"Make Sure Your Application Will Be Acceptable"

Do it twice, do it nice? No way, not at the Copyright Office!

I came across this firm but polite reminder to cross your t's and dot your i's on your copyright application while browsing the US copyright registration information mother lode that is the list of copyright circulars and factsheets available at copyright.gov.

I'm sure I've mentioned these publications in this space before, but I can't overstate how useful these things are for helping people at the library find the information they need to know to register a work.

It makes sense, if you think about it. The Copyright Office processes hundreds of thousands of applications each year (and registering new applications is only one of many functions of the office), so it's in their best interest to clearly explain application procedures so that applicants can provide accurate and correct applications on the first try.

The dedication to educating applicants is clear in some of these, not riveting, but let's say helpful titles to circulars:

"The Effects of Not Sending a Timely Reply to Copyright Office Correspondence"

"Blanks Forms and Other Works Not Protected by Copyright"

"Copyright Registration for Multimedia Works"

"How to Make Statutory License Royalty EFT Payments Using Pay.gov"

There are dozens of these things! I'll let you in on a librarian secret: when people ask me about a copyright issue, this is usually the first place I'll go to find information for them.

Tell your friends!