What is included and what is not

Included

  • Advice on which registration type fits the work (for example US Form CO or GR, Canadian registration, Japan 文化庁 registration of a programme work or first-publication date)
  • Preparation of the application, deposit copy and declarations
  • Filing and the registration certificate when issued
  • Authorship and ownership record for the work, kept in your IP portfolio
  • Guidance on what registration does and does not give you in that jurisdiction

Not included

  • Official fees (US Copyright Office, CIPO and 文化庁 fees passed through at cost)
  • Registration in countries with no registry (see the evidence pack)
  • Infringement actions

Who it is for

For

  • Software companies that want statutory damages and a public record in the United States
  • Publishers and creators licensing works into North America
  • Japanese and foreign developers who need a dated record of a programme work

Not for

  • Works whose only market is a country with no registry
  • Trademarks or product names (see trademarks)

Where a registry exists

A registry existsregister the workUSUnited StatesCACanadaJPJapanNo registryprove ownership with contracts and dated evidenceUKUnited KingdomSGSingaporeHKHong KongTWTaiwanAUAustraliaNZNew ZealandMTMalta

What the document does

Clause summaries. The product delivers the drafted and reviewed document, not a template.

Registration typeThe office's categories (literary, computer program, visual, audiovisual) and the deposit each requires
Authorship and work-for-hireWhether the author is an employee, a contractor or the company, and what must be assigned first
DepositWhat to deposit and how to protect trade secrets in source-code deposits
EffectWhat registration gives in each office: presumption of validity, statutory damages, a dated record
Renewal and maintenanceWhere any, tracked in the portfolio

How it runs

  1. Intake

    Work details, authorship chain and the deposit copy.

  2. Ownership check

    Confirm the applicant owns the work; prepare an assignment if not.

  3. Application

    Prepared on the workflow, reviewed by the responsible professional.

  4. Filing

    Filed with the office; receipt recorded.

  5. Certificate

    Certificate recorded in the portfolio with the work's details.

✓
Filed by
A US-licensed attorney for US filings; a lawyer or agent in Canada; a 行政書士 or 弁護士 for 文化庁 registration in Japan.

Price by office

OfficePrice
JapanUS$250
United StatesUS$250
CanadaUS$250

Questions

Is copyright not automatic?

It is. Registration adds a public record, evidence of the date and, in the United States, access to statutory damages and the right to sue.

Which countries have no registry?

The United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Malta have none. For those we prepare the evidence pack instead.

Can source code be deposited without disclosing it?

The US office allows redacted deposits for trade secrets; we prepare them that way by default.

How long does registration take?

Several months in the United States depending on the office's backlog; faster in Canada; check the office.

Does a Japanese registration protect me abroad?

It is evidence of the date and authorship; protection abroad comes from the Berne Convention, not from the registration.

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