Preparing and filing a copyright registration
Identifies the correct category of work, prepares the copy of the work and the ownership documents, files the dossier and follows it through to the certificate.
Copyright arises automatically; registration only gives you evidence ready for a dispute. What goes wrong is the category of work, and the ownership paperwork when several people contributed or the work was made by an employee or contractor.
- Who may perform this: Copyright services organisation or lawyer
- Timeline: Dossier filed within 2–3 working days; the certificate issues within the statutory period
- How pricing works: Quoted by the number of works and their categories. Official fees are paid separately — use the cost estimator to see the state portion before asking for a service quote.
- Can you do it yourself: This is a procedure the site recommends doing yourself when the work is yours and has a single author: the dossier is short, the forms are published, and the guide sets out every step. Hire help only for multi-author works, commissioned works, or bulk filings.
Deliverables
- A complete dossier on the Copyright Office forms
- Filing and follow-up until the outcome is issued
- A scan of the certificate and guidance on storing the original evidence
What you provide
- A copy of the work in the format required for its category
- Details of the author, the owner, and the relationship between them
- The commission or employment contract, if the work was made to order
Registering copyright and related rights