The American copyright registration system, currently an entirely paper-based operation, is on the verge of going electronic, and Scott & Scott, LLP has been selected to be part of that revolution. The United States Copyright Office is testing a new on-line web-based copyright registration system. Called “eCO,” for “electronic Copyright Office,” the system is currently in beta testing on the Copyright Office’s website. As a participant in the beta-testing program, Scott & Scott, LLP will be able to register copyrights electronically for a reduced fee of $35 for electronic filings.
The system may only be used for basic registration claims for literary works, visual arts works, performing arts works, and sound recordings. The system will allow registrants to submit applications, deposit copies, and fees electronically. According to the notice published by the Copyright Office, “in addition to reducing processing time lags and operational costs in the long term, eCO will provide for a streamlined application experience for users.” The Copyright Office intends, at a later date, to expand the system to cover additional registration claim types and services. According to the website, the expanded system will cover “serials, group registrations, vessel hull designs, mask works, renewals, and corrections and amplifications of existing registrations.”
Scott & Scott LLP, already a leader in protecting its clients’ intellectual property assets, intends to offer on-line registration as part of its intellectual property services. The system will allow the firm to register copyrights more quickly and efficiently, saving clients both time and money.
The eCO system may be accessed at the following website: http://www.copyright.gov/eco/beta-announce.html