correct the application by placing the information in the appropriate field or space, provided it is clear what information belongs in what field or space.
As a general rule, the specialist will not annotate the registration record if information appears in the wrong field or space of the application, but may do so if the required information appears elsewhere in the registration materials (i.e., in the deposit copy(ies) but not in the application). For a discussion regarding annotations, see Section 604 below.
Examples:
- Denero Poe submits an online application for a t-shirt design, which is based on a previous design that was registered in 2004. The registration number for the previous design should be provided in the Previous Registration field, but the applicant provided that information in the New Material Included field. The registration specialist may move the previous registration number to the correct field without communicating with the applicant.
- A paper application is submitted for a work titled Without a Doubt – The Worst Day of My Life. In the Note to Copyright Office field the applicant states that the work was published on January 26, 2012. The Date of First Publication field has been left blank. If there is no evidence to suggest that the date provided in the Note to Copyright Office field is incorrect, the registration specialist will add that information to the Date of Publication field and will insert an annotation, such as: “Regarding publication: publication date added from Note to CO.”
602.7 General Practices Regarding Missing Information
Where any required information is missing from the application but is clearly provided in other registration materials, including the deposit copy(ies), an email, cover letter, Note to Copyright Office, a continuation sheet, in an application for a related work which was submitted at the same time, or in other written or oral communications with the applicant, the registration specialist may include that information in the appropriate field or space of the registration record and may annotate the registration record to indicate the source of the added information. (For a discussion of annotations, see Section 604.) If the required information is not clearly provided elsewhere in the registration materials, the registration specialist will communicate with the applicant.
Examples:
- Laura Langley submits a paper application for a short story, but does not provide a Year of Completion. In a cover letter Laura explains that she has been working on the story for 15 years and that she finished it in 2011. The registration specialist will add 2011 to the Year of Completion field and register the claim with an
