Copyright Office Fees Have Increased

The Copyright Office released a report on March 15, 2009 which provided for increases in several fees, citing rising labor costs and current budget constraints. While the cost of basic online copyright registration (eCO) for most types of works remains the same, the cost of registering a copyright via a 2D barcode application has increased from $45 to $50.

The most significant increase for typical copyright filers is in traditional paper applications (Form TX, VA, SR, GR). The Copyright Office has enacted a 44% increase in filing by paper — raising the fee from $45 to $65. Critics have intended that this unfairly penalizes copyright authors and owners without Internet access. The new Copyright Office fee structure took effect on August 1, 2009. A chart comparing the current and new copyright registration fees is here on the Arborlaw website.