Calculate copyright registration costs for literary, musical, visual, and software works including filing fees, attorney fees, and deposit requirements.
The Copyright Registration Cost Calculator helps creators and businesses estimate the cost of registering copyrightable works with the U.S. Copyright Office. While copyright protection exists automatically upon creation, federal registration provides critical legal benefits including the ability to sue for infringement, eligibility for statutory damages and attorney fees, and a public record of ownership.
Registration costs include the Copyright Office filing fee, any attorney fees for preparation and submission, and deposit copy costs. The Copyright Office offers several filing options including single works, group registrations, and the electronic Copyright Office (eCO) system which provides reduced fees.
This calculator models costs for individual and group registrations across different work types, helping creators and businesses budget for intellectual property protection.
Legal professionals, business owners, and individuals alike benefit from transparent copyright registration cost calculations when evaluating obligations, settlements, or compliance requirements. Bookmark this page and return whenever circumstances change so you always have current figures at your fingertips.
Copyright registration is inexpensive relative to the value it protects. Understanding costs enables proactive registration of valuable creative works, ensuring full legal protection is in place before infringement occurs. Instant recalculation as you change inputs lets you model multiple scenarios quickly, giving you the data foundation needed for well-informed legal and financial decisions.
Per-Registration Cost = Filing Fee + Attorney Fee + Deposit Cost Group Registration Total = Filing Fee + Attorney Fee + (Works × Deposit per Work) Cost per Work = Total / Number of Works
Result: $56.50 per work (group registration)
Group registration: $65 filing + $300 attorney + (10 works × $20 deposit) = $565. Per work: $565 / 10 = $56.50.
Single work registration is appropriate for individual works by a single author. Group registration covers multiple unpublished works, published photographs (up to 750), or short online literary works. Each type has different fee structures and eligibility requirements.
Registration within 3 months of publication creates a legal presumption of validity and enables statutory damages and attorney fees. Late registration only provides actual damages, which can be difficult and expensive to prove.
For software, register the first 25 and last 25 pages of source code (redacting trade secrets if needed). Consider registering major version releases. Combine copyright with trade secret protection for comprehensive software IP coverage.
A single online registration costs $65 for one work by one author. Group registrations for unpublished works, published photographs, or short online literary works range from $65–$85. Paper filings cost $125. Attorney fees add $250–$750 per registration.
Copyright exists automatically upon creation, but registration is required to sue for infringement, and works registered within 3 months of publication or before infringement are eligible for statutory damages ($150,000 per work) and attorney fees. Keep in mind that individual circumstances can significantly affect the outcome.
The Copyright Office requires deposit copies of the registered work. For published works, two complete copies must be deposited. For digital works, electronic deposits are accepted. Physical deposit costs include printing and shipping.
Online registrations typically take 3–7 months for processing. Paper registrations take 7–13 months. Expedited "special handling" is available for $800 and processes in 5–10 business days for works involved in litigation.
Yes, group registration is available for unpublished works, published photographs, contributions to periodicals, and short online literary works. A single filing can cover multiple works of the same type, significantly reducing per-work costs.
Copyright protects original works of authorship including literary works, music, dramatic works, visual art, photographs, software, architectural works, and sound recordings. It does not protect ideas, facts, titles, or short phrases.