# U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 6: Obtaining Access to and Copies of Copyright Records and Deposits

> Federal · Agency guidance · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/GUID_COPYRIGHT_CIRC_6

## Section

- **Citation:** U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 6
- **Heading:** Obtaining Access to and Copies of Copyright Records and Deposits
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Agency guidance
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** U.S. Copyright Office Circulars / U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 6

## Text

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Circular 6
2  6.0119
Obtaining Access to and
Copies of Copyright Office
Records and Deposits
The Copyright Office maintains records of and indexes to deposits, registrations,
recordations, and other items related to copyright registration. The Office’s
records and indexes are open to public inspection and can be copied. Under
certain limited conditions, Office staff members can copy or reproduce items
deposited with the Office and retained under its control. To assist with searches
to locate and copy material, the Office provides various fee-based services.
Alternatively, patrons can search certain records independently and copy them
for a fee on machines in the Office. Certified copies of certain records are also
available for a fee.
note: Copyright Office fees are subject to change. For current fees, see Circular 4,
Copyright Office Fees, available on the Office’s website at www.copyright.gov, or call
the Office at (202) 707-3000 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free).
Fee-Based Services
If you want to inspect or request certified or uncertified copies of Copyright
Office records or deposits, other than Licensing Division records, contact
the Records Research and Certification Section. Only staff members of the
Copyright Office or the Library of Congress can copy or reproduce copyright
deposits. The Records Research and Certification Section is open to the public
between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, eastern time, Monday through Friday, except
federal holidays.
You can request copies of records or deposits, or ask to inspect copies of
records or deposits, by regular mail, email, or fax, or you can call in your
request.
Copyright RRC
P.O. Box 70400
Washington, DC 20024
tel: (202) 707-6787 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free)
fax: (202) 252-3519
copycerts@copyright.gov
Please provide your daytime telephone number.
Copies of Public Records Other Than Deposits
Upon request, the Copyright Office will prepare certified or uncertified copies
of certain public records
lar mail, email, or fax, or you can call in your
request.
Copyright RRC
P.O. Box 70400
Washington, DC 20024
tel: (202) 707-6787 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free)
fax: (202) 252-3519
copycerts@copyright.gov
Please provide your daytime telephone number.
Copies of Public Records Other Than Deposits
Upon request, the Copyright Office will prepare certified or uncertified copies
of certain public records. (See page 3 for details about requesting copies of
deposits.) To minimize the time needed for searches by the Copyright Office
staff, clearly specify the records you want. Doing so is important, because these
searches require payment of a fee in addition to the certification fee and the

Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits  ·  2
copying fee. But if you can provide a registration number or,
for recorded documents, a volume and document or page
number, no search fee is required.
Photocopies of the following copyright-related records
can be obtained: affidavits, registration applications, assign-
ments, contracts, licenses, and other documents that have
been recorded in the Copyright Office.
Written requests for copies of records should clearly
1 identify the type of records you want (for example,
additional certificates of registration, copies of correspon-
dence, copies of assignments);
2 specify whether you require certified or uncertified copies;
3 specify the records to be copied, including, if possible,
details about
a the type of work involved (for example, novel, lyrics, or
photograph);
b the registration number, including the letters repre-
senting the class in which the work was registered (for
example, TX000-000, A000) (required);
c the year or approximate year of registration (for example,
1985);
d the complete title of the work;
e the author(s), including any pseudonym by which the
author(s) may be known;
f the claimant(s); and
g for a copy of an assignment, contract, or other
recorded document, the volume and page number of
the Copyright Office record where inform
ered (for
example, TX000-000, A000) (required);
c the year or approximate year of registration (for example,
1985);
d the complete title of the work;
e the author(s), including any pseudonym by which the
author(s) may be known;
f the claimant(s); and
g for a copy of an assignment, contract, or other
recorded document, the volume and page number of
the Copyright Office record where information on the
recorded document can be found.
Written requests must also comply with any special
requirements outlined below for obtaining copies of certain
types of documents. If you request an additional certificate
of registration, include the relevant fee. (The Records
Research and Certification section will review requests for
copies of other items and quote fees for each.) Also include
your daytime telephone number, mailing and email
addresses, and fax number so a Copyright Office staff
member can contact you.
If you cannot provide a year of registration and title for a
work, Copyright Office records may have to be searched for
purposes of verification. There is a fee for this service. For
current fees, visit the Copyright Office website, write the
Office, or call (202) 707-6850 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free).
Additional Certificates of Registration
Copyright registration makes a public record of the basic
facts of a particular copyright. The copyright owner of an
original work of authorship or the owner’s agent can register
a claim to copyright. (See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, for
information on registration procedures.) After the claim to
copyright has been examined and the Office has determined
that the claim should be registered, the Office will send the
owner of the copyright a certificate of registration under the
seal of the Copyright Office
original work of authorship or the owner’s agent can register
a claim to copyright. (See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, for
information on registration procedures.) After the claim to
copyright has been examined and the Office has determined
that the claim should be registered, the Office will send the
owner of the copyright a certificate of registration under the
seal of the Copyright Office. If the registration of a work was
made before or within five years of first publication of the
work, the certificate of registration will serve as prima facie
evidence of the validity of the copyright and of the facts
stated in the certificate.
Anyone can request additional certificates of copyright
registration by writing to the Copyright Office. The addi-
tional certificate has the same legal or evidentiary effect as
the original certificate. Although the additional certificate
does not include the ribbon and blue backing of the original
certificate, it contains the seal and signature of the Register
of Copyrights and needs no further certification.
Your request for an additional certificate should include:
1 the title of the copyrighted work;
2 the registration number (see note below);
3 the year of registration or publication;
4 any other information needed to identify the registration;
and
5 the correct fee. For current fees, visit the Copyright Office
website, write the office, or call (202) 707-6787 or 1-877-
476-0778 (toll free).
note: If you don’t know the registration number of the copy-
righted work involved, request a search for the number before
requesting an additional certificate. Contact the Records
Research and Certification Section at (202) 707-6850 for fur-
ther information.
Certification of Copies
For a fee, Copyright Office records, including registrations,
preregistrations, and recordations, can be certified on a reg-
ular or expedited basis. Contact the Records Research and
Certification Section for additional information
re
requesting an additional certificate. Contact the Records
Research and Certification Section at (202) 707-6850 for fur-
ther information.
Certification of Copies
For a fee, Copyright Office records, including registrations,
preregistrations, and recordations, can be certified on a reg-
ular or expedited basis. Contact the Records Research and
Certification Section for additional information. When the
Copyright Office certifies a copy of a record, it attaches a
statement under the seal of the Copyright Office attesting
that the document is a true copy of the record in question.
Certified copies are often requested as evidence of the
authenticity of documents when litigation is involved. The
cost of certification is in addition to any other applicable
fees, such as search, retrieval, or duplication fees.

Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits  ·  3
Copies of Deposits
All requests for copies of deposits should be submitted to the
Records Research and Certification Section. The Copyright
Office does not retain all works deposited for copyright reg-
istration. The Office will provide certified or uncertified
copies of published or unpublished works deposited in con-
nection with a copyright registration and held in the Office’s
custody only when one of the following three conditions has
been met:
1 Written authorization is received from the copyright
claimant of record or the owner of any of the exclusive
rights in the copyright, as long as this ownership can be
demonstrated by written documentation of the transfer
of ownership.
If the transfer of the copyright is recorded in the
Copyright Office, please include, if possible, the volume
and page numbers and approximate year of recordation.
Without that information, a search of the Copyright Office
files will be necessary, and a search fee will be required
pyright, as long as this ownership can be
demonstrated by written documentation of the transfer
of ownership.
If the transfer of the copyright is recorded in the
Copyright Office, please include, if possible, the volume
and page numbers and approximate year of recordation.
Without that information, a search of the Copyright Office
files will be necessary, and a search fee will be required.
2 The Copyright Office Litigation Statement Form is
completed and received from an attorney or authorized
representative in connection with litigation, actual or pro-
spective, involving the copyrighted work. The following
information must be included in such a request: (a) the
names of all parties involved and the nature of the con-
troversy, and (b) the name of the court in which the actual
case is pending. In the case of a prospective proceeding,
the requestor must give a full statement of the facts of
controversy in which the copyrighted work is involved,
attach any letter or other document that supports the
claim that litigation may be instituted, and make satisfac-
tory assurance that the requested reproduction will be
used only in connection with the specified litigation.
Contact the Records Research and Certification Section
for a Litigation Statement Form. This form must be used.
No substitute will be permitted. The form must contain a
signature and all information requested for the Copyright
Office to process a request. The Office will accept either
handwritten or electronic signatures.
3 A court order is issued for a reproduction of a deposited
article, facsimile, or identifying portion of a work that is
the subject of litigation in its jurisdiction. The order must
be issued by a court having jurisdiction over a case in
which the copy is to be submitted as evidence.
A request for copies of works deposited in connection
with a copyright claim should be accompanied by whatever
material is necessary to show that one of the three conditions
given above has been met
ying portion of a work that is
the subject of litigation in its jurisdiction. The order must
be issued by a court having jurisdiction over a case in
which the copy is to be submitted as evidence.
A request for copies of works deposited in connection
with a copyright claim should be accompanied by whatever
material is necessary to show that one of the three conditions
given above has been met.
Nature of Deposit Copies
When you order a copy of a work deposited in connection
with a copyright claim, the Records Research and Certification
Section will supply a reproduction of one of the following,
depending upon the actual deposit:
1 the deposited work;
2 any identifying material submitted in lieu of the original
work; or
3 a reproduction of any facsimile that the Copyright Office
is required by law to retain when the deposited article has
been transferred to the Library of Congress.
If you request a reproduction of a deposit not retained
under the control of the Copyright Office, the Office will
inform you of this fact. In the event that a deposit was selected
for the Library of Congress collections, you can search the
collections at www.loc.gov or send an email inquiry to a
librarian at www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-contactus.html.
Copies of Phonorecord Deposits
If you request a reproduction of a phonorecord, such as an
audiotape, cassette, CD, or diskette, in which either a sound
recording or the underlying musical, dramatic, or literary
work is embodied, the Copyright Office will provide proxi-
mate reproduction. Because of the characteristics of available
sound reproduction, all frequencies contained in the original
phonorecord may not be reproduced.
The Copyright Office will provide the title and the regis-
tration number of the phonorecord. In response to a specific
request, the Copyright Office will provide reproductions of
any printed or other visually perceptible material deposited
with the phonorecord
of the characteristics of available
sound reproduction, all frequencies contained in the original
phonorecord may not be reproduced.
The Copyright Office will provide the title and the regis-
tration number of the phonorecord. In response to a specific
request, the Copyright Office will provide reproductions of
any printed or other visually perceptible material deposited
with the phonorecord.
Additional Searches and Records
The Records Research and Certification Section will also ini-
tiate in-process searches as well as searches in the correspon-
dence and unfinished business files of the Copyright Office
for material that may include original letters from authors
and publishers, uncataloged deposit copies (possibly unique
examples), and similar information. Because some of these
materials are not readily retrievable, consult section staff to
determine how long a search will take.
Inspection of Copyright Office Records
You can inspect (a) completed records and indexes related to
a registration or a recorded document and (b) copies or iden-
tifying material deposited in connection with a completed
registration or rejection in the Records Research and Certifi-
cation Section. Some of these materials are stored outside the
Copyright Office; contact section staff to determine how
Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits  ·  3

long it will take to retrieve the requested materials. Inspec-
tion hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm,
eastern time, except federal holidays and are prearranged.
Expedited Services
The Records Research and Certification Section offers expe-
dited services with prior approval. Call (202) 707-6787 for
details.
Fees
Fees are cumulative. Certification fees are in addition to any
other applicable fees, such as search fees or photoduplication
fees
hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm,
eastern time, except federal holidays and are prearranged.
Expedited Services
The Records Research and Certification Section offers expe-
dited services with prior approval. Call (202) 707-6787 for
details.
Fees
Fees are cumulative. Certification fees are in addition to any
other applicable fees, such as search fees or photoduplication
fees. There is an additional charge for each hour or fraction
of an hour required to locate all Copyright Office records,
except where the requestor supplies the Copyright Office
with the registration number and year of registration. For
current fees, visit the Copyright Office website, write the
office, or call (202) 707-3000 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free).
Checks or money orders must be made payable to Register
of Copyrights. For information on deposit accounts, see
Circular 5, How to Open and Maintain a Copyright Office
Deposit Account. Credit card payments are accepted by phone
or in person but not by mail.
Based on the information you provide, the Copyright
Office will estimate your total fee. Address all requests for fee
estimates to the Records Research and Certification Section.
Payments in excess of the statutory fee will be refunded,
but refunds of $50 or less will be made only upon request. To
cover administrative and processing costs, fees received in
conjunction with requests for additional certificates of regis-
tration will not be refunded even if the additional certificates
cannot be provided, usually because no such registration
exists.
Accessing Records on Your Own
For details about doing research in the records of the Copy-
right Office, see Circular 22, How to Investigate the Copyright
Status of a Work, and Circular 23, The Copyright Card Cata-
log and the Online Files of the Copyright Office
is-
tration will not be refunded even if the additional certificates
cannot be provided, usually because no such registration
exists.
Accessing Records on Your Own
For details about doing research in the records of the Copy-
right Office, see Circular 22, How to Investigate the Copyright
Status of a Work, and Circular 23, The Copyright Card Cata-
log and the Online Files of the Copyright Office.
Public access to Copyright Office records in machine-
readable form cataloged from January 1, 1978, to the present,
including registration information and recorded documents,
is available online at www.copyright.gov . These records include
original and renewal registrations and recorded documents,
including Notices of Intent to Enforce a Restored Copyright
under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.
The Copyright Card Catalog, which includes more than 35
million cards, indexes copyright registrations in the United
States from 1870 through 1977. It is open to public inspec-
tion in the Copyright Office.
The Catalog of Copyright Entries, published in book form
from July 1, 1891, through 1978 and in microfiche format
from 1979 through 1982, is available in many libraries
throughout the country and online at http://archive.org/
details/copyrightrecords.
Information such as registration numbers may be
obtained from these files. Obtaining this information your-
self rather than paying a fee to have the Office search for it
will reduce the cost of obtaining records and copies from the
Copyright Office.
Note that The Catalog of Copyright Entries, the Copyright
Card Catalog, and the online files are indexes, not reproduc-
tions of original documents. To view or copy the original
documents yourself, you must visit the Copyright Office
information your-
self rather than paying a fee to have the Office search for it
will reduce the cost of obtaining records and copies from the
Copyright Office.
Note that The Catalog of Copyright Entries, the Copyright
Card Catalog, and the online files are indexes, not reproduc-
tions of original documents. To view or copy the original
documents yourself, you must visit the Copyright Office.
Licensing Division Records
The Licensing Division of the Copyright Office maintains
records of transactions related to the secondary transmis-
sion of copyrighted works on cable television systems and by
satellite carriers for private home viewing; the making and
distribution of phonorecords; the use of certain works in
connection with noncommercial broadcasting; and public
performance of copyrighted music on jukeboxes from 1978
to 1989.
The records of the Licensing Division are open to public
inspection during hours of public service, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm,
eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays,
in the Public Records Reading Room of the James Madison
Memorial Building. In addition, statements of account for
secondary transmissions by cable systems from January 1, 1992,
to the present are available at http://licensing.copyright.gov/
search. Inquiries about documents related to licensing should
be addressed to:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office-LD
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20559-6400
tel: (202) 707-8150
For more information about the Licensing Division, see
Circular 75, The Licensing Division of the Copyright Office.
Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits  ·  4
p://licensing.copyright.gov/
search. Inquiries about documents related to licensing should
be addressed to:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office-LD
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20559-6400
tel: (202) 707-8150
For more information about the Licensing Division, see
Circular 75, The Licensing Division of the Copyright Office.
Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits  ·  4

Obtaining Access to and Copies of Records and Deposits  ·  5
U. S. Copyright Office · Library of Congress · 101 Independence Avenue SE · Washington, DC 20559 · www.copyright.gov
For Further Information
By Internet
Circulars, announcements, regulations, applications, and
other materials are available from the Copyright Office web-
site at www.copyright.gov.
By Telephone
For general information about copyright, call the Copyright
Public Information Office at (202) 707-3000 or 1-877-476-
0778 (toll free). Staff members are on duty from 8:30 am to
5:00 pm, eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal
holidays. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day.
To request paper application forms or circulars, available by
postal mail, call (202) 707‑9100 or 1-877-476-0778 and leave
a recorded message.
By Regular Mail
Write to:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office-COPUBS
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20559
circular 6
reviewed: 01 ⁄ 2019
Printed on recycled paper
u.s. government printing office: 2019-xxx-xxx ⁄ xx,xxx

## Nearby sections

- [U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 2 Copyright Registration](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/GUID_COPYRIGHT_CIRC_2.md)
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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/GUID_COPYRIGHT_CIRC_6. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.