Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/18pdf/17-571_e29f.pdf
Page Number: 14

Cite as:  586 U. S. ____ (2019) 

11 

Opinion of the Court 

p. 3:154.2  (3d  ed.  2018  Supp.)  (finding  application  ap-
proach  “the  better  rule”);  2  M.  Nimmer  &  D.  Nimmer, 
Copyright §7.16[B][3][a], [b][ii] (2018) (infringement suit is 
conditioned on application, while prima facie presumption 
of  validity  depends  on  certificate  of  registration).    The 
Copyright  Act’s  explicit  carveouts  from  §411(a)’s  general
registration rule, however, show that Congress adverted to
this  concern.  In  the  preregistration  option,  §408(f ),  Con-
gress provided that owners of works especially susceptible 
to prepublication infringement should be allowed to insti-
tute suit before the Register has granted or refused regis-
tration.  See §411(a).  Congress made the same determina-
tion as to live broadcasts.  §411(c); see supra, at 4.6  As to 
all  other  works,  however,  §411(a)’s  general  rule  requires
owners to await action by the Register before filing suit for 
infringement.

Fourth  Estate  raises  the  specter  that  a  copyright  owner 
may  lose  the  ability  to  enforce  her  rights  if  the  Copyright 
Act’s  three-year  statute  of  limitations  runs  out  before  the 
Copyright  Office  acts  on  her  application  for  registration. 
Brief  for  Petitioner  41.    Fourth  Estate’s  fear  is  overstated, 
as the average processing time for registration applications
is currently seven months, leaving ample time to sue after 
the  Register’s  decision,  even  for  infringement  that  began 
before  submission  of  an  application.    See  U. S.  Copyright 
Office, Registration Processing Times (Oct. 2, 2018) (Regis-
tration  Processing  Times),  https://www.copyright.gov/
registration/docs/processing-times-faqs.pdf  (as  last  visited 

—————— 

6 Further,  in  addition  to  the  Act’s  provisions  for  preregistration  suit, 
the  Copyright  Office  allows  copyright  claimants  to  seek  expedited 
processing  of  a  claim  for  an  additional  $800  fee.    See  U. S.  Copyright 
Office,  Special  Handling:  Circular  No.  10,  pp.  1–2  (2017).    The  Copy-
right Office grants requests for special handling in situations involving, 
inter  alia,  “[p]ending  or  prospective  litigation,”  and  “make[s]  every 
attempt  to  examine  the  application  . . .  within  five  working  days.”
Compendium of U. S. Copyright Practices §623.2, 623.4 (3d ed. 2017).