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Related Articles

• What are the c-Site system requirements?
• What performing arts works can I register using c-Site?
• What Can I Protect With c-Site?
• Does c-Site Offer Copyright Registration Services for My Music? What About Sound Recordings?
• When Will I Receive My Certificate of Registration From the U.S. Copyright Office?
• Can I Register My Screenplay With the U.S. Copyright Office Using c-Site?
• Can I Copyright My Musical Score?
• Can I Use c-Site to Register a Song I Wrote and Recorded on CD?

What Are the Benefits of Copyright Registration?

Registering a copyright is recommended for several reasons:

• Registration establishes a public record of your copyright claim.
• Registration is necessary before you can initiate a lawsuit in U.S. courts for infringement.
• If registration occurs within five years of publication, the registration will establish prima facie evidence in a court of law of the validity of the copyright and of the facts stated in the Certificate of Registration.
• If registration is made within 3 months after publication of a work or prior to an infringement of the work, attorneys' fees, unlimited actual damages or statutory damages and the infringer's profits, will be available to the copyright owner in court actions. Otherwise, only an award of actual damages and profits is available to the copyright owner, which generally are much less than statutory damages.