking number. Please ship the package to

Library of Congress

Copyright Office—A&D/AD

101 Independence Avenue SE

Washington, DC 20559-6601

The Acquisitions & Deposits division will forward your submission to the Registration Program once it is received.

Mail security measures

To avoid damage to your deposit from mail security measures in effect on Capitol Hill, where the Copyright Office is located, package microform deposits and electronic media such as CDs and DVDs in boxes weighing no more than twenty pounds each rather than in envelopes.

PLEASE NOTE: CDs and DVDs packaged in standard-size jewel cases are more likely to survive security measures, which include an irradiation process, than those packaged in slim-line cases.

NOTE

1. This circular is intended as an overview of registering a work with the Copyright Office after receiving a demand for mandatory deposit. The authoritative source for U.S. copyright law is Title 17 of United States Code, which includes the Copyright Act of 1976 and all subsequent amendments to copyright law. Copyright Office regulations are codified in Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Copyright Office practices and procedures are summarized in the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition. The copyright law, regulations, and the Compendium are available on the Copyright Office website at copyright.gov.

For further information

By internet

The copyright law, the Compendium, electronic registration, application forms, regulations, and related materials are available on the Copyright Office website at copyright.gov.

By email

To send an email inquiry, Contact Us on the Copyright Office website.

By telephone

For general information, call the Copyright Public Information Office at 202-707-3000 or 877-476-0778 (toll-free). Staff members are on duty from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

By regular mail

Write to

Library of Congress

U.S. Copyright Office

Public Information Division

101 Independence Avenue SE #6303

Washington, DC 20559-6303

U.S. Copyright Office · Library of Congress · 101 Independence Avenue SE · Washington, DC 20559 · copyright.gov