This post is a reminder for social media influencers and authors to take advantage of the group copyright registration option at the US Copyright Office for short online literary works, which includes blog entries social media posts, and short online articles, among others.
The registration option allows authors to file a single application that covers between two and fifty eligible works. The fee is $65.
Eligibility Requirements
Please note that there are certain eligibility requirements:
Each work must contain 50 to 17,500 words.
The same individual, or jointly by the same individuals, must create each work. Each author must be named as the copyright claimant for each work.
The works must all be published online, as part of a website or other online platform. (note that this does not apply if the work was first published in a physical form and then is published online.)
The works must all be published within a three-calendar-month period.
The works cannot be comprised mainly of numbers or other verbal or numerical symbols or indicia.
Works-Made-For-Hire and Joint Works
Works-made-for-hire are not eligible for the group registration of short online literary works.
Joint authors must have all their works listed in their application by the same authors. If any of the works contain another author, that group of works won’t be eligible for this group registration.