Copyright Office Adopts Final Rule to Allow Publishers Register Online Content

On August 22, the Copyright Office adopted a rule on group registration of updates to news websites. The rule, originally proposed in January, allows publishers to submit copies of their homepages as identifying material to evaluate for registration on a monthly basis. Previously, publishers lacked a feasible way to protect their online properties as registration would have required the submission of complete copies of publisher websites for each day. Timely registration of copyrights is vital for publishers as without it, rightsholders are not entitled to statutory damages and attorney's fees - necessary for viable enforcement of copyrights due to the high cost of federal litigation. Today's rule gives publishers access to the full benefits of the copyright system. The new rule applies to news websites, and will become applicable immediately. The rule is based on the same application as the pre-existing group registration option for newspapers - which the Alliance played an important role in developing prior to its adoption in 2018 - including the registration fee. Read the final rule here.