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Copyright Office Will No Longer Accept Electronic Deposits in WPS Format

Issue No. 900 - June 23, 2021

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Beginning July 23, 2021, the Copyright Office will no longer accept electronic deposits in WPS format.

As of July 23, 2021, the file-blocking feature in the electronic registration system (eCO) will prevent applicants from uploading WPS files. If an applicant would like to upload an electronic deposit that is saved in WPS format on or after this date, they will need to convert the file to a format that the system will accept, such as DOC, DOCX, or PDF. The list of file types the Office accepts is available here.

The Copyright Office receives few deposits in WPS format, but they are often problematic and can result in registration delays. If the Office cannot open a file, the applicant must resubmit their work in an acceptable file type. This may result in a later effective date of registration. When the system blocks a WPS file, it immediately notifies the applicant that they must submit the work in a different format. Information about the eCO file-blocking feature is available here (page six under “Past Updates”).

The WPS file format was commonly used in the 1980s and 1990s to create word processing documents in the Microsoft Works program. In the 2000s, Microsoft Word documents—DOC or DOCX file types—largely replaced the WPS file type. Microsoft discontinued the WPS format in 2006; the company discontinued its Works productivity suite in 2009.