Copyright Registration Fees Nearly Doubling – Act NOW!
Protect Affordable Access to your Constitutional Rights!
From Stephen Best, APA National CEO
The United States Copyright Office has proposed “new fees for the registration of claims, recordation of documents, special services, Licensing Division services, and processing of FOIA requests.” This includes the registration of photographs using form VA through eCO or paper filings.
The basic change for photographers would be an electronic filing that now has a fee of $35 would go to $65. A paper filing that now is $65 would go to $100. APA is concerned that increased fees will deter the registration of images by photographers because of the higher cost.
Making the registration process more expensive is not a way for the Copyright Office and the Library of Congress to fulfill its mission “To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries” (U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8 )
The Notice of proposed rulemaking on Copyright Fees is found here: 77 FR 18742.
The Copyright Office is providing an opportunity for comments before they submit the fee schedule to the US Congress for review. Comments should be submitted electronically to the Office of the General Counsel in the Copyright Office no later than May 14, 2012.
Comments are to be filed electronically and a comment form is posted on the Copyright Office Web site at http://www.copyright.gov/docs/
Let the Copyright Office know how strongly you feel. Submit comments to the US Copyright Office.
APA – NATIONAL
PO Box 725146 Atlanta, GA 31139
Phone:(800) 272-6264 ext. 12, email: execdirector@apanational.com