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COPYRIGHT FILING CHECKLIST: INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR COPYRIGHT
APPLICATION

-CUSTOMER CONTACT INFORMATION - Who is the primary contact?

-COPYRIGHT CLAIMANT - Who will own the copyright?
Is the claimant an individual, corporation, partnership?

Resident of; Citizen of (State and Country) (Please include a street address, email address and daytime telephone number for each)

-TITLE OF THE WORK (e.g., MICROSOFT WINDOWS)

-PREVIOUS OR ALTERNATIVE TITLE (e.g., VER. 02)

-NATURE OF THE WORK (software program)

-NAME OF THE AUTHOR (OR AUTHORS) ? Please include all author information.

-DATES OF EACH AUTHOR'S BIRTH AND DEATH

-AUTHOR'S NATIONALITY AND DOMICILE

-WHETHER THE AUTHOR'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE MATERIAL WAS A "WORK FOR HIRE" (generally speaking, the person who creates the work is the author -  however, an exception is made for A WORK FOR HIRE (when the author as an employee creates the work within the course and scope of his or her employment; or when a third party (non-employee) is specially commissioned to create the work and has waived his/her rights of authorship in writing. 

-WHETHER THE AUTHOR'S CONTRIBUTION WAS ANONYMOUS
OR PSEUDONYMOUS?

-NATURE OF AUTHORSHIP ( e.g., 3-D sculpture, 2-D artwork, map, photograph, text, software code, technical drawing, jewelry design, architectural work, sound recording, audio-visual material, etc.)

- YEAR IN WHICH WORK WAS CREATED (COMPLETED)

- DATE AND NATION OF FIRST PUBLICATION (if the software has been published or distributed)

- NAME OF COPYRIGHT OWNER (CLAIMANT) (IF DIFFERENT FROM THE AUTHOR - PLEASE INDICATE HOW THE CLAIMANT
OBTAINED OWNERSHIP OF THE COPYRIGHT (E.G., BY ASSIGNMENT OR TRANSFER)

- (derivative work or compilation) WHETHER THERE IS ANY PRE-EXISTING
MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THE SOFTWARE, OR IF THE SOFTWARE IS BASED ON OR
INCORPORATES OTHER MATERIAL

Consider: Are any PREEXISTING MATERIALS INCORPORATED INTO YOUR NEW
PROGRAM? IF SO, PLEASE IDENTIFY/ DISCLAIM ANY PORTIONS OF THE EARLIER
WORK (e.g., tables, graphs, data, structures, fonts, formats, codes, etc.) THAT CAN BE INDEPENDENTLY INDENTIFIED

THE QUESTION(S) THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE WANTS TO KNOW IS:

What in the software code that you are registering constitutes original material which has been created by you? AND/OR

What has been created by others that you seek no claim to?

What in the work has been previously published?

If the software has been previously published, what upgrades or new materials does this work (or version) contain?

DEPOSIT MATERIAL - 
A. Computer Programs without Trade Secrets
For published or unpublished computer programs, send one copy of identifying portions of the program (first 25 and last 25 pages of source code). For a program less than 50 pages in length, send a visually perceptible copy of the entire source code. Online registration is ideal for computer programs not embodied in a CD-ROM. The source code may be uploaded electronically, preferably in PDF format. If a published user's manual or other printed documentation accompanies the computer program, deposit one copy of the user?s manual along with one copy of the identifying material for the program.Note: Such manuals must generally be mailed rather than uploaded electronically to the Copyright Office.

WE ALSO HIGHLY RECOMMEND PROVIDING APPROXIMATELY 5 to 10 SCREENSHOTS (in color) as part of the application.

You should also file along with the code and the "DISK" all of your accompanying manuals, installation instructions, user's guide, j-cards, sleeves, etc. When a computer program is embodied in a CD-ROM, ordinarily the entire CD-ROM package must be mailed to the Copyright Office, including a complete copy of any accompanying operating software and instructional manual. If registration is sought for the computer program, the deposit should also include a printout of the first 25 and last 25 pages of source code for the program.

B. Computer Programs Containing Trade Secrets Where a computer program contains trade secret material, we must also include a cover letter stating that the claim contains trade secrets, along with the page containing the copyright notice, if any. We must also include a source code deposit as described below. The source code may be uploaded electronically with the exceptions noted above.

Entirely new computer programs - 
First 25 and last 25 pages of source code with portions containing trade secrets blocked out; or First 10 and last 10 pages of source code alone, with no blocked out portions; or First 25 and last 25 pages of object code plus any 10 or more consecutive pages of source code, with no blocked-out portions; or For programs 50 pages or less in
length, entire source code with trade secret portions blocked out.

c) - IF PUBLISHED ONLINE - SPECIAL DEPOSIT MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS

All works transmitted online excluding computer programs, databases, and works fixed in CD-ROM format:

The deposit regulations of the Copyright Office do not specifically address works transmitted online. Until the regulations are amended, and under the authority granted the Copyright Office by 37 C.F.R. 202.20(c)(2)(viii), the Office will require the deposit of one of the following:

Option 1: a computer disk (clearly labeled with the title and author) containing the entire work and in addition, representative portions of the authorship being registered in a format that can be examined by the
Office (printout, audio cassette, or videotape). If the work is short (e.g., five pages of text or artwork, or 3 minutes of music, sounds, or audiovisual material), deposit the entire work and confirm that it is complete. If the work is longer, deposit five representative pages or 3 representative minutes. This identifying material should include the title and author, and the copyright notice, if any.
OR
Option 2: a reproduction of the entire work, regardless of length. Send the format appropriate for the authorship being registered, for example, a printout, audio cassette, or videotape. No computer disk is required.

Exception: If a work is published both online and by the distribution of physical copies in any format, the requirement of the deposit regulations for the copies applies, not the options for online works given above. For example, if a work is published in the form of hardbound books and is also transmitted online, the deposit requirement is two copies of the hardbound book.

Computer programs, databases, and works fixed in CD-ROM format transmitted online: For works fixed in CD-ROM format, a complete copy of the CD-ROM package, including any operating software or instruction manual, is required.
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