Copyright Protection Resource Center

Welcome to the Copyright Protection Resource Center.

This page serves as a user-friendly repository of information for members to comply with the rules for submitting publisher content for registration with the Copyright Office and mandatory deposits with the Library of Congress. We suggest bookmarking this page and revisiting it periodically as we update the page with new information, and to use as a reference.

Please scroll down to view important steps for filing the required PDFs.

Copyright Registration

To file a claim in court, works first published in the U.S. must be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office, and all works, regardless of place of publication, must be registered to be entitled to recover statutory damages or attorneys fees.

Media publisher content may be registered under different options, including as  group of updates to a news website, a group of one month of newspaper print editions, a collection of serials, and as a single work. The following section provides information about N/MA’s work to ensure publishers have full access to the protections of copyright, and educates publishers about these different options.

Existing Options:

Group Registration of Updates to a News Website (GRNW)

Adopted in August 2024, the new group registration option for updates to news websites allows publishers to easily register their online content. Publishers are required to save a copy of their website each day as a PDF and submit those copies to the Office on a monthly basis. The deposits for websites with infinite scroll must include the first 25 pages, and there is no requirement to capture the PDFs at the same exact time every day. The option is available for “news websites,” defined as publications covering a range of subject mattersThe Office has been registering at least some issue-oriented websites under this option, and NMA is engaged on regulatory efforts to broaden the definition. The websites will be registered as collective works, protecting the constituent articles as well as long as they are previously unpublished and meet the copyrightability criteria. The current application fee is $95.

Group Registration of Newspapers (GRNP)

Similar to GRNW, registers print editions of newspapers as a collective work. Also covers constituent works, including those published online following print publication. Covers print issues published within one calendar month, and requires publishers to submit PDF versions of each edition in monthly batches. Newspaper defined as having broad range of news on “all subjects and activities.” Current filing fee is $95.

Group Registration of Serials

This registration option is similar to GRNP but meant for serials, including periodicals, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and journals, that are published less frequently. The filing fee is $35 per issue, making this more expensive if there are more than two issues per month. The application can cover up to three months of issues published within the same calendar year.

Standard Application

Meant for individual works, articles, and issues, the standard application can be used to register any type of copyrightable material. Requires the registrant to submit two “best editions,” and costs $65 per application.

Watch: NMA’s webinar on copyright registration, including information on third-party vendors who can help members with applications and deposits.

Steps for Registering Newspapers Using the Group Registration Option

Step 1: View the Final Rule

Step 2: Consult the Group Registration of Updates to a News Website FAQ and Application Help documents.

Step 3: Submit your PDF files.

Every publisher applying for copyright registration must file PDFs of their home page for every day in the month they are seeking to register.

Click on the button below to view the Copyright Office’s step-by-step instructions for uploading your work to eCo.

Who Must File

Although copyright registration is voluntary, newspaper identified by the Library of Congress are generally required to submit mandatory copies of their published editions. A list of newspapers required to submit mandatory deposits can be found here.

Related Links:

For questions or more information, please contact Regan Smith.

 

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