U.S. Copyright Office Issues a Notice of Inquiry on Possible Alternative Fee Structures for ECS Registration

The Copyright Office has issued a notice of inquiry (NOI) to gather public input on possible alternative fee structures for its registration services that could be adopted once the new Enterprise Copyright System (ECS) Registration component is in place. The NOI provides an opportunity to propose such alternative fee structures for the Office to consider and to describe how they would function. The NOI also seeks information about copyright owners’ current registration practices and how they might be affected. The Office will use the information provided to analyze the feasibility and desirability of alternative fee structures, including their potential economic impact. This analysis will inform plans for further development of ECS Registration and future funding strategies.

The notice and instructions for submitting comments are available on the Alternative Fee Structures webpage. Written comments must be received by June 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. eastern time.

This inquiry is separate from the Office’s pending rulemaking that proposes adjustments to the current fee schedule. Information about that proceeding is available on the Copyright Office Fee Study—2026 rulemaking webpage.