Compare copyright registration scenarios by adding filing, attorney, and deposit costs for different work types.
The Copyright Registration Cost Calculator helps creators and businesses estimate the cost of registering copyrightable works with the U.S. Copyright Office. While copyright protection exists automatically upon creation, federal registration can provide important legal benefits including the ability to sue for infringement, eligibility for statutory damages and attorney fees, and a public record of ownership.
Registration costs include the Copyright Office filing fee, any attorney fees for preparation and submission, and deposit copy costs. The Copyright Office offers several filing options including single works, group registrations, and the electronic Copyright Office (eCO) system which provides reduced fees.
This calculator models costs for individual and group registrations across different work types, helping creators and businesses budget for intellectual property protection.
Copyright registration is inexpensive relative to the value it protects. A worksheet makes it easier to compare filing options and see whether group registration changes the per-work cost before you decide to file.
Per-Registration Cost = Filing Fee + Attorney Fee + Deposit Cost Group Registration Total = Filing Fee + Attorney Fee + (Works × Deposit per Work) Cost per Work = Total / Number of Works
Result: $56.50 per work (group registration)
Group registration: $65 filing + $300 attorney + (10 works × $20 deposit) = $565. Per work: $565 / 10 = $56.50.
Single work registration is appropriate for individual works by a single author. Group registration can cover multiple eligible works. Each type has different fee structures and eligibility requirements.
Registration timing can affect the remedies available in an infringement dispute. This worksheet keeps the issue visible without pretending to decide the legal outcome.
For software, register the code and documentation you actually want protected. Combine copyright with trade secret protection for comprehensive software IP coverage where appropriate.
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This worksheet adds the user-entered filing fee, attorney fee, and deposit costs, then divides group-registration totals by the number of works when applicable. It is meant to compare filing scenarios and make the cost assumptions visible.
The page is intentionally conservative. It does not decide whether registration is required, whether a work qualifies for group treatment, or whether a claim will be eligible for statutory damages. Those are legal questions that depend on the Copyright Act and the specific filing facts.
Current fees vary by filing type, work type, and whether you use paper or online filing. This worksheet lets you enter the fee assumptions you are actually using instead of hard-coding a single number.
Copyright exists automatically upon creation, but registration can matter if you want to sue for infringement or preserve access to certain remedies. The exact legal effect depends on the facts and filing timing.
The Copyright Office requires deposit materials for registration. The exact deposit depends on the work type and filing method, so this worksheet treats deposit cost as a separate input rather than a fixed amount.
Processing time varies by filing type and workload. Online filings are usually faster than paper filings, but this worksheet is about budget planning rather than turnaround prediction.
Yes, some group-registration options exist for eligible works. Whether a group option is available depends on the work type and filing facts, so the worksheet keeps the per-work math visible.
Copyright protects original works of authorship including literary works, music, dramatic works, visual art, photographs, software, architectural works, and sound recordings. It does not protect ideas, facts, titles, or short phrases.