June 6, 1999 Copyright Office to Increase Fees

The U.S. Copyright Office plans to increase certain fees effective July 1, 1999. These include the fees for basic registration, document recordation, search services, certification, and additional certificates. Any request for a service that is received in the U.S. Copyright Office on or after July 1, 1999, for a service whose fee is scheduled to increase on that date must be accompanied by the new fee.

In 1997, Congress amended the Copyright Law to change the way in which copyright fees are to be determined. The Copyright Office conducted a study of the costs incurred for registration and related services and proposed fees based on the results of the cost study and on considerations of fairness, equity and the objectives of the copyright system. Based on these considerations, the Office proposed the new fees to Congress on February 1, 1999, and Congress declined to exercise its right to disapprove the fees within 120 days.

On the basis of the study and public policy considerations, and subject to congressional review, the Register could raise registration, recordation, and related statutory fees to recover reasonable costs, including an adjustment for inflation.

The fee for basic registration will increase to $30. The fee for recordation of a document containing no more than one title will be $50 with an additional fee of $15 for each group of 10 titles. The fee for searching Copyright Office records for documentation and preparation of an official report will be raised to $65 per hour. Other fees will also increase.

The Technical Amendments Act of 1997 authorized the Register of Copyrights to increase fees but required a study of the cost of providing services to the public. On the basis of the study and public policy considerations, and subject to congressional review, the Register could raise registration, recordation, and related statutory fees to recover reasonable costs, including an adjustment for inflation.

For further information and for a complete list of the new fees, consult the Copyright Office Web site at http://www.copyright.gov/ or the Copyright Public Information Office at (202) 707-3000 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Eastern time, except federal holidays. The TTY number is (202) 707-6737. The address is Library of Congress, Copyright Office, 101 Independence Avenue S.E., Washington, D.C. 20559-6000.