Copyright Office Invites Ideas on New Online Registration Fee Structures
Published Date: 3/26/2026
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Copyright Office wants your ideas on new ways to charge fees once their upgraded online registration system is ready. They’re exploring how different fee plans might affect who signs up and how much it costs. If you have thoughts, send them in by June 24, 2026, to help shape the future of copyright registration fees!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 3 mixed.
Fees by Type of Work
The Office is considering charging different registration fees depending on the type of work you register. Today the Standard Application fee is $65, while the Office reports average processing costs of about $83 for a motion picture and $147 for a literary work; shifting to work-type fees would better match fees to those costs but could lead to misclassification, extra review, and delayed effective registration.
Different Fees for Individuals vs Organizations
The Office is studying whether to charge different fees for registrations filed by individuals versus organizations. The Office says charging organizations more could make registration cheaper for individuals and increase filings, but it would also risk organizations misclassifying themselves as individuals and would require verification measures that add administrative costs.
Discounts for Small Entities
The Office is considering lower or discounted fees for small businesses and nonprofits (for example, using metrics like employee headcount or revenue). The notice notes the USPTO’s small- and micro-entity patent discounts (60–80 percent) as a model but also cites a study finding no measurable increase in small-entity patent filings, so discounts could improve access but might not raise filings and could reduce Office revenue.
Subscription Pricing Risks
The Office is evaluating a subscription model (pay a flat periodic fee to file multiple registrations) but notes the per-application examination cost ranges from about $83.46 to $194.46. The Office warns a subscription could create cross-subsidies favoring high-volume filers, encourage speculative or low-quality claims, strain resources, and therefore would likely require high fees or volume limits to be workable.
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