U.S. Copyright Office closed


By Andrew Hudson Published: October 1, 2013 Updated: January 19, 2017

In a blow to law-abiding photographers, copyright registrations have been suspended in the U.S. following the Government shutdown.

“Due to the lapse in government funding, the U.S. Copyright Office is closed … Registration submissions will be accepted for the purpose of securing date of receipt, but will not be processed. Website updates and all normal business activity will resume when the government reopens.”
United States Copyright Office

UPDATE 10/17/13:
The U.S. Copyright Office should re-open today or soon as Congress restored funding last night.

Legally, you do not need to register your copyright as protection is automatic. But registration gives you extra protection in the court room. You can still file copyright registrations online in the quaint hope that Congress gets its act together.

“If you would like to file a copyright registration online, the online registration system is available. Filing your claim now will help ensure the earliest possible effective date of registration, although copyright registrations will not be processed until the Copyright Office reopens.”
United States Copyright Office

Sources: Wikipedia, United States Copyright Office. Image credits: Steve Snodgrass/Flickr, Tallent Show/Flickr.

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