Copyright Registration is a simple process. It is also very inexpensive for the inestimable value it provides your intellectual property. To register your work, you must fill out the appropriate form, make a deposit of the work for which copyright is sought, and pay the registration fee.

Registering your work as unpublished is one way to simplify the task. This timely method preserves statutory rights and relieves an illustrator from the deposit requirement of a printed sample within three months of publication (a potentially unrealistic requirement). This method also allows for group registration of multiple works, all on one form for a single $30.00 fee.

We've filled out the forms for you already. You just need to edit the information to reflect your personal data.

1. Fill out the VA Form, for registration of Visual Artwork. Attach the CON Form to list multiple works. Save the editable PDF file of the VA and CON Forms. Once filled out, for each successive registration, you need only change the date, the name of the collection and the list of works. This greatly streamlines your paperwork burden.

2. The US Copyright Office accepts many different formats as deposit material. Examples include inkjet prints, CD-ROM, digital and traditional photos, Polaroids, and video. Use a deposit method that easily integrates into your workflow.

3. Attach the registration fee of $30.00.

4. Send to Copyright Office by commercial carrier. Be sure to register before publication. Develop a system that works for your workflow. Your work is registered from the moment the Copyright Office receives your acceptable application, deposit and fee, regardless of how long the Copyright Office may take to process the Certificate.

5. Keep a duplicate copy of the VA and CON forms, a duplicate copy of your artwork deposit, and your delivery proof.

6. Within 3-9 months you will receive back your Certificate of Registration with a VAu Registration number.

For more information about how to protect your copyrights, download and read the "Controlling Your Intellectual Property" article.