Standard Application Help: Publication/Completion
Year of Completion (Year of Creation)
Provide the year in which the creation of this work was completed. If there are multiple versions of this work, provide the year of completion for the particular version being submitted for registration. The year of completion should not refer to earlier or later versions of this work.
Date of First Publication
Provide the month, day, and year the work was first published in any country. If you do not know the exact date of first publication, give the approximate month, day, and year.
“Publication” is the distribution of copies or phonorecords of a work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending. The offering to distribute copies or phonorecords to a group of persons for purposes of further distribution, public performance, or public display also constitutes publication. A public performance or display of a work does not of itself constitute publication.
The applicant must determine whether the work has been published.
Nation of First Publication
Select the country where the work was first published. If the work was first published on the same day in the United States and another country, select “United States” as the Nation of First Publication. If the work was first published in two foreign countries on the same day, you may select either country as the Nation of First Publication.
International Standard Number (ISN)
ISBN
If your work has an ISBN, give it in the space provided. International Standard Book Numbers are assigned by the R. R. Bowker Company (www.bowker.com).
ISSN
If your work has an ISSN, give it in the space provided. In the United States, International Standard Serial Numbers are assigned by the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov/issn).
ISRC
If your work has an ISRC number, give it in the space provided. In the United States, International Standard Recording Codes are assigned by the Recording Industry Association of America (www.usisrc.org).
ISMN
If your work has an ISMN, give it in the space provided. In the United States, International Standard Music Numbers are assigned by The Library of Congress (www.loc.gov/ismn).
ISAN
If your work has an ISAN, give it in the space provided. In the United States, International Standard Audiovisual Numbers are assigned by ARIBSAN US (www.aribsan.org).
ISWC
If your work has an ISWC, give it in the space provided. In the United States, International Standard Musical Work Codes are assigned by ASCAP (www.ascap.com).
ISTC
If your work has an ISTC, give it in the space provided. In the United States, International Standard Text Codes are assigned by the International ISTC Agency (www.istc-international.org).
EIDR
If your work has an EIDR, give it in the space provided. In the United States, EIDR identifiers are assigned by the Entertainment Identifier Registry (www.eidr.org).
Important Note: EIDR numbers contain 34 characters and are presented in the following format: 10.5240/xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-X.
- The first 8 characters “10.5240” is a standard “prefix” common to all EIDR numbers.
- The next 24 characters (consisting of 5 sets of 4 digit numbers separated by hyphens) is a unique numeric identifier that is assigned to each work.
- The last 2 characters (consisting of a hyphen and a letter) is a check that is used to confirm the accuracy of the EIDR number.
When entering an EIDR number in the application, do not include the standard prefix “10.4240”. You should only include the 26 characters, letter, and hyphens (xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-X) that make up the unique numeric identifier assigned to the work.
Examples
- Correct: xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-X
- Incorrect: 10.5240/xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-X
The electronic registration system can accept standard numbers that contain 30 characters or less. If you include the standard prefix “10.4240” in the “international standard number” field at least some portion of the EIDR number will be cut off when your claim is received by the Copyright Office.