Get Form Re/addendum - U.s. Copyright Office - Copyright

Copyright renewal is a copyright formality through which an initial term of copyright protection for a work can be extended for a second term. Once the term of copyright protection has ended, the copyrighted work enters the public domain, and can be freely reproduced and incorporated into new works.

Do I have to renew my copyright? No. Works created on or after January 1, 1978, are not subject to renewal registration. As to works published or registered prior to January 1, 1978, renewal registration is optional after 28 years but does provide certain legal advantages.

To file a renewal application, you must use Form RE provided by the U.S. Copyright Office and pay a renewal fee of $125. Renewal registration is effective when the U.S. Copyright Office receives all required documents.

Circular 6A: Renewal of Copyright Basic information regarding renewal registration for works that first secured federal protection between January 1, 1964, and December 31, 1977, covering incentives for renewal registration, ownership during the renewal term, and procedure for registering a renewal claim.

Visit the Copyright Office website at .copyright.gov and click on Forms. Scroll down to Renewals and select the appropriate forms. Or call the Copyright Office at (202) 707-9100 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free).

Once that period of time expires, or if the creator failed to comply with any legal formalities required at the time of creation or thereafter, the work enters the public domain - meaning it belongs to everyone, without restriction.

Fees Registration of a claim in an original work of authorshipElectronic filing$250Paper filing$250Registration of a renewal claim (Form RE):Claim without addendum$12523 more rows