A Walk Through The Copyright Office – Step 3

However the CO receives your application, the first thing that has to happen, is someone has to ensure that you have a full and complete application. That’s where the Incomplete Claims Handling office (ICHA) comes in. The ICHA is looking for your registration to include 3 things – 1) A completed form (with your signature); Payment for the application (either a check, money order, DA account, or credit card receipt); and 3) the required deposit of the item(s) being registered.

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If the application is missing one of these items, the application gets set aside. Here, a Copyright Office staff person prepares to send a notice to the person registering their copyright that they did not provide all three of the required items are a part of the package that is presented. 1) Payment, 2), the proper registration form, and 3) the representations of the item to be copyrighted, whether printed, electronic, or recordings. If the item has not been published previously, all the items that were recieved are returned. If the item being presented for registration has been published, the Copyright Office retains the item(s), and sends along a special letter.


If the item has not been published previously, all the items that were recieved are returned, as is the case with this cover letter reading “SORRY, but you didn’t send us everything we need to register your claim to copyright, and we’re going to have to start all over". You’ll get this, and need to take care of whatever the problem was, and send it back. The CO sends detailed instructions as to how to do that.


If the item being presented for registration has been published, the Copyright Office retains the item(s) (as is the case with those filed on the shelves in the photograph below), and sends along a special letter, (as seen above and to the left). The letter essentially says the same thing, however, they are just making it easier for you (and them) by holding the already published items.

Time is of the essence, as the CO has a limited space for holding material, so address their concern, and get your response back to them.

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A Walk Through The Copyright Office:

• The CO – Introduction
• The CO – Your Registration Arrives
• The CO – Come On In
• The CO – Step 2
• The CO – Step 3
• The CO – Step 4
• The CO – Step 4A (Optional)
• The CO – Step 5
• The CO – Step 6
• The CO – Step 7
• The CO – All Done
• The CO – Special Circumstances (For You)
• The CO – Special Circumstances (For The CO)
• The CO – Closing Thoughts

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