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, Third Edition commercial distribution, such as feature films. A preregistration is not the same as registration and the vast majority of would not benefit from this service. Applicants should reflect carefully on whether preregistration is necessary in a specific case. For more information on preregistration, see.

202.3&emsp;Registration Distinguished from Recordation

and are two separate procedures:  to copyright are registered, while documents related to copyright claims, such as agreements to  or grant a mortgage in copyrights, are recorded. As discussed in, an must submit an application, deposit copy(ies), and a  to register a claim to copyright, and together these items are the primary source of information for the claim. As a general rule, the applicant does not need to submit additional documents substantiating the information provided in these materials.

Registering a claim to copyright is not a substitute for recording a document with the U.S. Copyright Office, and recording a document is not a substitute for registering a claim to copyright. See 17 U.S.C. § 205. For a detailed discussion of the practices and procedures for recording a document with the Office, see.

203&emsp;Timing of Registration

Registration may be made at any time before the copyright has entered the. See 17 U.S.C. §§ 302–305 and 408(a). Generally speaking, a copyrighted work enters the public domain in the United States when “its full copyright term has expired.” Golan v. Holder, 132 S. Ct. 873, 878 (2012).

Although registration may be made at any time before a copyright expires or any time before bringing an action in federal court, the U.S. Copyright Office strongly encourages copyright owners to submit their works for registration in a timely manner. As discussed in, a registration is a prerequisite for seeking statutory damages and attorney’s fees in an infringement action. To pursue these remedies, an work must be registered before the infringement occurs, while a  work must be registered within three months after  or before the infringement occurs. See 17 U.S.C. § 412. Moreover, if the work is registered before or within five years after the work is first published, the registration constitutes prima facie evidence of the validity of the copyright and the facts stated in the.

204&emsp;Required Elements for Registration

To register a to copyright, an  must submit the following items to the U.S. Copyright Office: Chapter 200 : 7
 * Completed application;
 * Full filing fee; and