w copyright.gov

CIRCULAR

19

After you submit an application for copyright registration 

or a document for recordation, the Copyright Office may 

need to communicate with you. If the communication you 

receive from the Office specifies a time frame for your reply, 

it is important that you reply within that time frame to 

avoid negative consequences.1

 When you reply within the 

time frame, you will not receive an acknowledgement or be 

contacted again about the matter raised in the Office’s communication unless further information is required. 

NOTE: The Office may consider a reasonable request for an 

extension of time if the request is received prior to the original deadline. If you need extra time to reply, request additional time from the Office before the end of the reply period. 

Communications about Registration Examination

After you submit a claim for copyright registration, a registration specialist will examine the materials you provide. 

Whenever possible, the registration specialist will examine 

an application without communicating with you. However, 

the registration specialist will communicate with you by 

email if information is missing or requires clarification, or if 

you’ve used a single application where a standard application 

is required. The Office sends most of its correspondence by 

email from the address cop-ad@copyright.gov. Check all your 

folders, including any spam or junk folders, for messages 

from this address.

Because the Office uses email as its primary means of communication, it is important to maintain an accurate, verifiable 

email address with the Office. If your email address changes, 

either contact the registration specialist assigned to your case 

or provide the new email address through the Contact Us link 

on the Office’s website to add a note to your file.

The Copyright Office often provides 

time frames to respond to 

correspondence. This circular provides 

an overview of these time frames and 

introduces some of the consequences 

of failing to reply in a timely manner. 

It covers

• Permanent closure of a 

registration application

• Delay to the effective date 

of registration

• Delay in recording a document 

related to copyright

Deadlines for Replying

to Copyright Office Correspondence
Deadlines for Replying to Copyright Office Correspondence 2

Communications about Recordation Examination

Prior to recording a document pertaining to copyright or a notice of termination, a recordation 

specialist will examine the document to determine if it satisfies the requirements of the Copyright 

Act and the Office’s regulations and to determine if the correct filing fee has been paid. A recordation specialist may communicate with you if the document does not appear to relate to copyright, if 

the document does not comply with the Office’s regulations, or if there are any discrepancies in the 

document. The Office will communicate using the contact information you provided.

Specified Time Frames for Reply

In general, you should reply to Office correspondence according to the time frame provided in the 

correspondence. When an examiner communicates by phone and does not receive a reply within 

a reasonable time, the examiner will follow up in writing, after which you should reply within the 

timeframe provided in the correspondence. The following table provides time frames for replying to 

registration-related Office correspondence.

Type of Communication Time Frame for Reply

Phone A reasonable time. 

Email (general communication) 45 calendar days

Email (request for deposit copies) 45 calendar days

Letter 45 calendar days

Closed File

If a registration specialist communicates with you, and you fail to reply within the time frame specified 

in the communication, the Office may close your file without completing examination and without 

informing you that the file has been closed. The Office will not return the filing fee or deposit. When 

your file is closed, you must refile a new application, filing fee, and deposit copy or copies.

If the failure to respond to the communication was caused by extraordinary circumstances, you 

can request that the Office reopen the file. For more information, see chapter 600, section 605.8, of 

the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices.

Effective Date of Registration

When the Office registers a work it assigns an effective date of registration to the certificate of 

registration. The effective date of registration is the day that the Office receives in proper form all 

required elements—an acceptable application, an acceptable deposit, and a nonrefundable filing 

fee. When a file is closed for failure to reply to Office correspondence, the claim must be refiled. 

The effective date of registration for the work will be the date when the Office receives all required 

elements for the new claim. For general information regarding the effective date of registration, see 

Copyright Registration (Circular 2).
Deadlines for Replying to Copyright Office Correspondence 3

Effective Date of Recordation of Documents and Notices of Termination

The date of recordation is the date when the Office receives the written document or notice of 

termination in proper form with the proper filing fee. If you submit a document for recordation 

that does not comply with Office regulations or without the proper filing fee, the Office may communicate with you to correct the issue. For example, delay in replying to the Office’s correspondence 

will affect the date of recordation, which may in turn affect your compliance with statutory time 

limits and conditions required to establish constructive notice. Delay in the recordation of a notice 

of termination may negatively affect whether a notice of termination will take effect.

note

1. This circular is intended as an overview of the deadlines for replying to Copyright Office correspondence. The authoritative source for U.S. copyright law is the Copyright Act, codified in Title 17 of the 

United States Code. Copyright Office regulations are codified in Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Copyright Office practices and procedures are summarized in the third edition of the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, cited as the Compendium. The copyright law, regulations, and 

the Compendium are available on the Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov.
1 U.S. Copyright Office · Library of Congress · 101 Independence Avenue SE · Washington, DC 20559 · copyright.gov

CIRCULAR 19 REVISED: 09/2017 PRINT: 00/0000 — 0,000

For Further Information

By Internet

The copyright law, the Compendium, electronic registration, application forms, regulations, and 

related materials are available on the Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov.

By Email

To send an email inquiry, click the Contact Us link on the Copyright Office website.

By Telephone

For general information, call the Copyright Public Information Office at (202) 707-3000 or 

1-877-476-0778 (toll free). Staff members are on duty from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, eastern time, 

Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. To request application forms or circulars by 

postal mail, call (202) 707-9100 or 1-877-476-0778 and leave a recorded message. 

By Regular Mail

Write to

Library of Congress

U.S. Copyright Office

Publications Section

101 Independence Avenue, SE #6304

Washington, DC 20559-6304