Simplifying Copyright Registration for Architectural Works


The U.S. Copyright Office adopted a final rule regarding registration of architectural works. The final rule adopts in full a proposed rule which received generally positive public comment. The rule provides that, other than in cases the Copyright Office deems exceptional, applicants seeking to register architectural works are required to submit their claims using the online Standard Application. The rule also encourages applicants to upload digital copies of their works through the electronic registration system, rather than submitting physical copies, and clarifies what aspects of the architectural plan must be visually perceptible from the deposit copies. Finally, the rule specifies that applicants must provide a date of construction for a building only if the work was embodied in unpublished plans or drawings on or before December 1, 1990 and if the work was constructed before January 1, 2003.